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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Evidence for Right-Sided Horses Being More Optimistic than L...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2018; 8(12); 219; doi: 10.3390/ani8120219

Evidence for Right-Sided Horses Being More Optimistic than Left-Sided Horses.

Abstract: An individual's positive or negative perspective when judging an ambiguous stimulus (cognitive bias) can be helpful when assessing animal welfare. Emotionality, as expressed in approach or withdrawal behaviour, is linked to brain asymmetry. The predisposition to process information in the left or right brain hemisphere is displayed in motor laterality. The quality of the information being processed is indicated by the sensory laterality. Consequently, it would be quicker and more repeatable to use motor or sensory laterality to evaluate cognitive bias than to perform the conventional judgment bias test. Therefore, the relationship between cognitive bias and motor or sensory laterality was tested. The horses ( = 17) were trained in a discrimination task involving a box that was placed in either a "positive" or "negative" location. To test for cognitive bias, the box was then placed in the middle, between the trained positive and negative location, in an ambiguous location, and the latency to approach the box was evaluated. Results indicated that horses that were more likely to use the right forelimb when moving off from a standing position were more likely to approach the ambiguous box with a shorter latency (generalized linear mixed model, < 0.01), and therefore displayed a positive cognitive bias (optimistic).
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Publication Date: 2018-11-22 PubMed ID: 30469484PubMed Central: PMC6315450DOI: 10.3390/ani8120219Google 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.

The research investigated the correlation between equine brain hemispheres and cognitive bias, finding that horses with right-sided dominance tend to showcase a more optimistic, positive bias.

Objective and Approach

  • This study aimed at examining the relationship between cognitive bias and motor/sensory laterality in horses. Cognitive bias refers to an individual’s generalised inclination toward positive or negative perspectives when evaluating an unclear or neutral object or situation, and motor/sensory laterality refers to the predisposition to use one side of the brain and body over the other.
  • The researchers hypothesized that this relationship could be a more efficient way to assess cognitive bias, rather than traditional judgment bias tests.
  • The experiment involved training horses to associate a specific box location with a positive or negative outcome, then testing their response when the box was placed in an ambiguous, neutral position.

Methodology

  • Seventeen horses were involved in this experiment and were trained in a discrimination task involving a box. The box was positioned either in a ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ location, and the horses were trained to recognize these associations.
  • To evaluate the horses’ cognitive biases, the researchers then placed the box between the set positive and negative locations, forming an ambiguous stimulus.
  • The horses’ reactions to this ambiguous situation were recorded, specifically their hesitation or latency to approach the box.

Key Findings

  • The results suggested that horses with a right-sided bias were more likely to approach the ambiguous box quickly, implying a positive or optimistic cognitive bias.
  • Conversely, it can be inferred that horses with left-sided bias may display a more negative or pessimistic cognitive bias, although this research did not explicitly state that.
  • This supports the theory that sensory and motor laterality can indeed serve as indicators of an animal’s cognitive bias, potentially simplifying animal welfare assessments.

Implications

  • The findings could have significant implications for assessing animal welfare, as understanding a horse’s cognitive bias could aid in providing more tailored care and environment settings.
  • It could also give insight into their behaviour under varying conditions, helping animal handlers to predict and manage responses more effectively.
  • Future studies can further explore this aspect, examining other animals and factors, for comprehensive animal behaviour understanding.

Cite This Article

APA
Marr I, Farmer K, Krüger K. (2018). Evidence for Right-Sided Horses Being More Optimistic than Left-Sided Horses. Animals (Basel), 8(12), 219. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8120219

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 12
PII: 219

Researcher Affiliations

Marr, Isabell
  • Department Equine Economics, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nuertingen, Germany. marri@stud.hfwu.de.
  • Behavioural Physiology of Farm Animals, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 17, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. marri@stud.hfwu.de.
Farmer, Kate
  • School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Mary's Quad, South Street, St Andrews, Fife, Scotland KY16 9JP, UK. katefarmer@utanet.at.
Krüger, Konstanze
  • Department Equine Economics, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nuertingen, Germany. konstanze.Krueger@hfwu.de.
  • Zoology/Evolutionary Biology, University of Regensburg, Universitaetsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. konstanze.Krueger@hfwu.de.

Grant Funding

  • till now no grant number / Ministerium fu00fcr Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Wu00fcrttemberg

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Citations

This article has been cited 11 times.
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  3. 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).
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  4. Krueger K, Esch L, Farmer K, Marr I. Basic Needs in Horses?-A Literature Review. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jun 16;11(6).
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  5. Marr I, Preisler V, Farmer K, Stefanski V, Krueger K. Non-invasive stress evaluation in domestic horses (Equus caballus): impact of housing conditions on sensory laterality and immunoglobulin A. R Soc Open Sci 2020 Feb;7(2):191994.
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