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Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews2019; 107; 540-559; doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.022

Mutual interactions between cognition and welfare: The horse as an animal model.

Abstract: Research in cognitive psychology has repeatedly shown how much cognition and emotions are mutually related to one another. Psychological disorders are associated with cognitive (attention, memory and judgment) biases and chronic pain may affect attention, learning or memory. Laboratory studies have provided useful insights about the processes involved but observations about spontaneous animal models, living in different stress/welfare conditions may help understand further how cognition and welfare are interrelated in the « real world ». Domestic horses constitute such a model as they live in a variety of conditions that impact differently their welfare state. In the present review, we try and provide an overview of the scientific literature on cognition and welfare of domestic horses and their interrelationship. We address how emotions and welfare may affect cognitive processes in horses and impact the way they perceive their environment (including work). We propose new methods for assessing the relationship between welfare and cognition and open up the discussion on the evolution of the brain and the part domestication may have played.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2019-09-03 PubMed ID: 31491471DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.022Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

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The research article presents a review on how the cognitive abilities of domestic horses are influenced by their welfare and emotions, which in turn condition their interaction with their environment. This paper investigates the interrelation between emotions, cognition and welfare under a variety of conditions categorised as either stressful or conducive to wellbeing.

Understanding Cognition, Emotions, and Welfare in Horses

  • The article deep dives into the mutual interactions between cognition (the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses) and emotions in domestic horses. By examining these interactions, the researchers provide a complex perspective on animal psychology.
  • By drawing a parallel between psychological disorders and cognition, it discusses cognitive biases – distortions in the way we perceive reality – and how they relate to attention, memory, and judgment. It also highlights the impact of chronic pain on these crucial cognitive abilities.

Real-World Application

  • Emphasizing the need for “real world” studies, it argues that observing spontaneous animal models in varied stress/welfare conditions can provide a richer understanding of the jigsaw puzzle of cognition and welfare.
  • In the case study, domestic horses are used as an animal model due to the wide array of environment conditions they inhabit which directly affect their welfare state. This variability makes them an excellent model for assessing the connection between cognition and welfare.

Interrelationship between Cognition and Welfare

  • The study reviews the amassed scientific literature addressing emotional and welfare impacts on cognitive processes in domestic horses, with particular interest in studying how these might affect the horse’s perception of their environment, including their work.
  • The research proposes new assessment techniques to examine the relationship between welfare and cognition to provide a more holistic understanding of the mind and behaviour of horses.

Evolution, Domestication, and Brain Development

  • The research also broaches the subject of brain evolution and how domestication of animals might have influenced it. By shedding light on the role that domestication plays in cognitive development, the research contributes deeper insights to the field of animal cognitive psychology.

Cite This Article

APA
Hausberger M, Stomp M, Sankey C, Brajon S, Lunel C, Henry S. (2019). Mutual interactions between cognition and welfare: The horse as an animal model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 107, 540-559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.08.022

Publication

Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews
ISSN: 1873-7528
NlmUniqueID: 7806090
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 107
Pages: 540-559
PII: S0149-7634(19)30354-9

Researcher Affiliations

Hausberger, M
  • CNRS, Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR6552, Université de Rennes, Université de Caen-Normandie, Campus de Beaulieu, Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France. Electronic address: martine.hausberger@univ-rennes1.fr.
Stomp, M
  • Université de Rennes, Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France.
Sankey, C
  • Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Laboratoire de Psychopathologie et Processus de Santé (EA 4057), France.
Brajon, S
  • Université Laval, Départment des Sciences Animales, Ville de Québec, Québec, Canada.
Lunel, C
  • IGEPP, Agrocampus Ouest, INRA, Université de Rennes, Université Bretagne-Loire, Rennes, France.
Henry, S
  • Université de Rennes, Laboratoire d'Ethologie animale et humaine, UMR 6552, CNRS, Université de Caen-Normandie, Station Biologique, 35380 Paimpont, France.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / physiology
  • Cognition / physiology
  • Emotions / physiology
  • Humans
  • Judgment / physiology
  • Learning / physiology
  • Memory / physiology

Citations

This article has been cited 23 times.
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