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Developmental psychobiology2006; 48(8); 712-718; doi: 10.1002/dev.20189

Influence of various early human-foal interferences on subsequent human-foal relationship.

Abstract: Whereas the way animals perceive human contact has been particularly examined in pet animals, a small amount of investigations has been done in domestic ungulates. It was nevertheless assumed that, as pet animals, non-aggressive forms of tactile contact were as well rewarding or positive for these species, even though the features of intraspecific relationships in pet animals and domestic ungulates may be to some extent different. We test here the hypothesis that horses may not consider physical handling by humans as a positive event. When comparing different early human-foal interactions, we found that early exposure to a motionless human enhanced slightly foals reactions to humans whereas forced stroking or handling in early life did not improve later human-foal relation. Foals that were assisted during their first suckling (e.g., brought to the dam's teat) even tended to avoid human approach at 2 weeks, and physical contact at 1 month of age. We argue that interspecies differences may exist in how tactile stimulation is perceived. It may be important for the establishment of a bond that a young animal is active in the process and able, through its behavioral responses, to help define what is positive for it. This way of investigation may have important general implications in how we consider the development of social relations, both within and between species.
(c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Publication Date: 2006-11-18 PubMed ID: 17111402DOI: 10.1002/dev.20189Google 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 paper assesses the impact of early human-foal interactions on subsequent relationships between the two. The analysis reveals that light interaction and conditioning in early stages lead to slight advancement in subsequent human-foal relationships, whereas handling the foal roughly or assisting in initial stages such as first suckling negatively impacts the relationship, causing an avoidance behaviour in the foals.

Study Rationale and Hypothesis

  • The paper addresses a gap in the understanding of the interaction between human beings and domestic ungulates; to be precise, it aims to understand the effect of early human-foal interference on their later relationship.
  • Previous studies have majorly focused on pets and have shown that pets usually perceive non-aggressive tactile contact as a reward. However, the research hypothesises that horses might not perceive handling by humans as a positive event.

Methodology and Findings

  • The research involved comparing different intensities of early human-foal interactions.
  • It was observed that an early exposure to a human not in motion slightly enhanced the foals’ reactions towards the human beings.
  • However, forced stroking or handling the foal early on did not improve the subsequent human-foal relationship.
  • Foals assisted during their first suckling (for instance, those that were helped to reach the dam’s teat) displayed a tendency to avoid human approach by the time they were 2 weeks old, and they avoided physical contact by 1 month of age.

Implications

  • The research argues that there might be interspecies differences in the perception of tactile stimulation, suggesting it is essential for a young animal to be actively involved in the process.
  • The animal should also be able, through its behavioral responses, to define what it considers a positive experience.
  • This can provide a crucial understanding and hence improve the methods of developing social relations with animals, both within and between different species.

Cite This Article

APA
Henry S, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M. (2006). Influence of various early human-foal interferences on subsequent human-foal relationship. Dev Psychobiol, 48(8), 712-718. https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.20189

Publication

Developmental psychobiology
ISSN: 0012-1630
NlmUniqueID: 0164074
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 48
Issue: 8
Pages: 712-718

Researcher Affiliations

Henry, S
  • UMR CNRS 6552, Ethologie-Evolution-Ecologie, Université de Rennes 1, Avenue du Général Leclerc, Campus de Beaulieu, F-35042 Rennes Cedex, France. severine.henry@univ-rennes1.fr
Richard-Yris, M-A
    Hausberger, M

      MeSH Terms

      • Animal Husbandry / methods
      • Animals
      • Animals, Newborn / psychology
      • Animals, Suckling / psychology
      • Behavior, Animal
      • Female
      • Handling, Psychological
      • Horses / psychology
      • Humans
      • Mothers / psychology
      • Object Attachment
      • Species Specificity

      Citations

      This article has been cited 17 times.
      1. Rochais C, Lerch N, Gueguen L, Schmidlin M, Bonamy O, Grandgeorge M, Hausberger M. Horses' Tactile Reactivity Differs According to the Type of Work: The Example of Equine-Assisted Intervention. Vet Sci 2023 Feb 7;10(2).
        doi: 10.3390/vetsci10020130pubmed: 36851434google scholar: lookup
      2. Mota-Rojas D, Bienboire-Frosini C, Marcet-Rius M, Domínguez-Oliva A, Mora-Medina P, Lezama-García K, Orihuela A. Mother-young bond in non-human mammals: Neonatal communication pathways and neurobiological basis. Front Psychol 2022;13:1064444.
        doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1064444pubmed: 36524176google scholar: lookup
      3. Debeljak N, Košmerlj A, Altimiras J, Šemrov MZ. Relationship between anatomical characteristics and personality traits in Lipizzan horses. Sci Rep 2022 Jul 23;12(1):12618.
        doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-16627-zpubmed: 35871229google scholar: lookup
      4. Holmes TQ, Brown AF. Champing at the Bit for Improvements: A Review of Equine Welfare in Equestrian Sports in the United Kingdom. Animals (Basel) 2022 May 5;12(9).
        doi: 10.3390/ani12091186pubmed: 35565612google scholar: lookup
      5. Hausberger M, Lesimple C, Henry S. Detecting Welfare in a Non-Verbal Species: Social/Cultural Biases and Difficulties in Horse Welfare Assessment. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 30;11(8).
        doi: 10.3390/ani11082249pubmed: 34438708google scholar: lookup
      6. Scopa C, Contalbrigo L, Greco A, Lanatà A, Scilingo EP, Baragli P. Emotional Transfer in Human-Horse Interaction: New Perspectives on Equine Assisted Interventions. Animals (Basel) 2019 Nov 26;9(12).
        doi: 10.3390/ani9121030pubmed: 31779120google scholar: lookup
      7. Stomp M, Leroux M, Cellier M, Henry S, Lemasson A, Hausberger M. An unexpected acoustic indicator of positive emotions in horses. PLoS One 2018;13(7):e0197898.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197898pubmed: 29995876google scholar: lookup
      8. Grandgeorge M, Gautier Y, Brugaillères P, Tiercelin I, Jacq C, Lebret MC, Hausberger M. Social rivalry triggers visual attention in children with autism spectrum disorders. Sci Rep 2017 Aug 30;7(1):10029.
        doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-09745-6pubmed: 28855550google scholar: lookup
      9. Henry S, Fureix C, Rowberry R, Bateson M, Hausberger M. Do horses with poor welfare show 'pessimistic' cognitive biases?. Naturwissenschaften 2017 Feb;104(1-2):8.
        doi: 10.1007/s00114-016-1429-1pubmed: 28083632google scholar: lookup
      10. Coulon M, Nowak R, Peyrat J, Chandèze H, Boissy A, Boivin X. Do lambs perceive regular human stroking as pleasant? Behavior and heart rate variability analyses. PLoS One 2015;10(2):e0118617.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118617pubmed: 25714604google scholar: lookup
      11. Laurence A, Lumineau S, Calandreau L, Arnould C, Leterrier C, Boissy A, Houdelier C. Short- and long-term effects of unpredictable repeated negative stimuli on Japanese quail's fear of humans. PLoS One 2014;9(3):e93259.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093259pubmed: 24668017google scholar: lookup
      12. Rochais C, Henry S, Sankey C, Nassur F, Góracka-Bruzda A, Hausberger M. Visual attention, an indicator of human-animal relationships? A study of domestic horses (Equus caballus). Front Psychol 2014;5:108.
        doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00108pubmed: 24592244google scholar: lookup
      13. Sankey C, Henry S, Górecka-Bruzda A, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach: what about horses?. PLoS One 2010 Nov 15;5(11):e15446.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0015446pubmed: 21085576google scholar: lookup
      14. de Boyer des Roches A, Durier V, Richard-Yris MA, Blois-Heulin C, Ezzaouïa M, Hausberger M, Henry S. Differential outcomes of unilateral interferences at birth. Biol Lett 2011 Apr 23;7(2):177-80.
        doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.0979pubmed: 21084335google scholar: lookup
      15. Fureix C, Menguy H, Hausberger M. Partners with bad temper: reject or cure? A study of chronic pain and aggression in horses. PLoS One 2010 Aug 26;5(8):e12434.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012434pubmed: 20865160google scholar: lookup
      16. Henry S, Richard-Yris MA, Tordjman S, Hausberger M. Neonatal handling affects durably bonding and social development. PLoS One 2009;4(4):e5216.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005216pubmed: 19352503google scholar: lookup
      17. Krieber J, Nowak AC, Geissberger J, Illichmann O, Macho-Maschler S, Palme R, Dengler F. Fecal Cortisol Metabolites Indicate Increased Stress Levels in Horses During Breaking-In: A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 7;15(12).
        doi: 10.3390/ani15121693pubmed: 40564245google scholar: lookup
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