Equine learning behaviour: common knowledge and systematic research.

Murphy and Arkins offer a detailed analysis on the principles related to learning theory in horses. They highlight the lack of systematic work in understanding equine learning behavior, despite its importance in training horses. They also draw attention to the discrepancy between horses’ previous experiences and the control required for systematic behavioural research, the ethical constraints on equine research, and the costly nature of maintaining equine experimental subjects.

Discrepancies between research evidence and common knowledge on equine learning

• Murphy and Arkins’ work reveals that there’s a significant gap between the common knowledge or anecdotal references regarding learning habits in horses and well-documented research studies.
• Typically, studies of horse learning behavior involve positive reinforcement schedules. However, in real-life scenarios, much of the equine training is based on negative reinforcement schedules or, in many cases, punishment of undesirable responses.
• Moreover, it indicates that studies on equine learning behavior often involve animals kept for purposes other than behavioural research, which could affect the accuracy of the research results.

Challenges in performing systematic research on horses

• Horses as experimental subjects are expensive compared to rats and other species commonly used in behavioral research. The establishment of a research facility would require significant capital investment for space, housing, and experimental facilities
• Experimental designs can begin to control several variables, but controlling for prior experience in adult horses is challenging due to differences in salient factors such as age, breed, sex, and prior husbandry experiences.
• Besides, ethical considerations often place restrictions on the potential procedures, making researchers opt for methodologies that pose less risk to the subject’s well-being.

Social behaviours and ethical issues

• The researchers highlight that the belief of horse owners about horses acquiring abnormal behaviors such as weaving and crib-biting through observation of affected horses may be invalid.
• Conducting direct research in this regard would involve the risk of increasing the frequency of these abnormal behaviors, which would be detrimental for horses’ wellbeing.
• Moreover, research funding is also a significant challenge, especially when there is little by way of either clear research priorities in equine welfare in the academic community or the funds available to support them.

Research Evidence Vs Anecdotal References

• The authors point out that the reviews’ statements do not feature all available empirical evidence and tend to lean more towards general understanding in equine husbandry.
• This discrepancy in evidence-based learning and common knowledge poses a significant challenge to the systematic investigation of behavioural development.

In-depth research needed in sensory abilities of horses

• The authors also argue for a more in-depth look into the sensory capabilities of horses, asserting that learning biases could be attributed to perceptual differences rather than differences in higher cognitive functions.
• The authors find that horses have a good capability for conditioned food preference, and they stress the need for further research in horses’ auditory perception abilities, touch sensitivity, and other sensory modalities.