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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(5); 1383; doi: 10.3390/ani11051383

Evaluating the Reaction to a Complex Rotated Object in the American Quarter Horse (Equus caballus).

Abstract: It is dangerous for both riders and horses when a horse suddenly startles. Sometimes horses do this in familiar environments because familiar objects may look different when rotated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether horses that had been habituated to a complex object (children's playset) would react to the object as novel when rotated 90 degrees. Twenty young horses were led past the playset 15 times by a handler. Next, the rotated group was led past the rotated playset 15 times. Each time the horse was led by the object was a pass. The behavioral responses observed and analyzed were ears focused on the object, nostril flares, neck raising, snort, avoid by stopping, avoid by moving feet sideways, and avoid by flight. An increasing reactivity scale was used to quantify behavioral responses. A two-sample -test was performed on the reactivity scores comparing the first pass by the novel object to the first pass by the rotated object. The horses in the rotated group reacted to the rotated orientation similarly to the first exposure ( = 0.001, α < 0.05). Being aware of potential reactions to changes in previously familiar environments can help keep the handler safer.
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Publication Date: 2021-05-13 PubMed ID: 34068020PubMed Central: PMC8152253DOI: 10.3390/ani11051383Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 study explores how American Quarter Horses respond to familiar objects that have been rotated, suggesting that even minor alterations in orientation can cause horses to react as if they’re encountering the object for the first time.

Introduction

  • The research revolves around the concept of the familiarity of objects and how horses react when the orientation of these known objects is changed.
  • An alert reaction to a familiar object can be perilous for riders and horses alike.
  • The research’s goal was to determine if horses familiarized with a complex object (children’s playset in this case) would treat the object as new when it is rotated 90 degrees.

Methodology

  • Twenty young horses were used in the experiment.
  • Each horse was led past the playset 15 times by a handler.
  • Likewise, a “rotated group” was led past the same playset, now rotated 90 degrees, for an equal number of times.
  • Every journey past the playset was called a “pass.”
  • Various behavioral responses of horses were observed and analyzed such as ears focused on the object, nostril flares, neck raising, snort, avoid by stopping, avoid by moving feet sideways, and avoid by flight.

Analysis and Results

  • In order to quantify the horses’ behavioral responses, the researchers employed a reactivity scale that increases with the intensity of the reactions.
  • A statistical test called the two-sample t-test was used to compare horses’ reactivity scores for the first pass by the novel object and the first pass by the rotated one.
  • The result showed that horses in the “rotated group” responded to the rotated object almost the same way as they did on their first encounter, suggesting that a slight change in an otherwise familiar object’s presentation can reset a horse’s perception of it.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The study implies that even minor adjustments in the positioning of objects can pose potential dangers in handling horses – a finding that’s important not only for horse handlers, but for those who design environments where horses are kept.
  • Being aware of the nature of horses’ reactions to changes in their familiar environment can help adopt safer handling procedures.

Cite This Article

APA
Corgan ME, Grandin T, Matlock S. (2021). Evaluating the Reaction to a Complex Rotated Object in the American Quarter Horse (Equus caballus). Animals (Basel), 11(5), 1383. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051383

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 5
PII: 1383

Researcher Affiliations

Corgan, Megan Elizabeth
  • Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Grandin, Temple
  • Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Matlock, Sarah
  • Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 9 times.
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