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Horse behavior is best understood from the perspective that horses are prey animals with a well-developed fight-or-flight instinct. Their first response to a threat is to flee, although they are known to stand their ground and defend themselves or their offspring in cases where flight is not possible, such as when a foal would be threatened. horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ...
A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk eating a California Vole In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator organism feeds on another living organism or organisms known as prey. ...
This article or section should include material from Fight-or-flight The flight or fight response, also called the acute stress response, was first described by Walter Cannon in the 1920s as a theory that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system. ...
Nonetheless, because their physiology is also suited to the accomplishment of a number of work- and entertainment-related tasks, humans domesticated horses thousands of years ago and they have served humans ever since. Through selective breeding, some breeds of horses have been bred to be quite docile, particularly certain large draft horses. On the other hand, most light horse riding breeds were developed for speed, agility, alertness and endurance; building on natural qualities that extended from their wild ancestors. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...
Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ...
Two pairs of Shire horses and a pair of Suffolk Punches A draft horse, draught horse, or harness horse is a large, strong horse bred for heavy work rather than speed. ...
// This page is a list of horse and pony breeds, and also includes terms used to describe types of horses that are not breeds but are commonly mistaken for breeds. ...
The instincts of horses can be used to human advantage to create a bond between human and horse. These techniques vary, but are part of the art of horse training. WikiProject horse training is about methods of training horses, and all the related aspects of the relationship between people and horses. ...
Horses as herd animals
Horses are highly social herd animals that prefer to live in a group. Like all creatures, equine social behavior developed to help the species survive. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 146 KB) Summary Author: Jaime Jackson Subject: Free-roaming mustangs, Utah, 2005. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 146 KB) Summary Author: Jaime Jackson Subject: Free-roaming mustangs, Utah, 2005. ...
A Mustang is a hardy, free-roaming horse of the North American west, descended primarily from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish invaders known as Conquistadors. ...
A flock of Canada geese A herd is a large group of animals. ...
There also is a dominance hierarchy in any herd. They will establish a "pecking order" for the purpose of determining which herd member directs the behavior of other, eats and drinks first, and so on. This behavior pattern also applies to their interrelationship with humans. A horse that respects the human as a "herd member" who is higher in the social order will behave in a more appropriate manner towards all humans than a horse that has been allowed to engage in dominant behavior over humans. A dominance hierarchy is an organizational form by which individuals within a community control the distribution of resources (goods and services) within the community. ...
Horses are able to form companionship attachments not only to their own species, but with other animals, including humans. In fact, many domesticated horses will become anxious, flighty and hard to manage if they are isolated. Horses kept in near-complete isolation, particularly in a closed stable where they cannot see other animals may require a stable companion such as a cat, goat or even a small pony or donkey to provide company and reduce stress. Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ...
Leland Stanfords horse stable, still in use Horse kept in stable A stable is a building in which livestock, usually horses, are kept. ...
When anxiety over separation occurs while a horse is being handled by human, the horse is called being "herd-bound". However, through proper training, horses learn to be comfortable away from other horses, often because they learn to trust a human handler, essentially ranking humans as a dominant member of a "herd."
Herd behavior in the wild Feral and wild horse herds are usually made up of several separate small bands who share a given territory. Each band led by a mare who is dominant in the hierarchy, called the "dominant mare," the "lead mare" or the "boss mare." The band contains additional mares, their foals, and immature horses of both sexes. There is usually a single "herd" or "lead" stallion, though occasionally a few less-dominant males may remain on the fringes of the group.[1] Feral horses are free-roaming, untamed horses who are descended from domesticated horses. ...
Binomial name Equus ferus Boddaert, 1785 Subspecies Equus ferus ferus Equus ferus przewalskii The Wild Horse (Equus ferus) is a member of the Horse genus and was found in Europe and Asia. ...
13 year old Peruvian Paso mare A broodmare and foal In English, a mare (an old Germanic word) is a female horse; the word is also an etymological root of marshal (originally marescalcus horse servant). Mares are considered easier to handle than males, which are called stallions or after castration...
A foal is a young horse of either gender; a female foal is called a filly, while a male foal is called a colt. ...
A stallion. ...
Bands are usually on the small side, as few as three to five animals, but sometimes over a dozen. The makeup of bands shifts over time as young animals are driven out of the band they were born into and join other bands, or as young stallions challenge older males for dominance. However, in a given closed ecosystem such as the isolated refuges in which most wild horses live today, to maintain genetic diversity the minimum size for a sustainable wild horse or burro population is 150-200 animals.[2] A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ...
Hierarchical structure Survival dictates that the herd members ultimately cooperate and stick together. As with many animals that live in large groups, establishment of a stable hierarchy or "pecking order" is important to smooth group functioning. Contention for dominance can be risky since one well-placed kick to a leg could cripple another horse to such an extent that it would be defenseless, exposed, and possibly unable to get to food or water. Therefore, another job of higher-ranked animals is to exercise control and moderate aggressive behavior in the herd. A hierarchy (in Greek: , derived from — hieros, sacred, and — arkho, rule) is a system of ranking and organizing things or people, where each element of the system (except for the top element) is subordinate to a single other element. ...
In times of stress, whether from predators or extreme weather, the center of the herd is the safest because it offers the most protection from the elements and is further away from predators than any other part. Because of this, "punishment" of misbehaving members is sometimes delivered in the form of expulsion from the herd--temporarily or sometimes permanently.
Most young horses in the wild are allowed to stay with the herd until sometime in their yearling or 2-year old year, when they reach full sexual maturity. Studies of wild herds have shown that the herd stallion will usually drive out both young colts and fillies. This probably is an instinct that prevents inbreeding, so that the herd stallion does not mate with his own female offspring. The fillies usually join another band in fairly short order, and the colts driven out from various herds usually join together for safety in small "bachelor" groups until those who are able establish dominance over an older stallion in another herd.[3] The term Colt, when used by itself, can refer to: A firearm produced by Colts Manufacturing Company, founded by Samuel Colt. ...
Filly is also a town in Belgium. ...
It has been suggested that inbreeding depression be merged into this article or section. ...
Role of the lead mare Contrary to traditional portrayals of the herd stallion as the "ruler" of a "harem" of females, the actual leader of a wild or feral herd is the alpha or dominant mare, commonly known as the "boss mare" or "lead mare." She is usually one of the more mature animals, responsible for the overall safety of the herd, familiar with the terrain and resources available. She takes the lead when the herd travels, determines the best route, when to move from one place to another, and claims the right to drink first from watering holes and stake out the best location for grazing. Coming from the Arab tradition, the harîm Øريم (compare haram) is the part of the household forbidden to male strangers. ...
13 year old Peruvian Paso mare A broodmare and foal In English, a mare (an old Germanic word) is a female horse; the word is also an etymological root of marshal (originally marescalcus horse servant). Mares are considered easier to handle than males, which are called stallions or after castration...
Role of the stallion The edge of the herd is the domain of the herd stallion, who must fight off both predators and other males. When the herd travels, the stallion brings up the rear, watching for predators and driving straggling herd members on, keeping the group together. During mating season, stallions tend to more aggressively attempt to keep the mares from straying off. However, most of the time, the stallion is fairly relaxed, spending much of his time "guarding" the herd not by herding the mares around, but by scent-marking manure piles and urination spots in order to make clear his position as herd stallion.[4] A stallion. ...
By living on the periphery of the herd, exposed to weather, predators, and challenges from other stallions, the herd stallion endures a somewhat vulnerable existence. He is exposed to more risks than any other herd member and can be replaced by a stronger successor at any time. Interestingly, a herd stallion will occasionally tolerate one young stallion to live at the edge of the herd, possibly as a sort of designated successor, even though the young horse will eventually gain mastery over the older stallion and claim the herd.
Ratio of stallions and mares Biologically, and depending on the physical environment available to a herd in the wild, there is only a need for one stallion for every 10 to 20 mares, though most bands are smaller than this. Domesticated stallions, with careful human management, often "cover" more mares in a year than is possible in the wild. Traditionally, Thoroughbred stud farms limited stallions to breeding between 40 and 60 mares a year. Today, by carefully breeding mares only when at the peak of their Estrous cycle, a few thoroughbred stallions have "covered" over 200 mares per year. With use of technologies such as artificial insemination one stallion could sire thousands of offspring annually, though in actual practice, economic considerations usually limit the number of foals produced.[5] A stallion. ...
Thoroughbred race horses The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known as a race horse. ...
The estrous cycle (also oestrous cycle; originally derived from Latin oestrus) comprises the recurring physiologic changes that are induced by reproductive hormones in most mammalian placental females. ...
This article does not cite any references or sources. ...
Domesticated stallion behavior -
Some horse breeders keep horses in semi-natural conditions, allowing a single stallion to run with a group of mares referred to as "pasture breeding," and keep young stallions who are not of breeding age in a separate "bachelor herd." While this has advantages of less intensive labor for human caretakers, and full time turnout may be psychologically healthy for the horses, pasture breeding presents a risk of injury to valuable breeding stock, both stallions and mares, particularly when unfamiliar animals are added to the herd. It also raises questions of when or if a mare is bred, and may also raise questions as to parentage of ensuing foals. Thus, keeping stallions in a natural herd is not particularly common, especially on breeding farms standing multiple stallions to outside mares. It is more often seen on farms with closed herds; only one or a few stallions with a stable mare herd and few, if any, outside mares. Horse breeding is the process of using selective breeding to produce additional individuals of a given phenotype, that is, continuing a breed. ...
More often, mature domesticated stallions are commonly kept by themselves in a stable or small paddock with a strong, high fence that prevents escape.
When multiple stallions, especially animals who are unfamiliar to each other, are stabled together, such as at large breeding farms, horse shows or at a racetrack, they are usually kept from smelling or touching one another. If they have access to paddocks, there often is a corridor between the paddocks so the stallions cannot touch or sniff one another. Stallions are often kept well away from mares as well, except when breeding, both to avoid unintentional or unplanned matings, but also to minimize their instincts to fight one another for dominance when in the presence of mares. Leland Stanfords horse stable, still in use Horse kept in stable A stable is a building in which livestock, usually horses, are kept. ...
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. ...
Alternative use: Race track Racetrack is a pencil and paper game, nominally for two players. ...
However, even stallions have a need for social contact with other creatures, and isolation can lead to stable vices. To alleviate this problem, some stallions, though not all, do well when stabled with a non-horse companion, such as a gelded donkey or a goat. (The Godolphin Arabian was said to be particularly fond of a barn cat). While many domesticated stallions become too aggressive to tolerate the close presence of any other male horse without fighting, some tolerate a gelding as a companion, particularly one that has a very calm, unflappable temperament. One example of this was the racehorse Seabiscuit, who lived with a gelding companion named "Pumpkin." Other stallions may tolerate the close presence of an immature and thus less dominant stallion. Stable vices are bad habits that horses obtain, often as a result of being confined with insufficient exercise. ...
The Godolphin Arabian (ca 1724 - 1754), also known as the Godolphin Barb, was one of three horses which were the founders of the modern thoroughbred horse racing broodstock. ...
Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ...
A gelding is a castrated animal—in English, a castrated male horse. ...
Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933—May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred race horse in the United States. ...
When stallions are stabled in such a way that they can both see each other and touch nose to nose, such as through bars or a grill, they will challenge one another. Strange stallions are not stabled in this fashion due to risk of injury and disruption to the rest of the stable. However, some farms feel that social contact benefits stallions and with careful management can keep generally well-tempered stallions who will be kept together for a long period of time in closer proximity. Usually, in these settings more dominant animals are kept apart by a young or less dominant stallion in the stall between them. Sometimes a stallion raised in isolation from other horses cannot be stabled in this fashion at all due to aggressive behavior. This method of stabling is generally used only by experienced stable managers.
Dominance in domesticated herds Because domestication of the horse usually requires stallions to be isolated from other horses, either mares or geldings may become dominant in a domestic herd. Usually dominance in these cases is a matter of age and, to some extent, temperament. It is common for older animals to be dominant, though old and weak animals may lose their rank in the herd. There are also studies suggesting that a foal will "inherit" or perhaps imprint dominance behavior from its dam, and at maturity seek to obtain the same rank in a later herd that its mother held when the horse was young. There are a number of theories regarding the domestication of the horse. ...
A gelding is a castrated animal—in English, a castrated male horse. ...
A foal is a young horse of either gender; a female foal is called a filly, while a male foal is called a colt. ...
Imprinting has different meanings in: Genetics: see imprinting (genetics) Psychology and ethology: see imprinting (psychology) In addition, the term imprint is used in publishing. ...
In recent studies of domesticated horses, new evidence indicates that horses appear to benefit from a strong female presence in the herd. Groupings of all geldings, or herds where a gelding is dominant over the rest of the herd (for example, if the mares in the herd are quite young or of low status), may be more anxious as a group and less relaxed than those where a mare is dominant.[6] Domesticated animals, plants, and other organisms are those whose collective behavior, life cycle, or physiology has been altered as a result of their breeding and living conditions being under human control for multiple generations. ...
A gelding is a castrated animal—in English, a castrated male horse. ...
Communication Horses communicate in various ways, including vocalizations such as nickering, squealing or whinnying; touch, through mutual grooming or nuzzling; smell; and body language. Body language is probably the predominant means of communication. Horses use ear position, neck and head height, movement, and foot stomping or tail swishing to communicate with each other. Discipline is also maintained in the herd first through body language and gestures, then, if needed, through physical contact such as biting, kicking, nudging, or other means of forcing a misbehaving herd member to move. In most cases, the animal that successfully causes another to move is dominant, whether is uses just body language or adds physical means. In animals, vocalization is a means of communication generated in many cases by their primitive versions of vocal chords. ...
Grooming refers to removing obvious imperfections in ones appearance, or improving ones hygiene. ...
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...
Horses and humans Horses are creatures of habit and have excellent memories, which make consistent training extremely important to the horse. Untrained young horses, even with top bloodlines, can be bought for relatively little money compared to those with training. Once a horse is started under saddle and demonstrates that it is trainable, ridable and has some athletic talent for its work, the price easily triples. White horse from http://www. ...
White horse from http://www. ...
To a wild horse, humans are usually viewed as potential predators. However, horses are also innately curious and may investigate any creature that is interesting but not threatening.
Any domesticated horse with some experience with humans usually views people as generally harmless objects of curiosity worth at least minor notice, especially if they know that humans may bring food or treats. Rarely will any domestic horse become truly vicious unless it has been spoiled or abused by humans, though many stallions have a great deal of naturally aggressive, dominant behavior that requires that they be managed only by knowledgable handlers. However, any horse is a large animal that retains some wild instincts, so can react unpredictably by running, biting, striking, or kicking. Thus humans must always be alert around horses because they can accidentally harm people.
The ability of humans to work in cooperation with the horse is based on both the natural curiosity of the horse and the strong social bonds that horses have with each other. Horses do not like to be separated from their herd, because to be alone is to be exposed to predators on all sides. Also, in a herd, less dominant horses tend to gravitate toward the most mature and confident members. Therefore, many horse training principles are based upon having the horse accept a human as the dominant herd member. Ideally this is not done by force, but by the horse developing trust in the ability of the human and confidence that the human will be a responsible "herd leader."
Horses are also adapted to covering large amounts of territory and must have a certain boldness to do so. A horse that is afraid more than necessary will expend energy needlessly and then may not be able to escape when a threat is real. Thus, horses have an ability to check out the unusual and not immediately flee from something that is merely different.
This willingness to consider new things can also be used by a human trainer to adapt the horse's behavior to an extraordinary range of activities that are well outside the range of instinctive horse behavior, including acts considered naturally dangerous by the average horse such as bullfighting, jumping off cliffs, diving into water, jumping through a ring of fire, or walking into a modern television studio, complete with enclosed space, bright lights, and tremendous noise.
People who train horses first have to educate them that some normal herd behavior is inappropriate around humans. For example, biting and "shadow boxing" (rearing, striking) that is common play among young horses, colts in particular, could be injurious or fatal to people. Other instinctive traits, such as running away when frightened, bucking off anything that lands on a horse's back (like a mountain lion or other predator), or never entering a small enclosed area, also have to be overcome before the horse is useful to humans.
Even when trained, most horses will still test boundaries, at least mildly, and some horses with dominant personalities will openly challenge a weak or inexperienced handler. For example, if handled with incompetence or abuse, a horse may ignore its training and attempt to nip, bite, kick, refuse to be led, or try other ways to challenge human dominance. Without consistent handling, some horses, especially young ones, will revert back to their untrained ways. However, due to their good memory, horses with solid training from trustworthy handlers often retain what they have learned, even after a gap of many years.
Sleep patterns
When horses lie down to sleep, others in the herd remain standing, awake or in a light doze, in order to keep watch. Here, the dominant mare is standing, a younger mare is laying down Horses are able to sleep both standing up and lying down. They are able to doze and enter light sleep while standing, an adaptation from life as a prey animal in the wild. Lying down makes an animal more vulnerable to predators.[7] Horses are able to sleep standing up because a "stay apparatus" in their legs allows them to relax their muscles and doze without collapsing. In the front legs, their equine forelimb anatomy automatically engages the stay apparatus when their muscles relax.[8] The horse engages the stay apparatus in the hind legs by shifting its hip position to lock the patella in place. At the stifle joint, a "hook" structure situated on the inside bottom end of the femur cups the patella and the medial patella ligament, preventing the leg from bending.[9] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 553 pixelsFull resolution (2615 × 1806 pixel, file size: 388 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 553 pixelsFull resolution (2615 × 1806 pixel, file size: 388 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Prey can refer to: Look up Prey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A prey animal eaten by a predator in an act called predation. ...
The equine forelimb is the front, or thoracic limb of the horse. ...
The patella or kneecap is a thick, triangular bone which articulates with the femur and covers and protects the front of the knee joint. ...
The anatomy of the horse comes with a large number of horse specific terms. ...
The femur or thigh bone is the longest, most voluminous, and strongest bone of the mammalian bodies. ...
A ligament is a short band of tough fibrous connective tissue composed mainly of long, stringy collagen fibres. ...
Unlike humans, horses do not need a solid, unbroken period of sleep time. They obtain needed sleep by means of many short periods of rest. This is to be expected of a prey animal, one that needs to be ready on a moment's notice to flee from predators. Horses may spend anywhere from four to fifteen hours a day in standing rest, and from a few minutes to several hours lying down. However, not all this time is the horse actually asleep; total sleep time in a day may range from several minutes to a couple of hours.[10] Horses require approximately two and a half hours of sleep, on average, in a 24-hour period. Most of this sleep occurs in many short intervals of about 15 minutes each.[11] Prey can refer to: Look up Prey in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A prey animal eaten by a predator in an act called predation. ...
This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ...
Horses need to lie down occasionally, and prefer soft ground for a nap. Horses must lie down to reach REM sleep. They only have to lie down for an hour or two every few days to meet their minimum REM sleep requirements.[10] However, if a horse is never allowed to lie down, after several days it will become sleep-deprived, and in rare cases may suddenly collapse as it involuntarily slips into REM sleep while still standing.[12] This condition differs from narcolepsy, though horses may also suffer from that disorder.[13] Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 486 pixelsFull resolution (2556 × 1553 pixel, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 486 pixelsFull resolution (2556 × 1553 pixel, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Rapid eye movement (REM) is the stage of sleep during which the most vivid (though not all) dreams occur. ...
Narcolepsy is a neurological condition most characterized by Excessive Daytime Sleepiness (EDS). ...
Horses sleep better when in groups because some animals will sleep while others stand guard to watch for predators. A horse kept entirely alone will not sleep well because its instincts are to keep a constant eye out for danger.[10] The suckling of a newborn at its mothers nipple is an example of an instinctive behavior. ...
Psychological disorders -
When confined with insufficient companionship, exercise or stimulation, horses may develop stable vices, an assortment of bad habits, mostly psychological in origin, that include wood chewing, wall kicking, "weaving" (rocking back and forth) and other problems. Stable vices are bad habits that horses obtain, often as a result of being confined with insufficient exercise. ...
Stable vices are bad habits that horses obtain, often as a result of being confined with insufficient exercise. ...
Psychology (from Greek: ψυχή, psukhē, spirit, soul; and λόγος, logos, knowledge) is an academic / applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior of humans and animals. ...
Notes - ^ Mistral, Kip. "The Secret Life of Stallions." Horse Connection magazine, online edition accessed June 22, 2007 at http://www.horseconnection.com/site/archive/story-feb06.html
- ^ Wild Horse Genetic Diversity and Viability: Management Toward Extinction
- ^ "ADVS 3910 Wild Horses Behavior," web page accessed June 22, 2007 at http://www.advs.usu.edu/academics/pdf/ADVS3910WildHorses.pdf
- ^ "The Natural Horse and Unnatural Behaviour." Reproduced with permission from the Proceedings of the BEVA Specialist Days on Behaviour and Nutrition. Ed. P.A.Harris et al. Pub. Equine Veterinary Journal Ltd. Web site accessed June 22, 2007 at http://www.effem-equine.com/Waltham%20-%20Horse/behavioural_aspects/the_natural_horse.html
- ^ Bergstein, Stan. "We Have the Technology..." originally published in Daily Racing Form, March 12, 2002.
- ^ Barakat, Christine. "Is your horse sleep deprived?" Equus, February 2007, issue 353, p. 34.
- ^ Do Horses Sleep Standing Up? Web site, accessed March 23, 2007
- ^ How Horses Sleep Web Site, accessed March 23, 2007
- ^ "How can horses sleep when standing?" Web site, accessed March 23, 2007
- ^ a b c "How Horses Sleep, Pt. 2 - Power Naps" Web site, accessed March 23, 2007
- ^ "Did you hear the one about the policeman's horse?" Web site, accessed March 23, 2007
- ^ Equine Sleep Disorder videos. Web site accessed March 23, 2007
- ^ "Did you hear the one about the policeman's horse?" Web site, accessed March 23, 2007
Reference works
See also Binomial name Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758 The horse (Equus caballus, sometimes seen as a subspecies of the Wild Horse, Equus ferus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten modern species of the genus Equus. ...
WikiProject horse training is about methods of training horses, and all the related aspects of the relationship between people and horses. ...
Horse breaking (or horse starting) refers to the process used by humans to get horses to let themselves be ridden or harnessed. ...
Horse breeding is the process of using selective breeding to produce additional individuals of a given phenotype, that is, continuing a breed. ...
Stable vices are bad habits that horses obtain, often as a result of being confined with insufficient exercise. ...
Laura knows far more about horses than Sarah ever will, ever. ...
There are a number of theories regarding the domestication of the horse. ...
External links - Good site on mare and stallion behavior
- My Horse University, a division of Michigan State University
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