Abstract
Simple SummaryHorses are prey animals and exhibit behaviors that help them adapt and survive in their environment. These reactions are often referred to as spooking and they have the potential to be dangerous to the horse, handler and rider. Spooking consists of avoidance reactions that include suddenly moving away or running away from the perceived danger. It is dangerous for both riders and horses when a horse suddenly startles. Sometimes horses do this in familiar environments because familiar objects may look different when rotated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether horses that had been habituated to a complex object (children’s playset) would react to the object as novel when rotated 90 degrees. Twenty young horses were led past the playset 15 times by a handler. Next, the rotated group was led past the rotated playset 15 times. Each time the horse was led by the object was counted as a pass. An increasing reactivity scale was used to quantify behavioral responses. Being aware of potential reactions to changes in the orientation of previously familiar objects can help keep the handler safer. It is dangerous for both riders and horses when a horse suddenly startles. Sometimes horses do this in familiar environments because familiar objects may look different when rotated. The purpose of this study was to determine whether horses that had been habituated to a complex object (children’s playset) would react to the object as novel when rotated 90 degrees. Twenty young horses were led past the playset 15 times by a handler. Next, the rotated group was led past the rotated playset 15 times. Each time the horse was led by the object was a pass. The behavioral responses observed and analyzed were ears focused on the object, nostril flares, neck raising, snort, avoid by stopping, avoid by moving feet sideways, and avoid by flight. An increasing reactivity scale was used to quantify behavioral responses. A two-sample t-test was performed on the reactivity scores comparing the first pass by the novel object to the first pass by the rotated object. The horses in the rotated group reacted to the rotated orientation similarly to the first exposure (p = 0.001, α < 0.05). Being aware of potential reactions to changes in previously familiar environments can help keep the handler safer.
Highlights
Horses novel position object inof the Rotated group, reacted on the that first reacted pass by to thethe rotated the object as they did on reacted on the first pass by the rotated position of the object as they did on the initial pass by the novel object
If handlers expect horses not to react to subtle changes in a familiar environment, they are less prepared for a horse spooking which could lead to an accident
Horses may have a greater reaction to new orientations of previously familiar objects
Summary
Spooking was associated with 27% of horse accidents [1]. Researchers have described “spooking” as “horse reacted in fear of something, unseating the rider” [1]. Another study showed that injuries to riders were more likely to occur “when the horse behaved in an unexpected manner” [2]. Some of the more severe injuries occur when a rider falls of a horse. Data collected from hospital emergency rooms indicated that falling off a horse resulted in more injuries than injuries that occurred when the rider was not mounted [3]
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