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Home / Equine Research Bank / Behav Processes / Is the left forelimb preference indicative of a stressful si...
Behavioural processes2014; 107; 61-67; doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.018

Is the left forelimb preference indicative of a stressful situation in horses?

Abstract: Evidence for behavioural and brain lateralisation is now widespread among the animal kingdom; lateralisation of limb use (pawedness) occurs in several mammals including both feral and domestic horses. We investigated limb preferences in 14 Quarter Horse during different motor tasks (walking, stepping on and off a step, truck loading and unloading). Population lateralisation was observed in two tasks: horses preferentially used their left forelimb during truck loading and stepping off a step. The results also revealed that horses showed higher scores for anxious behaviours during truck loading suggesting that the use of the left forelimb in this task may reflect the main role of the right hemisphere in control of behaviour during stressful situation.
Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2014-08-07 PubMed ID: 25108052DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.018Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 investigates if a preference for using the left forelimb in horses is an indicator of stress, considering that behavioral and brain lateralisation is common among animals, including both feral and domestic horses.

Behavioural and Brain Lateralisation

  • The study bases its hypothesis on the observation that behavioural and brain lateralisation is a widespread phenomenon in the animal kingdom. This involves a tendency for different types of activities to be controlled predominantly by one half of the brain.
  • Pawedness, the preference for use of one limb over the other, is a common manifestation of this lateralisation. Such a preference has been observed in several mammals, including horses that are both feral and domestic.

Study Design and Findings

  • The researchers studied 14 Quarter Horses and observed their limb preferences in different motor tasks. The tasks included walking, stepping on and off a step, and truck loading and unloading.
  • Findings from the study revealed signs of lateralisation in two specific tasks. The horses demonstrated a clear preference for using their left forelimb during truck loading and stepping off a step.

Correlation with Stressful Situations

  • The study also noted that horses showed signs of increased anxiety during the truck-loading task. The researchers made a connection between this behaviour and the use of the horse’s left forelimb.
  • This observation led the researchers to consider the theory that the reliance on the left forelimb during this task might reflect the primary involvement of the right hemisphere of the horse’s brain in controlling behaviour during stressful situations.

Conclusion

  • The study appears to provide some indication that the left forelimb preference could indeed be a sign of stress in horses. More intensive research is still needed to conclusively prove this supposition and understand the complexities of behavioral and brain lateralization in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Siniscalchi M, Padalino B, Lusito R, Quaranta A. (2014). Is the left forelimb preference indicative of a stressful situation in horses? Behav Processes, 107, 61-67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.018

Publication

Behavioural processes
ISSN: 1872-8308
NlmUniqueID: 7703854
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 107
Pages: 61-67
PII: S0376-6357(14)00165-X

Researcher Affiliations

Siniscalchi, M
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy. Electronic address: marcello.siniscalchi@uniba.it.
Padalino, B
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Lusito, R
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.
Quaranta, A
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Bari, Italy.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Forelimb / physiology
  • Functional Laterality / physiology
  • Heart Rate / physiology
  • Horses / psychology
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology
  • Walking / psychology

Citations

This article has been cited 22 times.
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