Early-life object exposure with a habituated mother reduces fear reactions in foals.

Abstract

Fear reactions in horses are a major cause of horse-human accidents, and identification of effective pathways for reduction in fearfulness can help decreasing the frequency of accidents. For a young mammal, the mother is one of the most salient aspects of its environment, and she can have a strong influence on her offspring's behaviour. This study investigated whether fearfulness in foals can be reduced through weekly exposure to usually frightening objects with a habituated mother during the first 8weeks of life. Prior to foaling, mares (N=22) were habituated to five initially fear-eliciting situations, including exposure to novel stationary and moving objects. At birth, the foals were randomly assigned to either a Demonstration group (N=11) or a Control group (N=11). Demonstration mares demonstrated habituation towards the objects to their foals once per week in weeks 1-8 post-partum. Control mares were inside the empty test arena with their foals for the same amount of time. The foals were tested at 8weeks and 5months of age in four standardised fear tests. Demonstration foals showed significantly reduced fear responses (behaviour and heart rate) and increased exploratory behaviour at both 8weeks and 5months of age. The effect was likely achieved through a combination of maternal transmission and individual learning. It is concluded that fearfulness in foals may be reduced through exposure to frightening objects together with their habituated mother during the first 8weeks of life.