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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Exploratory Behaviours of Primitive Horses Based on Konik: A...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(3); doi: 10.3390/ani11030796

Exploratory Behaviours of Primitive Horses Based on Konik: A Preliminary Study.

Abstract: This study aimed at assessing the behaviour of Konik geldings and mares, kept in a stable and in a free-range system, during behavioural tests regarded as a determinant of the exploration urge. A total of 19 Konik horses kept in individual stables and in a free-range system were included in the study. The experiment was conducted in five phases separated by five-day breaks. A one-stage passive human test was performed during the first phase, a three-stage active human test-2nd phase, a three-stage unknown object test-3rd phase, a two-stage unknown surface test-4th phase, and a one-stage test of social isolation-5th phase. Ten attributes were analysed, including the horse sex and the keeping system. The results were also correlated with one another. Konik horses were found to show the urge to explore, although their behavioural responses are individual and stimulus dependent. In many cases, the horse sex and the keeping system influence the exploratory behaviour, although it is manifested by a greater intensity in geldings than in mares, and in free-range horses than in those kept in a stable. The study is regarded as preliminary due to the small number of horses in the study groups.
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Publication Date: 2021-03-12 PubMed ID: 33809257PubMed Central: PMC8002137DOI: 10.3390/ani11030796Google 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 research investigates the influence of factors such as sex and the keeping system on the exploratory behaviours of Konik horses, a primitive breed, through a series of behavioural tests.

Study Design

  • The study involved a sample of 19 Konik horses, which were kept either individually in stables or in a free-range system. The horses were subjected to a series of behavioural tests in five phases, with five-day breaks in between.
  • In the first phase, a one-stage passive human test was conducted. This was followed by a three-stage active human test in the second phase. The third phase included a three-stage unknown object test, followed by a two-stage unknown surface test in the fourth phase. The final phase was a one-stage test of social isolation.
  • The study investigated ten different attributes, inclusive of horse sex and the system in which they were kept. The outcomes were cross-compared to determine correlations.

Findings

  • The findings suggested that Konik horses have a strong exploratory urge, although this drive and the behavioural responses displayed were shown to be highly dependent on individual horses and the specific stimuli presented to them.
  • The sex of the horse and its keeping system were found to significantly influence the horses’ exploratory behaviour. The study revealed that geldings (neutered male horses) exhibited a stronger exploratory behaviour compared to mares (female horses). Furthermore, horses kept in free-range systems showed greater exploratory tendencies than those housed individually in stables.

Research Limitations

  • The study acknowledges its preliminary nature, and the researchers caution against drawing definitive conclusions from their findings due to the small number of horses included in their sample groups. Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended for confirming the observed trends.

Cite This Article

APA
Jastrzębska E, Sadowska J, Wnuk-Pawlak E, Różańska-Boczula M, Janczarek I. (2021). Exploratory Behaviours of Primitive Horses Based on Konik: A Preliminary Study. Animals (Basel), 11(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11030796

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 3

Researcher Affiliations

Jastrzębska, Ewa
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Riding, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
Sadowska, Joanna
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Riding, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego 5, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland.
Wnuk-Pawlak, Elżbieta
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Use, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
Różańska-Boczula, Monika
  • Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.
Janczarek, Iwona
  • Department of Horse Breeding and Use, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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