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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2024; 14(4); 629; doi: 10.3390/ani14040629

Reported Agonistic Behaviours in Domestic Horses Cluster According to Context.

Abstract: Agonistic behaviours are often directed at other animals for self-defence or to increase distance from valued resources, such as food. Examples include aggression and counter-predator behaviours. Contemporary diets may boost the value of food as a resource and create unanticipated associations with the humans who deliver it. At the same time the domestic horse is asked to carry the weight of riders and perform manoeuvres that, ethologically, are out-of-context and may be associated with instances of pain, confusion, or fear. Agonistic responses can endanger personnel and conspecifics. They are traditionally grouped along with so-called vices as being undesirable and worthy of punishment; a response that can often make horses more dangerous. The current study used data from the validated online Equine Behavioural and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) to explore the agonistic behaviours (as reported by the owners) of 2734 horses. With a focus on ridden horses, the behaviours of interest in the current study ranged from biting and bite threats and kicking and kick threats to tail swishing as an accompaniment to signs of escalating irritation when horses are approached, prepared for ridden work, ridden, and hosed down (e.g., after work). Analysis of the responses according to the context in which they arise included a dendrographic analysis that identified five clusters of agonistic behaviours among certain groups of horses and a principal component analysis that revealed six components, strongly related to the five clusters. Taken together, these results highlight the prospect that the motivation to show these responses differs with context. The clusters with common characteristics were those observed in the context of: locomotion under saddle; saddling; reactions in a familiar environment, inter-specific threats, and intra-specific threats. These findings highlight the potential roles of fear and pain in such unwelcome responses and challenge the simplistic view that the problems lie with the nature of the horses themselves rather than historic or current management practices. Improved understanding of agonistic responses in horses will reduce the inclination of owners to label horses that show such context-specific responses as being generally aggressive.
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Publication Date: 2024-02-16 PubMed ID: 38396597PubMed Central: PMC10886179DOI: 10.3390/ani14040629Google 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 investigates agonistic behaviours (such as aggression and self-defence actions) in domestic horses and their correlation with specific situations, suggesting that these behaviours may stem from fear or pain rather than inherent character traits of the horses.

Objective of the Study

  • The study was aimed at understanding the reasons behind certain undesirable behaviours (agonistic behaviours) exhibited by domestic horses such as aggression, and self-defence mechanisms.
  • The focus is given to ridden horses and the behaviours are examined in various contexts such as when they are saddled, ridden, or hosed down.

Methodology

  • Researchers used data from the Equine Behavioural and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ), which is validated and available online.
  • The behaviours under study included biting, bite threats, kicking, kick threats, and tail swishing as signs of escalating irritation in various situations.
  • The Contextual analysis of the behaviours was done using Dendrographic analysis and Principal Component Analysis

Results

  • The dendrographic analysis revealed five distinct clusters of agonistic behaviours, pointing to the fact that these behaviours may be grouped together depending on specific circumstances or environments.
  • The principal component analysis suggested six related components to these clusters.

Findings and Conclusions

  • The study finds that the motivation behind these behaviours varies with the specific context, challenging the conventional wisdom that such behaviours are simply inherent to the horse and not a result of external factors.
  • Common characteristics were identified in clusters observed during saddling, riding, or when the horse is in a familiar or unknown environment.
  • The findings emphasise the role of fear and pain in triggering these undesirable behaviours, suggesting that improved understanding can prevent horse owners from incorrectly labelling horses with such specific-context responses as generally aggressive.

Cite This Article

APA
Fenner K, Wilson BJ, Ermers C, McGreevy PD. (2024). Reported Agonistic Behaviours in Domestic Horses Cluster According to Context. Animals (Basel), 14(4), 629. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14040629

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 4
PII: 629

Researcher Affiliations

Fenner, Kate
  • School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, QLD 4343, Australia.
Wilson, Bethany Jessica
  • School of Life and Environmental Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
Ermers, Colette
  • School of Environment and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
McGreevy, Paul Damien
  • Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. O'Connell E, Dyson S, McLean A, McGreevy P. No More Evasion: Redefining Conflict Behaviour in Human-Horse Interactions. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jan 31;15(3).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15030399pubmed: 39943169google scholar: lookup
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