scholarly journals Testing olfaction in equids: Age and gestational stage affects olfactory interest

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Vilain Rørvang ◽  
Klára Nicova ◽  
Jenny Yngvesson
Keyword(s):  
Limited Knowledge ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Behavioural Reaction ◽  
Licking Behaviour ◽  
Gestational Stage ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
Olfactory Abilities ◽  
Icelandic Horses ◽  
Response Variables

Abstract In spite of the highly developed olfactory apparatus of horses, implying a high adaptive value, research on equine olfaction is sparse. Our limited knowledge poses a risk that horse behaviour does not match human expectations. The benefit of acquiring more knowledge of equine olfaction is therefore twofold; 1) it can aid the understanding of horse behaviour and hence reduce the risk of dangerous situations, and 2) there may be unexploited potential of using odours in several practical situations where humans interact with horses. This study investigated olfactory abilities of, 35 Icelandic, horses who were presented to four odours: peppermint, orange, lavender and cedarwood. The response variables were sniffing duration per presentation and behavioural reaction (licking, biting, snorting, and backing). Results showed horses were able to detect and distinguish between all four odours and showed increased interest (significantly longer sniffing duration) for peppermint. More horses expressed licking behaviour when presented to peppermint compared to cedarwood and lavender. Young horses sniffed cedarwood for longer than old horses, and pregnant mares sniffed lavender less than non-pregnant mares. In conclusion, the test paradigm seemed meaningful for horses, and olfactory interest of horses varied with age and gestational status but not sex.

scholarly journals Significance of Group Composition for the Welfare of Pastured Horses

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hrefna Sigurjónsdóttir ◽  
Hans Haraldsson
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Group Composition ◽  
Peer Groups ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
Breeding Groups ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
Icelandic Horses

We explore how herd composition and management factors correlate with frequencies of social interactions in horse groups. Since the welfare of horses correlates with low aggression levels and social contact opportunities, information of this kind is important. The data are a collection of records of social interactions of 426 Icelandic horses in 20 groups of at least eight horses. The complexities and limitations of the data prohibit useful statistical modelling so the results are presented descriptively. Interesting and informative patterns emerge which can be of use both in management and in future studies. Of special interest are the low levels of agonistic behaviours in breeding groups where one stallion was present. The horses were less agonistic when in groups with young foals and where group membership was stable. Unfamiliar yearlings in peer groups were especially aggressive. Allogrooming was most frequent in groups with relatively more young horses and in unstable and small groups. Interestingly, the horses allogroomed more if they had few preferred allogrooming partners. The findings show that composition (age/sex) and stability of groups are of great importance with respect to aggression levels and opportunities for establishing bonds.

scholarly journals The Behaviour of Stallions in a Semiferal Herd in Iceland: Time Budgets, Home Ranges, and Interactions

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hrefna Sigurjonsdottir ◽  
Anna G. Thorhallsdottir ◽  
Helga M. Hafthorsdottir ◽  
Sandra M. Granquist
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
The Other ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Time Budgets ◽  
Low Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
Large Groups ◽  
Icelandic Horses ◽  
Horse Owners

A permanent herd of Icelandic horses with four stallions and their harems was studied for a total of 316 hours in a large pasture (215 ha) in May 2007 in Iceland. Interactions between stallions of different harems and other aspects of the horses' behaviour were studied. One stallion and nine horses were introduced into the pasture prior to the study to examine the reactions of the resident stallions to a newcomer. The stallions spent significantly less time grazing than other horses and were more vigilant. Home ranges overlapped, but harems never mixed. The stallions prevented interactions between members of different harems indirectly by herding. Generally, interactions between resident stallions were nonviolent. However, encounters with the introduced stallion were more aggressive and more frequent than between the other stallions. Here, we show that four harems can share the same enclosure peacefully. The social network seems to keep aggression at a low level both within the harems and the herd as a whole. We encourage horse owners to consider the feasibility of keeping their horses in large groups because of low aggression and because such a strategy gives the young horses good opportunities to develop normally, both physically and socially.

scholarly journals The Frequency of Errors in Determining Age Based on Selected Features of the Incisors of Icelandic Horses

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Jarosław Łuszczyński ◽  
Magdalena Pieszka ◽  
Weronika Petrych ◽  
Monika Stefaniuk-Szmukier
Keyword(s):  
Natural Environment ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Permanent Teeth ◽  
Age Group ◽  
The Real ◽  
Average Percentage ◽  
Young Horses ◽  
Icelandic Horses ◽  
Shape Changes ◽  
Made In

The structure and changes occurring to horses’ teeth during ontogeny are not only used to assess the degree of somatic maturity but also the development of universal patterns and is therefore used to determine the age of horses. Research shows that methods of assessing the age of horses based on the appearance of teeth tend to suffer from relatively large errors. This is probably influenced by the results of intensive selection and being kept in living conditions that differ substantially from their natural environment. This study aimed to assess the suitability of selected features of the incisors to determine the age of Icelandic horses. One hundred and twenty-six Icelandic horses (78 mares and 48 stallions) of different ages (range: 0–24 years; groups: 0–2 years, >2–5 years, >5–11 years, and >11 years) were examined by an experienced horse person who was blinded to the actual age of the horse and did not know which age group horses were in. Age was determined by the inspection of each horse’s teeth and was compared to the actual age of the horse recorded in the breeding documentation, and the percentage of mistakes made regarding the age group was calculated. The estimated age did not match the real age in 36.5% of the horses. The age was more often underestimated (19.0%) by, on average, 0.9 ± 1.0 years than overestimated (17.5%) by, on average, 1.3 ± 1.4 years. Within age groups, the least number of errors in determining age were made in young horses aged 0–2 years, when the eruption and growing of the deciduous incisors and the disappearance of the cups was considered. The average percentage of errors in this group (2.1%) was significantly lower (p < 0.01) than for older horses, whose age was estimated based on the exchange of deciduous to permanent teeth (55.8%), disappearance of the cups (68.0%), and shape changes on the grinding surface (40.0%). Significantly more frequent underestimation of age based on replacing deciduous for permanent incisors and significantly more frequent overestimation of age on the basis of the disappearance of the cup may indicate that Icelandic horses up to 5 years of age are characterized by a slower rate of growth than horses of other breeds, especially warmblood horses. These results suggest that patterns used to determine the real age of horses based on changes occurring on the incisors should be modified in order to consider the specificity of the course of growth and maturation processes of horses of various types and breeds.

scholarly journals Cross-sensory modulation in a future top predator, the young Nile crocodile

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 170386
Author(s):  
Laura Chabrolles ◽  
Gérard Coureaud ◽  
Nicolas Boyer ◽  
Nicolas Mathevon ◽  
Marilyn Beauchaud
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Sensory Modulation ◽  
Top Predator ◽  
Adaptive Value ◽  
Behavioural Reaction ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Chemical Stimuli ◽  
Nile Crocodile ◽  
Socially Relevant

Animals routinely receive information through different sensory channels, and inputs from a modality may modulate the perception and behavioural reaction to others. In spite of their potential adaptive value, the behavioural correlates of this cross-sensory modulation have been poorly investigated. Due to their predator life, crocodilians deal with decisional conflicts emerging from concurrent stimuli. By testing young Crocodylus niloticus with sounds in the absence or presence of chemical stimuli, we show that (i) the prandial (feeding) state modulates the responsiveness of the animal to a congruent, i.e. food-related olfactory stimulus, (ii) the prandial state alters the responsiveness to an incongruent (independent of food) sound, (iii) fasted, but not sated, crocodiles display selective attention to socially relevant sounds over noise in presence of food odour. Cross-sensory modulation thus appears functional in young Nile crocodiles. It may contribute to decision making in the wild, when juveniles use it to interact acoustically when foraging.

Trait self-enhancement: Moderators of the adaptive value

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Delroy L. Paulhus ◽  
Aliye Kurt ◽  
Jennifer D. Campbell
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Value

Institutional Repositories in Swaziland: An Exploratory Study

Mousaion ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ncamsile Nombulelo Dlamini ◽  
Maritha Snyman
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Institutional Repositories ◽  
Limited Knowledge ◽  
Advocacy Strategies ◽  
Awareness Level

The purpose of this paper is to assess the current status of institutional repositories (IRs) in Swaziland’s academic institutions. The factors under discussion are the number of IRs in Swaziland, their usage, the level of awareness of these IRs, and the challenges that prevent the implementation of IRs in Swaziland’s academic institutions. A webometric approach, interviews and semi-structured questionnaires completed by IR managers or librarians working for the Swaziland’s academic institutions were used to collect data for this study. Responses were received from 11 respondents. The findings indicated that there is one IR in Swaziland that is accessible to the institution’s community via the intranet. This IR was, at the time when this study took place, not registered in any of the international registries of repositories, such as the Registry of Open Access Repositories (ROAR) and the Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR). Currently, this IR faces problems of insufficient content, a low level of IR awareness, limited knowledge of effective and appropriate IR advocacy strategies and limited knowledge of effective IR implementation and management strategies. Based on the findings and information gained from a literature review of IRs, the paper recommends strategies to academic institutions in Swaziland that may enable them to increase their number of IRs, the awareness level of IRs and consequently the use of IRs. The findings and recommendations may also benefit other African countries in similar situations.  

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