Adults may be used to alleviate weaning stress in domestic foals (Equus caballus).

This study investigates if weaning stress in domestic foals can be reduced by maintaining their presence with unrelated adult horses, thereby keeping undesirable behaviors to a minimum.

Introduction

• In this study, the researchers try to address the stress that occurs in domestic foals during the period of weaning.
• The objective of this research was to discover if the presence of unrelated adult horses during weaning would lower the social stress and unwanted behaviors that traditionally occur during the process.

Methodology

• The experiment involved 32 domestic foals that were split into groups; some groups were formed solely of peers (PW), while other groups were mixed, containing both peers and unrelated adults (AW).
• A total of three trials were executed. Each trial had one group of AW and one group of PW.
• After weaning, the researchers kept track of increased vocalization, heightened locomotion, and a rise in salivary cortisol concentration – all typical signs of weaning stress in foals.

Results

• The results indicated that all foals showed increased signs of stress after weaning; however, the severity and duration of these signs were considerably less in the AW group as compared to the PW group.
• The researchers found out that the presence of unrelated adult horses resulted in reduced stress indicators like whinnies and salivary cortisol.
• Another important finding was that only foals without the company of adults exhibited increased aggressiveness towards their peers along with abnormal behaviors such as excessive wood-chewing and redirected sucking towards peers.

Conclusion

• The study concludes that the introduction of unrelated adult horses during the weaning process helps to moderate both weaning stress in foals and suppress subsequent aggressive and abnormal behaviors.
• This method appears to be the most promising approach for reducing weaning stress in domestic foals to date.