Memory for surface objects in an arena by the horse (Equus ferus caballus) under saddle: Evidence for dual process theory of spatial representation

Abstract

Place memory, the ability to remember locations, is a feature of many animal species. This episodic-like memory is displayed in the foraging behavior of animals and has been studied in many different kinds of laboratory spatial tasks. A horse stallion, Equus ferus caballus, will create “dung-heaps or stud-piles” by defecation in the same place suggesting that the behavior is central to spatial behavior but to date there has been little investigation of horse olfactory/spatial behavior. The present study describes investigatory behavior of horses for objects on the surface of a riding arena. Horses under saddle approached objects on the arena surface that included small pieces of straw, fur, and paper and larger objects including clumps of debris and were especially interested in dung droppings left by other horses. Once an object was investigated by sniffing, it was usually not approached again during that outing but could be approached anew on the following day. Dung investigatory behavior and place memory were confirmed in a number of structured tests in which test-retest intervals were varied. The results are discussed in relation to the dual process theory that proposes that spatial representations central to adaptive behavior require both allocentric Cartesian spatial information and egocentric episodic-like information.