Abstract
Simple SummaryHorses lacking exposure to cattle often show a fearful response when confronted with cows. In controlled conditions, we tested the responses towards two cows and a novel moving object in twenty horses in arena and hand-leading tests. The horses avoided the proximity of all stimuli, but of one of the cows the most. However, both cows provoked a stronger cardiac response than an inanimate object. We hypothesise that this response may be due to both neophobia and heterospecific interactions.Ridden horses have been reported to be fearful of cows. We tested whether cows could provoke behavioural and cardiac fear responses in horses, and whether these responses differ in magnitude to those shown to other potential dangers. Twenty horses were exposed to cow, a mobile object or no object. The time spent at different distances from the stimulus was measured. In a separate test, heart rate (HR), root mean square of successive differences between heartbeats (RMSSD) and the horses’ perceived fear were assessed at various distances from the stimuli. The horses avoided the area nearest to all stimuli. During hand-leading, the cow elicited the highest HR and lowest RMSSD. Led horses’ responses to the cow and box were rated as more fearful as the distance to the stimulus decreased. Mares had a higher HR than geldings across all tests. HR positively correlated with the fearfulness rating at the furthest distance from the cow and box, and RMSSD negatively correlated with this rating in cow and control conditions. Our results show that these horses’ avoidance response to cows was similar or higher to that shown towards a novel moving object, demonstrating that potentially, both neophobia and heterospecific communication play a role in this reaction.
Highlights
IntroductionBovines and working equines were often kept and grazed together in extensive rural systems, meaning they were habituated to each other’s presence
We tested the reaction of horses to the presence of a cow compared with a novel mobile object to elucidate whether cows can provoke behavioural and cardiac fear responses in horses, and whether these responses differ in magnitude to those shown to other potential dangers [13]
The selection of the area further from stimuli observed in the arena test was indicative of higher avoidance of, one of the cows, while the cardiac activity in the hand-leading test showed that both cows provoked an avoidance response, which was higher than in box and control treatments
Summary
Bovines and working equines were often kept and grazed together in extensive rural systems, meaning they were habituated to each other’s presence. Despite an apparent tolerance between horses and cows when co-grazing, there have been reports from local riders to the authors (personal communications) of leisure horses showing a fearful response to cows. In many countries, both species are kept in separate facilities so they rarely, or never, meet in pastures or yards. When horses are housed for riding in suburban areas, mostly being exercised in controlled environments such as indoor or outdoor arenas, they do not experience contact with other ungulates of a similar size. When suddenly exposed to a cow during riding outside the equestrian centre, many horses respond with fear and avoidance behaviours
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