Weaned horses, especially females, still prefer their dam after five months of separation.
Abstract: Under natural conditions, foals stop nursing from their dam at approximately-9 months old, but their bond persists until 1.5-2.5 years of age. In contrast, in horse breeding, foals are generally artificially weaned and totally separated from their dam at 5-7 months. However, it is not known whether the bond between the dam and her foal is maintained after artificial weaning. The aim of this study was (1) to assess whether foals still recognise and prefer their dam over other familiar mares several months after weaning and (2) to evaluate whether the preference for the dam is more pronounced in fillies or colts. Fifteen fillies and 19 colts were weaned at the age of 7 months old (complete separation from the mother). At the age of one year (i.e., 5 months after the separation), they underwent a test evaluating their preference for their dam or a familiar mare from their natal group. Significantly more foals first approached their dam; they also sniffed and tended to look more often at her. This finding indicates that artificially weaned horses remember and still exhibit a preference for their dam, suggesting that the bond persists even after 5 months of separation. Moreover, fillies exhibited a stronger preference for both mares than colts: they looked at them more frequently, sniffed them for a longer duration and spent more time in proximity to both mares than colts. This suggests that fillies generally have an even stronger attachment to their dam as well as to other mares from their natal group. This study calls into question the practice of artificial weaning at 5-7 months of age.
Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2022-09-29 PubMed ID: 36183430DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2022.100636Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research shows that young horses, particularly females, still show a preference for their mothers over other mares five months after being separated at weaning.
Objective of the study
- The study aimed to understand if weaned foals (young horses) maintained their bond with their dams (mothers) months after enforced separation, a norm in the horse breeding industry.
- Another aim was to compare the behavior of fillies (female foals) and colts (male foals) to understand if either shows a stronger attachment to their dam.
Methodology
- Thirty-four foals (15 fillies and 19 colts) were separated from their mothers at the age of 7 months.
- Five months after the separation, when the foals were a year old, they were tested for their preference for their dam over a familiar mare from their birth group.
Findings
- The majority of the young horses showed a clear preference for their dam, approaching her first and sniffing and looking at her more frequently.
- This proved that even after artificial weaning and a long separation, the bond between the dam and the foal persists.
- Additionally, fillies were found to show a stronger inclination towards their dam, as well as other mares from their birth group, compared to colts.
- The fillies tended to look at and sniff the dam and the other mare longer and stayed close to them for a longer period.
Implication
- The results of this study raise questions about the practice of separating foals from their dams at the age of 5-7 months for artificial weaning in the horse breeding industry.
- Given the persistent bond between the dam and the foal, and even stronger attachment observed in fillies, alternatives to the current practice could be considered for healthier psychological development in horses.
Cite This Article
APA
Lansade L, Lévy F, Parias C, Reigner F, Górecka-Bruzda A.
(2022).
Weaned horses, especially females, still prefer their dam after five months of separation.
Animal, 16(10), 100636.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.animal.2022.100636 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
- CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
- CNRS, IFCE, INRAE, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
- UEPAPO, INRAE, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Postępu 36A, Jastrzębiec, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland. Electronic address: a.gorecka@igbzpan.pl.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Horses
- Male
- Weaning
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Janicka W, Wilk I, Próchniak T. Does social motivation mitigate fear caused by a sudden sound in horses?. Anim Cogn 2023 Sep;26(5):1649-1660.
- Liehrmann O, Cosnard C, Riihonen V, Viitanen A, Alander E, Jardat P, Koski SE, Lummaa V, Lansade L. What drives horse success at following human-given cues? An investigation of handler familiarity and living conditions.. Anim Cogn 2023 Jul;26(4):1283-1294.
- Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworska J, Stanley CR. The Social and Reproductive Challenges Faced by Free-Roaming Horse (Equus caballus) Stallions.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 24;13(7).
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