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Home / Equine Research Bank / Anim Cogn / Does social motivation mitigate fear caused by a sudden soun...
Animal cognition2023; doi: 10.1007/s10071-023-01805-x

Does social motivation mitigate fear caused by a sudden sound in horses?

Abstract: Living in a herd has multiple advantages for social species and is a primary survival strategy for prey. The presence of conspecifics, identified as a social buffer, may mitigate the individual stress response. Social isolation is, therefore, particularly stressful for horses, which are gregarious animals. However, they are not equally vulnerable to separation from the group. We tested whether more and less socially dependent horses and independent individuals would differ in their responses to novel and sudden sounds occurring in two contexts: non-social and social motivation. Twenty warmblood horses were first exposed to two social tests: to evaluate the level of social dependence (rate of restless behaviour; social isolation) and the quantity and the quality of interactions in which they were involved (stay on a paddock). Two fear audio tests were then performed to compare the responses to sudden sounds while feeding (non-social motivation; control trial) and while moving towards the herd (social motivation; experimental trial). Socially dependent horses showed more pronounced avoidance behaviour and needed much more time to resume feeding during the control trial. Hence, dependent individuals appeared to be more fearful. However, during an experimental trial, horses of both groups tended to ignore the sound or paid only limited attention to the stimulus, continuing to move forward towards their conspecifics. Thus, social motivation may mitigate fear caused by a frightening stimulus and make fearful and dependent horses more prone to face a potentially stressful event. This finding should be taken into account in horse training and management.
© 2023. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2023-07-14 PubMed ID: 37450226PubMed Central: 7762420DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01805-xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research investigates the effects of social motivation on fear response in horses, revealing that social motivation can mitigate fear, making socially dependent horses more willing to confront potentially stressful situations.

Objective and Methodology

  • The researchers aim to determine how varying levels of social dependence among horses relate to their response to fear stimuli. The behaviour of horses, who are naturally social animals, is studied under various conditions of isolation and interaction.
  • Twenty warmblood horses were exposed to a series of tests to gauge their level of social dependence and interaction.
  • The level of social dependence was evaluated by their rate of restless behaviour when isolated.
  • The quality and quantity of their social interactions were judged during their time in a paddock.
  • The horses’ fear responses to sudden sounds were then tested in two different situations: while feeding without the presence of other horses; and while moving towards a herd.

Findings and Implications

  • It was found that socially dependent horses displayed more pronounced avoidance behaviour and took longer to resume feeding when presented with a sudden sound – suggesting these horses are more fearful.
  • However, during the test involving social motivation (moving towards a herd), both groups of horses tended to ignore the sound or paid only limited attention to it, indicating that social motivation may reduce fear responses.
  • The findings suggest that social motivation could make horses, who are naturally fearful and socially dependent, more willing to confront potentially stressful situations.
  • The results from this study can aid in the advancement of horse training and management, as understanding a horse’s fear response can inform better practices and approaches to their care and training.

Cite This Article

APA
Janicka W, Wilk I, Próchniak T. (2023). Does social motivation mitigate fear caused by a sudden sound in horses? Anim Cogn. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-023-01805-x

Publication

Animal cognition
ISSN: 1435-9456
NlmUniqueID: 9814573
Country: Germany
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Janicka, Wiktoria
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Use, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 13 Akademicka Street, Lublin, Poland.
Wilk, Izabela
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Use, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 13 Akademicka Street, Lublin, Poland. izabela.wilk@up.lublin.pl.
Próchniak, Tomasz
  • Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 13 Akademicka Street, Lublin, Poland.

Grant Funding

  • SD/61/ZiR/2022 / University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland

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Citations

This article has been cited 2 times.
  1. Janczarek I, Gazda I, Barłowska J, Kurnik J, Łuszczyński J. Social Isolation of Horses vs. Support Provided by a Human. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 3;15(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15111649pubmed: 40509115google scholar: lookup
  2. O'Connell E, Dyson S, McLean A, McGreevy P. No More Evasion: Redefining Conflict Behaviour in Human-Horse Interactions. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 31;15(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15030399pubmed: 39943169google scholar: lookup
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