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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2018; 8(11); 191; doi: 10.3390/ani8110191

Parameters for the Analysis of Social Bonds in Horses.

Abstract: Social bond analysis is of major importance for the evaluation of social relationships in group housed horses. However, in equine behaviour literature, studies on social bond analysis are inconsistent. Mutual grooming (horses standing side by side and gently nipping, nuzzling, or rubbing each other), affiliative approaches (horses approaching each other and staying within one body length), and measurements of spatial proximity (horses standing with body contact or within two horse-lengths) are commonly used. In the present study, we assessed which of the three parameters is most suitable for social bond analysis in horses, and whether social bonds are affected by individual and group factors. We observed social behaviour and spatial proximity in 145 feral horses, five groups of Przewalski's horses ( = 36), and six groups of feral horses ( = 109) for 15 h per group, on three days within one week. We found grooming, friendly approaches, and spatial proximity to be robust parameters, as their correlation was affected only by the animals' sex (GLMM: = 145, = 0.001, = -2.7, = 0.008) and the group size (GLMM: = 145, < 0.001, = 4.255, < 0.001), but not by the horse breed, the aggression ratio, the social rank, the group, the group composition, and the individuals themselves. Our results show a trend for a correspondence between all three parameters (GLMM: = 145, = 0.004, = 1.95, = 0.053), a strong correspondence between mutual grooming and friendly approaches (GLMM: = 145, = 0.021, = 3.922, < 0.001), and a weak correspondence between mutual grooming and spatial proximity (GLMM: = 145, = 0.04, = 1.15, = 0.25). We therefore suggest either using a combination of the proactive behaviour counts mutual grooming and friendly approaches, or using measurements of close spatial proximity, for the analysis of social bonds in horses within a limited time frame.
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Publication Date: 2018-10-27 PubMed ID: 30373257PubMed Central: PMC6262610DOI: 10.3390/ani8110191Google 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 study investigates the best parameters to determine social bonds in group housed horses. The researchers observed three behaviors: mutual grooming, friendly approaches, and spatial proximity, within a population of feral horses and Przewalski’s horses. The results showed that these parameters were robust and influenced mostly by the animals’ sex and group size, recommending using a combination of these behaviors or spatial proximity measurements to evaluate social bonds in horses.

Explanation of the Study

This research was carried out with the intent of determining the most reliable parameters for observing and evaluating social bonds in horses. Since the selected parameters have been inconsistently used in studies within equine behaviour literature, the work aimed to investigate their reliability and suitability.

  • The study focused on three primary behaviors or parameters that are commonly used in equine social bond analysis: mutual grooming, friendly approaches, and spatial proximity. Mutual grooming refers to horses nipping, nuzzling, or rubbing each other gently; affiliative approaches are characterized by horses getting close to each other; spatial proximity refers to horses physically touching each other or standing within two horses-lengths of one another.
  • In order to carry out this analysis, the researchers observed 145 feral horses, including five groups of Przewalski’s horses (36 in total) and six groups of feral horses (109 in total), for a total of 15 hours per group over three days within a week.

Results of the Study

Key findings from the study include:

  • The three parameters chosen for analysis (grooming, friendly approaches, and spatial proximity) were found to be reliable. The researchers discovered that any correlation of these behaviors was primarily influenced by the animals’ sex and the group size, rather than the breed of the horse, aggression ratios, social rank, group composition, and the individual animals themselves.
  • The study found a trend for correspondence between all three parameters, a strong correlation between mutual grooming and friendly approaches, and a weaker correlation between mutual grooming and spatial proximity.

Recommendations from the Study

Based on these results, the authors suggest that either a combination of behavior counts (specifically mutual grooming and friendly approaches) or measurements of spatial proximity should be used to analyze social bonds in horses, within a confined time frame. Their findings help to eliminate confusion and inconsistency in equine behavior studies by providing a clearer method to assess social relationships in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Wolter R, Stefanski V, Krueger K. (2018). Parameters for the Analysis of Social Bonds in Horses. Animals (Basel), 8(11), 191. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani8110191

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 8
Issue: 11
PII: 191

Researcher Affiliations

Wolter, Riccarda
  • Department of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Riccarda.Wolter@gmx.de.
  • Department Equine Management, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nuertingen, Germany. Riccarda.Wolter@gmx.de.
Stefanski, Volker
  • Institute of Animal Husbandry and Animal Breeding, University of Hohenheim, Garbenstr. 17, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany. volker.stefanski@uni-hohenheim.de.
Krueger, Konstanze
  • Department of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053 Regensburg, Germany. Konstanze.Krueger@hfwu.de.
  • Department Equine Management, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Nürtingen-Geislingen University, Neckarsteige 6-10, 72622 Nuertingen, Germany. Konstanze.Krueger@hfwu.de.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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