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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Veterinary and Equine Science Students’ Interpretation...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2017; 7(8); 63; doi: 10.3390/ani7080063

Veterinary and Equine Science Students’ Interpretation of Horse Behaviour.

Abstract: Many veterinary and undergraduate equine science students have little previous horse handling experience and a poor understanding of horse behaviour; yet horses are one of the most unsafe animals with which veterinary students must work. It is essential for veterinary and equine students to learn how to interpret horse behaviour in order to understand demeanour and levels of arousal, and to optimise their own safety and the horses' welfare. The study utilised a qualitative research approach to investigate veterinary science and veterinary technology and undergraduate equine science students' interpretation of expressive behaviours shown by horses. The students (N = 127) were shown six short video clips and asked to select the most applicable terms, from a pre-determined list, to describe the behavioural expression of each individual horse. A wide variation of terms were selected by students and in some situations of distress, or situations that may be dangerous or lead to compromised welfare, apparently contradictory terms were also selected (happy or playful) by students with less experience with horses. Future studies should consider the use of Qualitative Behavioural Analysis (QBA) and free-choice profiling to investigate the range of terms used by students to describe the expressive demeanour and arousal levels of horses.
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Publication Date: 2017-08-15 PubMed ID: 28809810PubMed Central: PMC5575575DOI: 10.3390/ani7080063Google 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.

This research analyzes how veterinary and equine science students interpret horse behavior. The study found that there is a wide range of interpretations and that less experienced students sometimes incorrectly label distressed, potentially dangerous, or compromised behavior as happy or playful.

Understanding the Study

  • The paper is fundamentally about assessing the knowledge and understanding of horse behavior by veterinary and undergraduate equine science students, many of whom have little previous horse handling experience.
  • It is important for such students to gain a good understanding of horse behavior, given that they are considered unsafe animals to work with unless handled properly. Interpreting horse behavior correctly can secure both the handler’s and the horse’s safety and welfare.

Research Methodology

  • The research employed a qualitative approach to gather data.
  • A total of 127 students were shown six short video clips of horse behaviors. The students were then asked to select the most applicable terms from a pre-determined list to characterize each horse’s behavior.
  • The discrepancy and variation in students’ interpretations were a significant focus in this study, causing researchers to note how some distressed or potentially dangerous situations were described as happy or playful, particularly by less experienced students.

Implications of the Study and Future Research

  • The results of the research indicate the potential difficulties and misunderstandings that veterinary and equine science students might experience when trying to interpret horse behavior.
  • This misinterpretation has significant implications on the safety and welfare of both the handler and the horse, because incorrect interpretation of distress signals might lead to danger or compromised welfare for both.
  • With these findings, the researchers suggest that future studies should use Qualitative Behavioural Analysis (QBA) and free-choice profiling in order to further explore the range of terms students use to describe the demeanor and levels of arousal in horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Gronqvist G, Rogers C, Gee E, Martinez A, Bolwell C. (2017). Veterinary and Equine Science Students’ Interpretation of Horse Behaviour. Animals (Basel), 7(8), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7080063

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 7
Issue: 8
PII: 63

Researcher Affiliations

Gronqvist, Gabriella
  • Massey Equine, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. g.gronqvist@massey.ac.nz.
Rogers, Chris
  • Massey Equine, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. c.w.rogers@massey.ac.nz.
Gee, Erica
  • Massey Equine, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. e.k.gee@massey.ac.nz.
Martinez, Audrey
  • École Nationale Vétérinaire de Toulouse 23 Chemin des Capelles, BP 87614, 31076 Toulouse CEDEX 3, France. a.martinez_14@envt.fr.
Bolwell, Charlotte
  • Massey Equine, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11-222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand. c.bolwell@massey.ac.nz.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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