Personality, abnormal behaviour, and health: An evaluation of the welfare of police horses.
Abstract: An animal's welfare depends on an individual's capacity to adapt to the environment in which it lives. This adaptation is directly associated with the quality of the environment and to the possibility of expressing natural behaviours. Horses kept in stables often display a range of abnormal behaviours related to lack of control over their environment, which can lead to behavioural and health problems. An individual's personality also plays an important role in its susceptibility and resilience to the development of diseases and abnormal behaviour; thus, an evaluation of horses' personalities could be crucial to selecting individuals best able to cope with different work activities. This study aimed to assess the well-being of police horses maintained in a semi-confinement regime in Brazil by associating their personalities to the occurrence of abnormal behaviours and disease. Using a non-invasive approach, different tests were performed to investigate the horses' behaviour, personality and welfare. A frustration test and a novel object test were conducted with 46 horses and the individuals' personalities were assessed using questionnaires and behaviour tests. In addition, we evaluated their physical health through a survey of their veterinary records. The data for horses were evaluated individually. The results demonstrated the occurrence of multiple abnormal behaviours motivated by factors such as diet and lack of social contact. Moreover, the personality tests indicated this is an important component when evaluating welfare, since correlations were found between personality traits and abnormal behaviour expression, and between personality traits and health problems. According to our results, passive, stubborn, and confident horses are better suited to be selected as police horses. The ability to classify horses according to their personalities could help in selecting horses most suitable for patrolling, thereby helping to reduce behavioural problems and increasing animal well-being.
Publication Date: 2018-09-05 PubMed ID: 30183748PubMed Central: PMC6124763DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202750Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article focuses on evaluating the welfare of police horses in Brazil by examining their personality, abnormal behaviour, and health.
Objective
This study aimed to assess the overall well-being of police horses kept in semi-confinement and relate it to their personalities to understand the linkage between personality traits, abnormal behaviour, and health issues.
Methodology
- The researchers used a non-invasive approach to study horse behaviour. They performed different tests, including a frustration test and a novel object test on 46 police horses.
- The horses’ personalities were assessed using questionnaires and behaviour tests.
- The horses’ physical health was examined using their veterinary records and data on each horse was evaluated individually.
Findings
- The results showed multiple instances of abnormal behaviours in the horses. These behaviours were generally caused by factors such as inadequate diet and lack of social contact.
- Personality tests revealed that personality is a considerable factor in evaluating horse welfare. Significant correlations were identified between personality traits and the expression of abnormal behaviours, and between personality traits and health problems.
- The study suggested that passive, stubborn, and confident horses are better suited to police work.
Conclusion
The study emphasizes the potential benefits of identifying horses’ personalities to select those best suited for police work. This approach could help reduce behavioural problems among police horses and promote their overall well-being.
Cite This Article
APA
Schork IG, de Azevedo CS, Young RJ.
(2018).
Personality, abnormal behaviour, and health: An evaluation of the welfare of police horses.
PLoS One, 13(9), e0202750.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0202750 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Peel Building, University of Salford Manchester, Salford, United Kingdom.
- Department of Post-Graduate Studies in Zoology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Peel Building, University of Salford Manchester, Salford, United Kingdom.
- Department of Post-Graduate Studies in Zoology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
- Adaptation, Psychological
- Animal Welfare
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal
- Female
- Health
- Horses
- Housing, Animal
- Male
- Personality
- Police
- Problem Behavior / psychology
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Foury A, Mach N, Ruet A, Lansade L, Moisan MP. Transcriptomic signature related to poor welfare of sport horses.. Compr Psychoneuroendocrinol 2023 Nov;16:100201.
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