Assessment of motor laterality in foals and young horses (Equus caballus) through an analysis of derailment at trot.
Abstract: The conflicting results regarding the study of motor laterality in horses may indicate that there does not exist a proper method to assess the degree and the direction of motor bias in these animals. Unfortunately, even less is known about the development of laterality in horses, and to what extent early manipulations can still exert their effects in adulthood. We propose a new method that can be easily applied at a very early age thus avoiding testing adult horses eventually biased by human handling and/or training. Forty-six horses (29 nine-month-old foals and 17 two-year old horses) were handled since birth bilaterally and housed in groups in wide areas. At the time of the analysis, in order to minimize environmental and sensorial disturbances, each horse was tested in a round pen individually or as dyad mother-foal. The ability/inability to properly execute a circle at trot was then recorded, assuming the direction of derailment, i.e. the cutting of the circle, as an indicator of motor bias. From the results of the study it is arguable that motor laterality in horses is acquired over time: in fact foals tested while their mothers were being subjected to longeing showed a higher percentage of ambidextrous animals, while two-year-old horses appeared biased toward the right (p<0.05). Results are discussed in the light of the scientific knowledge about equine biomechanics, taking into account horses' locomotion that leads to the advancement of the body mass through the activation of a kinetic chain that originates from the hindquarters.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2012-11-30 PubMed ID: 23201413DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.11.006Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article discusses a new method to assess motor laterality, i.e., the preference for one side of the body over the other, in young horses. The study indicates that horses develop motor laterality over time and suggests that early interventions may influence this preference in adult horses.
Research Methodology
- The researchers handled and studied forty-six horses, including 29 nine-month-old foals and 17 two-year-old horses. All the horses were handled bilaterally since birth and were housed in groups in wide areas. This means the horses were treated and managed while considering both their left and right sides.
- Each horse was tested individually or as a mother-foal dyad in a round pen. This was done to minimize environmental and sensory disturbances that could potentially affect the results.
- The parameters of the experiment were related to the horses’ ability or inability to correctly maneuver a circle at trot. The researchers assumed that motor bias would be indicated by the direction in which the horse derailed, or cut-off its circular path.
Study Findings
- The study’s results suggested that motor laterality in horses is acquired over time. This means that young horses don’t have an inherent preference but develop a bias for moving in a certain direction as they grow older.
- When tested alongside their trotting mothers, foals showed a higher percentage of ambidextrous animals, meaning these young horses didn’t exhibit a clear preference for one direction or another.
- On the other hand, two-year-old horses appeared to have developed a bias towards the right. This suggests that as horses grow and mature, they develop a preference for moving and maneuvering in a particular direction.
- The researchers also found the results to be significant (p<0.05), indicating a solid statistical difference between the two observed groups and confirming their findings.
Implications of the Study
- The study’s findings have been discussed in connection with current scientific knowledge about equine biomechanics and horse locomotion. Understanding that the advancement of a horse’s body mass is led by a kinetic chain originating from the hindquarters can further deepen the understanding of motor laterality.
- The results can also highlight the potential impact of early handling and manage on a horse’s motor development. This can possibly provide insights for better equine training practices in the future.
Cite This Article
APA
Lucidi P, Bacco G, Sticco M, Mazzoleni G, Benvenuti M, Bernabò N, Trentini R.
(2012).
Assessment of motor laterality in foals and young horses (Equus caballus) through an analysis of derailment at trot.
Physiol Behav, 109, 8-13.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2012.11.006 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine, Teramo, Italy. plucidi@unite.it
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Bias
- Biomechanical Phenomena
- Female
- Functional Laterality / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Running / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Zetterberg E, Leclercq A, Persson-Sjodin E, Lundblad J, Haubro Andersen P, Hernlund E, Rhodin M. Prevalence of vertical movement asymmetries at trot in Standardbred and Swedish Warmblood foals.. PLoS One 2023;18(4):e0284105.
- Marliani G, Vannucchi I, Kiumurgis I, Accorsi PA. Limitations of Spatial Judgment Bias Test Application in Horses (Equus ferus caballus).. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 3;12(21).
- Kuhnke S, König von Borstel U. A comparison of different established and novel methods to determine horses' laterality and their relation to rein tension.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:789260.
- Krueger K, Schwarz S, Marr I, Farmer K. Laterality in Horse Training: Psychological and Physical Balance and Coordination and Strength Rather Than Straightness.. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 16;12(8).
- Schwarz S, Marr I, Farmer K, Graf K, Stefanski V, Krueger K. Does Carrying a Rider Change Motor and Sensory Laterality in Horses?. Animals (Basel) 2022 Apr 12;12(8).
- MacKechnie-Guire R, Pfau T. Differential rotational movement and symmetry values of the thoracolumbosacral region in high-level dressage horses when trotting.. PLoS One 2021;16(5):e0251144.
- Rosengren MK, Sigurðardóttir H, Eriksson S, Naboulsi R, Jouni A, Novoa-Bravo M, Albertsdóttir E, Kristjánsson Þ, Rhodin M, Viklund Å, Velie BD, Negro JJ, Solé M, Lindgren G. A QTL for conformation of back and croup influences lateral gait quality in Icelandic horses.. BMC Genomics 2021 Apr 14;22(1):267.
- Wells DL, McDowell LJ. Laterality as a Tool for Assessing Breed Differences in Emotional Reactivity in the Domestic Cat, Felis silvestris catus.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Sep 3;9(9).
- Byström A, Egenvall A, Roepstorff L, Rhodin M, Bragança FS, Hernlund E, van Weeren R, Weishaupt MA, Clayton HM. Biomechanical findings in horses showing asymmetrical vertical excursions of the withers at walk.. PLoS One 2018;13(9):e0204548.
- Hobbs SJ, Nauwelaerts S, Sinclair J, Clayton HM, Back W. Sagittal plane fore hoof unevenness is associated with fore and hindlimb asymmetrical force vectors in the sagittal and frontal planes.. PLoS One 2018;13(8):e0203134.
- Gorissen BMC, Serra Bragança FM, Wolschrijn CF, Back W, van Weeren PR. The development of hoof balance and landing preference in the post-natal period.. Equine Vet J 2018 Nov;50(6):809-817.
- Zsoldos RR, Krüger B, Licka TF. From maturity to old age: tasks of daily life require a different muscle use in horses.. Comp Exerc Physiol 2014;10(2):75-88.
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