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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Equine Behavioural and Physiological Responses to Auditory S...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(9); 1574; doi: 10.3390/ani13091574

Equine Behavioural and Physiological Responses to Auditory Stimuli in the Presence and Absence of Noise-Damping Ear Covers.

Abstract: Despite numerous studies investigating responses to visual perception, there is limited research into how horses respond to different auditory stimuli. Although 'noise-damping' ear covers are frequently used on sport horses to minimise distraction from external auditory stimuli, the effectiveness of ear covers has not been established. This study aimed to (i) investigate the responses of horses to different sounds commonly present in a competition environment, and (ii) compare these responses in the presence and absence of ear covers. A total of 18 horses were presented with 5 sounds commonly heard in competition or stable environments both with and without ear covers, in a randomised order crossover design. Behavioural and heart rate responses were recorded. Responses were compared between sounds and with/without ear covers. Differences in physiological and behavioural responses to different complex auditory stimuli were shown. An overall difference in physiological and behavioural responses with and without ear covers was detected, although the only difference in heart rate between ear covers and no ear covers that individually achieved significance was the feed sound. These findings suggest that horses can discriminate sounds and alter their responses based on the individual stimulus, and these responses are reduced when wearing ear covers with varying effectiveness for different sounds.
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Publication Date: 2023-05-08 PubMed ID: 37174609PubMed Central: PMC10177151DOI: 10.3390/ani13091574Google 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.

The research paper investigates how horses react to different sounds typically found in competitive and stable environments, and how their reactions change when using ‘noise-damping’ ear covers. The findings indicate that horses can differentiate sounds and adjust their responses accordingly, and that these responses are toned down when they are wearing ear covers.

Study Design and Methodology

  • This study used 18 horses and exposed them to five common sounds found in competition or stable environments. This exposure happened in both situations: normal hearing and with noise-damping ear covers.
  • The animals were subjected to the sounds in a random sequence that followed a crossover design to suppress any potential order effects.
  • Researchers recorded the behavioral and heart rate responses of the horses as the primary data for analysis. These measures determined the horses’ reactions to the auditory stimuli.

Key Findings

  • Results of the research revealed mixed responses from horses towards diverse complex auditory stimuli. Meaning, horses show different physiological and behavioral reactions to different sounds. This indicates that horses have the ability to differentiate between various sounds.
  • The study found an overall variation in the physiological and behavioral responses with and without ear covers, thus providing evidence that the use of ear covers does affect the reactions of horses to sounds.
  • However, of all the sounds presented, the ‘feed sound’ was the only one that showed a significant difference in the horses’ heart rates when they were wearing ear covers.

Conclusions and Implications

  • From the findings, it can be inferred that horses do not react identically to all sounds and can discriminate between different auditory stimuli. Their responses vary depending on the specific sound they hear.
  • The study also suggests that ear covers do have an impact on the reactions of horses towards sounds, reducing the intensity of their responses. However, the level of effectiveness of these covers varies among different sounds.
  • While these findings may be considered preliminary, they hold significant implications for horse owners, trainers, and competition organizers as they shed light on how horses’ behavior can be managed through the use of noise-damping aids.

Cite This Article

APA
Hole C, Murray R, Marlin D, Freeman P. (2023). Equine Behavioural and Physiological Responses to Auditory Stimuli in the Presence and Absence of Noise-Damping Ear Covers. Animals (Basel), 13(9), 1574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13091574

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 9
PII: 1574

Researcher Affiliations

Hole, Clare
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
Murray, Rachel
  • Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons, Cotton End Road, Exning, Newmarket, Suffolk CB8 7NN, UK.
Marlin, David
  • AnimalWeb Ltd., Cambridge CB4 0WZ, UK.
Freeman, Paul
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Olczak K, Penar W, Nowicki J, Magiera A, Klocek C. The Role of Sound in Livestock Farming-Selected Aspects.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jul 14;13(14).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13142307pubmed: 37508083google scholar: lookup
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