Horse's Mouth Research Articles

Straight from the Horse's Mouth: Determinants and Consequences of Managers’ Conference Call Participation

Straight from the Horse's Mouth: Determinants and Consequences of Managers’ Conference Call Participation

Трансформація античного міфу у романі Маргарет Етвуд «Пенелопіада»

This article discusses the work of Margaret Atwood, one of Canada's most prominent contemporary writers, with a particular focus on her exploration of the female theme in her literature. Atwood is known for her interest in issues related to women's self-identification, their presence in society and culture, their priorities, desires, and claims, with a central theme being the secondary status of women compared to men. The article delves into Atwood's novel "The Penelopiad," published in 2005, which reimagines and transforms the ancient myth of Penelope and Odysseus in a new narrative context. It explores how Atwood uses the ancient myth, expanding and altering its content and meaning, to create a qualitatively new female version of well-known events, distinct from the canonical male culture represented by Homer. The novel "The Penelopiad" places the female character, Penelope, at its center. In European culture, Penelope has traditionally been perceived as the faithful wife of a great hero, as clever as her husband. This tradition of defining Penelope through her connection to Odysseus dates back to antiquity. However, Margaret Atwood challenges this tradition by giving Penelope her voice. The author offers readers a unique opportunity to hear Penelope's story "from the horse's mouth," a narrative told with irony that demythologizes the image of the great wanderer. The novel begins with a somewhat ironic tone, drawing readers into a deep monologue with the main character. Notably, the style of the narrative is sarcastically simple and primitive, emphasizing the significant contrast with the original myth of Odysseus, which is filled with complex language, numerous epithets, and comparisons. The use of parody, a humorous genre, gives the narrative its own plot, composition, imagery, and stylistic features. The title of the novel, "The Penelopiad," itself highlights the contrast with Homer's "The Odyssey." By replacing the male name of the great hero with Penelope's female name, Atwood brings the wife of the hero to the forefront of the story. This powerful feminist technique places Penelope on an equal footing with Odysseus, and both stories are intertwined to the point that it becomes impossible to determine which one holds more significance. In contrast to "The Odyssey," "The Penelopiad" should have been a story of a woman's journey. However, such a story would hardly have been possible in a patriarchal society where a woman's place has always been in the household, beside her children and husband, engaged in the mundane chores of running a household. The journey undertaken by the protagonist is symbolic, representing a journey into her own self, self-discovery, and a quest to uncover historical roots and fulfill her genuine desires. Atwood reinterprets the trivial stories about Penelope in a feminist context, portraying them as an attempt by a patriarchal society to belittle women and absolve the truly guilty men. Overall, the article provides an insightful analysis of Margaret Atwood's use of mythology and feminist perspectives in her novel "The Penelopiad." Atwood's work challenges traditional narratives and offers a fresh interpretation of well-known stories from a female point of view, shedding light on the complexities of gender dynamics and power structures in literature and society. Key words: Margaret Atwood, Penelopiad, ancient Greek myth, transformation, history, feminism

'Contact' as a Manifestation of Sensorimotor Empathy: The Experience of Expert Écuyers in Interaction with Horses

Chemero's concept of sensorimotor empathy offers a relevant introduction to the study of human/non-human relationships. This article proposes an empirical characterization of this phenomenon occurring in human–horse interactions through the notion of 'contact', which is a core concept in the technical tradition of the equestrian world. According to the assumptions of 4E cognition, we approach the notion of contact with a broader meaning than how it is usually defined, i.e.as the connection of the rider's hand with the horse's mouth. We state that contact involves the whole body and that it is not a passive touch but a dynamic one. Contact is intersubjective, meaning that its quality depends on the two agents of the interaction: the human and the horse. Within such an interaction, sensorimotor empathy allows the human and the horse to understand through the body and to fine-tune with each other to bring about 'good contact'.

Gaping for relief? Rein tension at onset and end of oral behaviors and head movements in unridden horses

Pressure from the bit in the horse's mouth, rein tension, likely feels unpleasant to the horse due to sensitive oral tissues. Through trial and error, the horse may learn how to adjust their behavior in order to avoid, diminish or cease uncomfortable sensations from the bit. We hypothesized that oral behaviors and head movements in response to rein tension have the function to avoid or escape the rein tension. The study objective was to assess in what way oral behaviors and head movements affect rein tension and determine the magnitude of rein tension at the onset and end of these behaviors. Twenty Warmblood horses were fitted with a bitted bridle and subjected to 8 trials of backing up in response to a rein tension signal with the handler standing next to the horse's withers. The rein tension signal was gradually increased and then immediately released when the horse stepped back. A rein tension meter and video recordings were used for data collection. Linear mixed models were used for the statistical analysis. There was a decrease in mean rein tension (sum of left and right rein) from onset to end for open mouth (P < 0.001, from 19 to 11 Newtons (N), biting on the bit (P = 0.004, from 11 to 5 N), and head upward (P = 0.024, from 16 to 12 N), while there was an increase in rein tension associated with head forward (P = 0.015, from 27 to 37 N) and head downward (P < 0.001, from 17 to 46 N). Our results suggest that horses will open their mouth, or bite on the bit, to alleviate the oral tissues from pressure; move the head upward to avoid rein tension and move the head forward or downward to increase rein tension, likely in a presumed attempt to break free from the pressure applied. The horse's oral behaviors and head movements during training can be used to gain a greater understanding of how the horse perceives the magnitude of rein tension.

Straight from the horse's mouth: Increasing self-report in mental health assessment in individuals with intellectual disability.

Mental health conditions are common among individuals with intellectual disability. Under recognition of mental health disorders leading to unmet treatment needs is common in this population. This article addresses one major contributing factor, the lack of cognitively accessible self-report measures for individuals with intellectual disability. In this literature-informed overview of the state of the field, we discuss the need for, and complexities of, including individuals with intellectual disability in mental health assessments. With appropriate supports, many individuals with intellectual disability can respond to mental health questions. We discuss evidence-based strategies to make mental health assessments more accessible. We highlight the need to engage individuals with intellectual disability to provide first-hand information about their health and well-being. New instruments and research procedures should be developed in partnership with individuals with intellectual disability. Self-report may be essential to advancing the science of mental health research.

Noseband and poll pressures underneath bitted and bitless bridles and the effects on equine locomotion

There is an increasing trend towards the use of bitless bridles within the equine industry, but a lack of quantitative literature on their effects. This study aimed to measure the pressures underneath the noseband and headpiece of two designs of bitless bridle in comparison to a bitted snaffle bridle, and to measure trot kinematics in all three bridles. Five horses were each ridden in three different bridles, a snaffle bridle with cavesson noseband (SN), a side pull bitless bridle (SP), and a cross under bitless bridle (CU), over three days in a Latin square design. The SP bridle showed a significantly higher average noseband pressure (4.42 ± 1.52 N/cm2; median ± IQR) than the SN (2.67 ± 1.00 N/cm2) with the CU sitting between the two (2.96 ± 1.00 N/cm2). The pressures exerted by the SP design could be capable of causing tissue damage if sustained for long periods of time. The pressure increase is likely due to the attachment of the reins directly to the noseband in the SP bridle, meaning rein tension is concentrated on the frontal nasal plane, rather than being distributed more evenly across the head. There was no significant difference in headpiece pressures between the bridles. In the CU bridle a significant reduction in carpal flexion (98.10 ± 7.98o) and a more extended head and neck angle (112.04 ± 3.01o) were seen compared to the SN (93.58 ± 7.32o and 105.94 ± 6.98o respectively). These changes are associated with an extended back posture and reduced performance, and may be a result of avoidance behaviors arising from pressures underneath the jaw due to this bridle design. Removal of the bit from the horse's mouth means that rein tension forces are distributed to other facial structures. This study demonstrates that these forces are sufficiently high to possibly have detrimental effects. The design and use of bitless bridles should be carefully considered in light of this finding.

A bitless bridle does not limit or prevent dynamic laryngeal collapse.

Bits have often been incriminated as a cause of upper respiratory tract obstruction in horses; however, no scientific studies are available to confirm or refute these allegations. Clinical signs of dynamic laryngeal collapse associated with poll flexion (DLC) are induced when susceptible horses are ridden or driven into the bit. To determine whether use of Dr Cook's™ Bitless Bridle, instead of a conventional snaffle bit bridle, would reduce the severity of DLC in affected horses measured objectively using inspiratory tracheal pressures. Intervention study using each horse as its own control in a block randomised order. Nine Norwegian Swedish Coldblooded trotters previously diagnosed with DLC were exercised on two consecutive days using a standardised high-speed treadmill protocol with either a conventional bridle with a snaffle bit, or Dr Cook's™ Bitless Bridle. Head and neck position, rein tension, inspiratory tracheal pressure measurements, and laryngeal videoendoscopy recordings were obtained. A heart rate greater than 200bpm, and similar degrees of poll flexion/head height, had to be achieved in both bridles for the individual horse's data to be included for comparison. Seven horses' data met the inclusion criteria. The change in mean inspiratory tracheal pressure between free and flexion phases in the bitless bridle (-15.2±12.3cmH2 O) was significantly greater (P<.001) than in the snaffle bit bridle (-9.8±7.9cmH2 O). Mean inspiratory pressure during the free phase was significantly (P<.001) more negative with the snaffle bit bridle (-32.3±6.3cmH2 O), vs the bitless bridle (-28.5±6.9cmH2 O). Mean pressures in flexion phase, snaffle bridle (-42.1±10.8cmH2 O), vs bitless bridle (-43.7±15.6cmH2 O) where not significantly different between bridles (P=.2). Small sample size due to difficulty recruiting suitable clinical cases. This study could not provide any clear evidence that the effect of a snaffle bit in a horse's mouth influences the development or severity of DLC. Instead, head and neck angles induced by rein tension seem to be the key event in provoking DLC in susceptible horses.

What Matters to Individual Investors? Evidence from the Horse's Mouth

ABSTRACTWe survey a representative sample of U.S. individuals about how well leading academic theories describe their financial beliefs and decisions. We find substantial support for many factors hypothesized to affect portfolio equity share, particularly background risk, investment horizon, rare disasters, transactional factors, and fixed costs of stock market participation. Individuals tend to believe that past mutual fund performance is a good signal of stock‐picking skill, actively managed funds do not suffer from diseconomies of scale, value stocks are safer and do not have higher expected returns, and high‐momentum stocks are riskier and do have higher expected returns.

Direct from the horse's mouth: what bank employees feel about training and development programs in Indian banking sector

Training has become a potential tool for development of skills and managerial attributes in employees. In the banking sector, specially, training and development programs have become a routine feature. The current study attempts to understand the perceptions of bank employees with respect to trainings. For this purpose a scale has been developed and consists of five dimensions: critical appreciation, soft issues, key outcomes, necessary suggestions and timing aspect. Regression analysis depicts key outcomes being the most significant factor while shorter duration of trainings are also important. Other key findings include expectations of trainees to be made partners in the learning process. The paper contributes to management field by helping understand what the bank employees want from a training program and its implications for managements particularly in banking sector. The applicability of the scale is also discussed towards the end.

From the horse's mouth

Gemma English BAEDT explains why horse owners should choose a professional with a specific qualification in equine dentistry

A systematic literature review to evaluate the tools and methods used to measure rein tension

Abstract The use of pressure via a bit in the horse's mouth is part of training methods throughout equine disciplines. Rein tension refers to the force exerted on the reins between the horse and human during ridden and in-hand training. Understanding the effects of these forces has the potential to inform both rider performance and equine welfare research. The methodological protocols of current rein tension research appear inconsistent, and to date, a review on rein tension has not been published. This study uses a systematic literature review to evaluate the tools and methods used to measure rein tension within current literature to establish whether their findings were reliable. The review also suggests improvements to study protocols, where appropriate, to enable the standardized measurement of rein tension. A search protocol was developed and inclusion criteria defined with the aid of independent subject specialists, including 2 published equestrian authors, an equine industry professional and a librarian. Inclusion criteria determined that only full peer-reviewed articles available via Google Scholar and published in the previous 15 years were included in the review. Articles also had to include the following key words: rein tension AND “horse/s” OR “rider/s” OR “equine/s” OR “equestrian.” The literature search returned 154 initial results, and the inclusion criteria rejected 137 results. Seventeen primary research articles (after 2002) from peer-reviewed journals were subsequently reviewed. The articles reviewed found rein tension to be influenced by the horse, the rider, and the training equipment used. Rein tension studies have multivariable foci and methodological limitations and frequently report their methods and results inconsistently. Future rein tension research should aim to improve the consistency of reporting horse-related, rider-related, and performance-related factors that may affect rein tension, as well as reporting data handling and analysis approaches to increase comparability between studies.

Straight from the horse's mouth: Founders' perspectives on achieving ‘traction’ in digital start-ups

Factors that contributed to the success of 12 digital start-ups are explored from the perspective of their founders. Key insights were drawn from narrations of their start-up journeys, along with interviews, public documents, and existing theories on entrepreneurship. The result is a rich tapestry of combined experiences and wisdoms on human and social capital, organisational and developmental processes and the priorities necessary to achieve early success – or traction – in digital start-ups. The founders emphasised having a vision and purpose based on solving customer problems; values that prioritise their customers' needs over their own; focusing on a limited range of activities while pursuing iterative product development; and developing a customer base with an emphasis on quality and user experience. Each founder was part of a cohesive founding team comprising complementary business and technical competencies that pursued continual learning. And each founder demonstrated a digital start-up mindset – an entrepreneurial attitude combined with a deep understanding of the scalable, open, born-global, generative nature of digital technologies. These insights we derived from our analysis have been combined into a proposition for the TrAction framework, which contains the elements necessary to set a trajectory and the actions for achieving early success in digital ventures. The study provides practical learnings and applications for entrepreneurs and theoretical advances for academics in this nascent field of research through empirical insights across multiple aspects of digital start-up performance.

Straight from the horse's mouth: High-resolution proxies for the study of horse diet and its relation to the seasonal occupation patterns at Divnogor'ye 9 (Middle Don, Central Russia)

In this study, we present the results of tooth mesowear and microwear analyses on fossil horses recovered in two Late Pleistocene archaeological layers at Divnogor'ye 9 (Middle Don, Central Russia). Tooth wear refers to two high-resolution proxies for reconstructing dietary habits in ungulates which give access to different periods in life history of the animals sampled. Mesowear is a proxy averaging diet over months, while microwear reflects the diet of the last days before death. The first objective of this study is to integrate and compare the results from mesowear and microwear to investigate the dietary habits of the studied fossil horses (Equus ferus), to reconstruct their habitat(s), and compare with stable isotope and indirect proxies. The second objective is to participate to disentangle the various hypotheses of site formation and the nature of accumulation of the horse remains.The horse populations around Divnogor'ye 9 likely lived in habitats where both grass and browse were available, but our analysis indicates that they were selectively and exclusively feeding on grass. Furthermore, we used tooth microwear pattern as a high-resolution proxy for estimating the duration of mortality events and their seasonality. The application of a well standardized approach to interpret the microwear data permitted us to classify the two assemblages as seasonal events. The results support the hypothesis that the two accumulations of the horse remains represent seasonal, repeated occupations of the site by Late Glacial hunters in the same season for hunting and mass killing of horses. This study highlights the advantage of using non-destructive sampling methods in a multidisciplinary approach when investigating ungulate diets and patterns of fossil accumulations in archaeological sites.

From the Horse's Mouth: Surveying Responses to Stress by Banks and Insurers

Existing stress tests do not capture feedback loops between individual institutions and the financial system. To identify feedback loops, the European Systemic Risk Board has developed macroprudential surveys that ask banks and insurers how they would behave in a macroeconomic stress scenario. In a pilot application of these surveys, we find evidence of herding behaviour in the banking sector, notably concerning credit retrenchment. Results show that the consequences can be large, potentially undoing the initial effects of banks’ remedial actions by worsening their solvency position. In contrast, insurers’ responses to the survey provide little evidence of herding in response to macroeconomic stress. These results highlight the usefulness of macroprudential surveys in identifying feedback loops.

Straight from The Horse's Mouth? On the Origins of Cortázar's ‘El perseguidor’

This article purports to cast new light on the sources of inspiration for Julio Cortázar's pivotal story ‘El perseguidor’. In particular, it aims to demonstrate that Cortázar's depiction of the creative artist in the story was decisively shaped not only or even primarily by the life of jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker, but also by his reading of Joyce Cary’s novel The Horse's Mouth (1944), a whole series of often revealing references to which can be found in his correspondence. A detailed comparison of the two works suggests multiple borrowings which help account for both the thematic focus of ‘El perseguidor’, its particular choice of narrative perspective, and also a number of specific episodes and textual details.

Straight from the Horse(man)'s Mouth: Innovative 4-H Camps

As 4-H evolves to include a wide breadth of youths' modern interests, innovative educational opportunities and evaluation practices become necessary. Horsemanship and safety-based horse camps were created in response to a statewide challenge to develop competitive 4-H members and retain those members as they approach adolescence. This article addresses the development, implementation, and review of Arkansas's horse 4-H camps. The article content includes a practical example of Kirkpatrick's evaluation model and a description of how a goal-based evaluation led to planned program modifications.

An analysis of visible patterns of horse bit wear

Abstract Horse control is regularly achieved through the application of pressure by a bit against tissue surfaces in the horse's mouth. The precise method of action of the bit in the mouth is still poorly understood. In an assessment of damage and changes seen on the surfaces of bits used in horse control, 5 independent assessors scored 60 photographic images of 15 bits on the most common signs of wear. Each photographic image of the bit was divided into 4-5 separate zones so that different areas on the bit surface could be individually scored. The signs of wear scored for were changes in luster (burnishing), bite marks, food deposits, and salivary staining. Using Cronbach α values, interobserver reliability was found to be high (0.94). Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests identified a higher frequency of bite marks on the central or medial areas of the bits compared with the lateral areas ( P P > 0.5). The least amounts of both food deposits and salivary staining were found on the caudal aspect of the bits. The findings may reflect the type, level, and location of pressures exerted by oral surfaces against the bit. In addition, the location of bite marks may help identify how the equine reacts orally to the presence of a bit within the oral cavity. This study will help inform experiments seeking to quantify tissue-bit interface pressures under routine exercise conditions.

Straight from the Horse's Mouth: Using Vignettes to Support Student Learning in Veterinary Ethics.

In the last few decades, the importance of imparting ethical competences to veterinary students has been increasingly acknowledged. Despite its relevance, there are few published descriptions of teaching approaches to veterinary ethics and their effect on student learning. At University College Dublin, veterinary ethics is part of a core module on animal behavior and welfare in the pre-clinical teaching program. The present study describes the implementation of a student-centered, skills-based approach to veterinary ethics teaching using vignettes (i.e., case scenarios). Vignettes were inspired by several resources, including a focus group, and designed to represent significant ethical challenges faced by veterinary professionals in Ireland in addition to cases of potential professional misconduct. In small groups, students had to identify the stakeholders and their conflicting interests and to suggest possible solutions and alternative outcomes to the case scenario. Results from qualitative material from the teaching sessions and from a quantitative post-teaching survey show that student understanding of stakeholders increased as a result of the tutorial, which helped them to clarify possible solutions to the scenario and to propose alternative outcomes to either mitigate or avoid future occurrence of the ethical challenges. These findings suggest that incorporating meaningful vignettes into the teaching of veterinary ethics can support student ethical awareness and skills, while promoting a pluralistic approach to considering ethical issues, making the best of available time and human resources.

Tirra-Lirrical Ballads: Source Hunting with the Lady of Shalott

Early in 1868, two critics were speculating about origin of Alfred Tennyson's already classic Lady of Shalott. Here Frederick James Furnivall writing to William Michael Rossetti with an answer from horse's mouth: As you kindly took trouble about The Lady of Shalott for me, you are entitled to copy of Tennyson's own account:-'I met story first in some Italian novelle: mirror, island, etc., were own.' (1) A notebook from Tennyson's days at Trinity College records, Legends. / The Lady of Scalot. Novelle Antiche, apparently confirming that he had found inspiration in thirteenth-century collection of tales called Cento novelle antiche (One hundred ancient tales). (2) The collection was known in nineteenth century for having inspired many of stories in Boccaccio's 1353 Decameron. Among hundred ancient tales is, indeed, brief novella about damigella di who diet! for love of Lancelot. But no amount of explanation or evidence satisfied scholars, who have doggedly sought additional sources for Tennyson's 1832 ballad. Without discounting connections to novella, they have argued for range of other influences, from Malory romance Tennyson claimed not to have used to Sappho, Spenser, and Shelley. (3) Even avowed Italian source yielded more questions than answers: Was Tennyson working from an Italian-language edition of Cento novelle antiche available to nineteenth-century readers of Italian, or was he working from an English translation of novella in Thomas Roscoe's 1825 The Italian Novelists? What use did he make of two contemporaneous poems by Louisa Stuart Costello and Letitia Elizabeth Landon also derived from novella? (4) And why Italian story missing so many of Tennyson's crucial details: web, mirror, island, etc. that he claimed as my own? (5) These discrepancies led Isobel Armstrong to agnostic conclusion that poem has no source, and in fact conflation of number of mythic structures-but same mismatches have tantalized many other source-hungry critics with prospect of further discoveries. (6) Why did Victorians care so much about origin of this poem, and why do we still care? Perhaps vertigo reader experiences on first learning that this consummately English ballad about England's mythic past so embroiled in Italian literary history. I myself have spent countless hours tracking source of Tennyson's source. On tip from Victorian translator Thomas Roscoe, who suggested that novella was first recorded by Dante's mentor Brunetto Latini, I have searched Latini's work for references to Lady of Shalott-or to variants Scalot and Scalotta-and I have searched for information about Arthurian romance that Latini was thought to own a beautiful copy of. (7) I was hoping to find in poem's shadowy prehistory some clue to form of Lady of Shalott, to learn something more about Tennyson's particular variety of lyrical ballad. But poem's source problems are only replicated in literary history of tale. In choosing story of Lady of Shalott-by whatever means he found it-Tennyson was engaging with source question as much as source. In 1814 History of Fiction, work that Roscoe drew on for his introduction to The Italian Novelists, John Colin Dunlop characterizes Cento novelle antiche as both an origin point and collection of enigmatic histories. It constitutes the first regular work of class [of short fiction] in Europe, and laid foundation of most splendid efforts of human genius. At same time it was not new and original production, compilation of stories already current in world. The diverse tales, from diverse literary cultures, may have been recorded by one author or many, but who these authors were, Dunlop announces, is still problem in literary annals of Italy (my emphasis). …

Agro and Food Processing Industry in India: Status, Opportunities &amp; Challenges

Agriculture and industry have traditionally been viewed as two separate sectors both in terms of their characteristics and their role in economic growth, however over as few decades Agro and food process has rapidly expanded as an Organized industry with a bright role to be played in Socio-economic development of a country. Our paper endeavors to put an insight on the status and evolution of this industry in India, encompassing the Govt. reforms, subsidiaries, Incentives, technological development, R&D, export potential, growth trajectory, constraints, competition etc by interviewing various related Entrepreneur in the field with a focus to get a hawk eye view from the horse's mouth. Based on which we propose to come up with an industry oriented action plan to foster the growth and advancement of the Industry and people attach to it.