The Importance Of Scientific Discipline Inward Equus Caballus Training

Horse ‘licking together with chewing’: is it a sign of learning, submission or stress?

Guest post yesteryear Georgina (Gina) Bishopp (Hartpury College, UK).

 A petty patch agone I was having a lesson on my Equus caballus when my teacher beamed upward at me together with exclaimed, “There yous go, she is licking together with chewing – she’s actually listening to yous now, hold going!” together with with excitement I continued on eagerly with the exercise nosotros were practising. It wasn’t until the exhilaration of the instant had waned did I mean value to myself, is licking together with chewing actually a sign of learning?

In the equine industry, or for a to a greater extent than realistic term, the equine footing (to screen both professionals, private owners together with recreational riders) in that location is no prepare agency of interpreting a horse’s behaviour. Truly in that location are no dark together with whites inwards Equus caballus ownership or preparation or fifty-fifty riding. Unfortunately, negative reinforcement together with positive punishment are the traditional methods utilised for preparation horses, with habituation, desensitisation and, sadly, flooding, even so modern trainers are starting to purpose a combination of positive reinforcement with negative.

And in that location are those that are trying to alter the confront of Equus caballus preparation from this traditional reliance on aversive stimuli to do a scheme similar to modern domestic dog preparation with the purpose of reward-based methods.

There are equestrians who utilise all traditional equipment that has been designed to mould the Equus caballus to positions nosotros deem beautiful, such every bit Pessoa lunging equipment, or to increment the sharpness of their animals, such every bit with spurs, whips together with a broad diversity of bits. There are also equestrians that aim to lower tension inwards their horses through equipment designed to decrease pressure, such every bit bitless bridles (such every bit the Dr Cook cross under), novel blueprint bridles (such every bit the Micklem bridle) together with treeless (or no contact) saddles.

There are dissimilar kinds of horsemanship – traditional, sympathetic or natural, all with their ain prepare of beliefs that are either based inwards an agreement of learning theory quadrants (primarily those with aversive stimuli) or a perceived agreement of natural Equus caballus behaviour when inwards herd dynamics. Similar to the potency ground inwards the domestic dog world, in that location are those that endeavor to acquire the horse’s leader through adopting ‘leader’ postures together with behaviours, together with those that endeavor to acquire the horse’s friend – every bit good every bit the whole plethora of individuals inwards betwixt that bring bits together with pieces from all fields together with understandings.

Science unfortunately does non actually come upward into Equus caballus ownership, riding together with training. Not truthful scientific discipline anyway. ‘Licking together with chewing’ is a mutual misnomer inwards the equine industry. If yous take hold e'er ridden or trained a Equus caballus before, regardless of discipline, it is probable that yous take hold been told that when the Equus caballus is ‘licking together with chewing’ they are learning together with that these behaviours are a practiced sign! 

These behaviours are of import to both traditional together with natural horsemanship trainers. With natural horsemanship the ‘licking together with chewing’ are used to signal when a Equus caballus is accepting yous every bit their leader, (Roberts, 1996; Parelli, 1993) – in 1 lawsuit to a greater extent than a practiced sign. As Goodwin expressed inwards 1999 even so in that location has been no scientific evidence to back upward the thought that a Equus caballus licking together with chewing is a sign of submission.

In reality these behaviours are probable to endure a signal that the Equus caballus is feeling stressed or uncomfortable, where they deed every bit a displacement or comforting behaviour (Goodwin, 1999) or to a greater extent than exactly may endure a physiological answer to increased adrenaline inwards reaction to stress, which has been flora to increment saliva production, (McGreevy, 2004). With traditional riding it may endure exercise induced adrenaline causing this behaviour, even so it may also endure that the horses are experiencing aversive stress whilst existence trained.

With natural horsemanship this behaviour is primarily seen during the round-pen technique. This preparation requires the human to chase the Equus caballus around the pen until these ‘submissive’ behaviours are seen, at which holler for the trainer volition halt together with adopt a ‘passive’ stance. The Equus caballus so walks over to the trainer together with it is declared that the Equus caballus has ‘joined up’ with the human.

Warren-Smith together with McGreevy, (2008) preliminarily explored this preparation method through evaluating the behaviours seen when placing a mare together with a colt inwards the circular pen. The procedure they used was simple. They walked a broodmare into a circular pen, facing away from the gate, together with so brought inwards an unrelated colt, earlier leaving them solitary together with let out inwards the pen. Their behaviour was recorded for 8 minutes together with they flora no evidence that the mare would chase the colt around so every bit to dependent the younger private until submission is observed. In fact both mare together with colt stood resting at contrary sides of the pen.

The explanation given for licking together with chewing inwards answer to existence chased yesteryear a human was that this behaviour is probable to endure a physiological stress answer together with the ‘submission’ seen later is due to the negative reinforcement principle. The trainer chases the Equus caballus until they display this behaviour (an aversive stimuli) together with when they do the trainer halt together with becomes passive (removes the aversive), thus negatively reinforcing this behavioural answer when chased around.

There is a lot of room for scientific discipline inwards Equus caballus management, riding together with ownership, peculiarly inwards the private sector. Thankfully question is growing inwards this plain together with with the advent of equitation science, run across the International guild for Equitation Science (ISES), every bit good every bit publications such every bit Horses inwards Our Hands (2016) (accessible through the World Horse Welfare scheme website) the dissemination of this question to Earth is also growing. Although nosotros are soundless somewhat living inwards the equine night ages, nosotros are also on the cusp of non bad regain together with welfare improvements for these beautiful together with wonderfully intelligent animals.

So what do yous think, take hold yous e'er been told your Equus caballus is learning when they start to ‘lick together with chew’?

About the author:

My holler is Georgina (Gina) Bishopp together with I am a 23-year-old MRes Animal Behaviour together with Welfare pupil at the University of West England, Hartpury College campus. Since graduating from my starting fourth dimension flat (BSc Animal Science with Care together with Management) I take hold worked for the Blue Cross together with am at in 1 lawsuit at the RSPCA, primarily working with dogs together with cats. I ain a Equus caballus together with take hold ridden since a child, experiencing every dissimilar form of Equus caballus preparation together with administration every bit I take hold tried to sympathize which method is best for the horse. Now I purpose a blend of tradition together with novel historic menses techniques, together with exclusively those that are supported yesteryear electrical current scientific agreement of horses themselves or other mammals (including the dog). My academic focus has primarily been with companion animals, primarily dogs, together with equines, even so my interests are real broad together with extend to wild animals together with zoo animals welfare every bit well.





Photos: Garnet Photo (top) together with Grigorita Ko (both Shutterstock.com).

References
Goodwin, D. (2010). The importance of ethology inwards agreement the behaviour of the Equus caballus Equine Veterinary Journal, 31 (S28), 15-19 DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05150.x
McGreevy, P. D. (2004). Equine behavior: H5N1 guide for veterinarians together with equine scientists. London: W. B. Saunders.

Parelli, P. (1993). Natural horsemanship. Colorado Springs: Western Horseman Books.

Roberts, M. (1996). The human who listens to horses. London: Arrow Books.

Warren-Smith AK, & McGreevy PD (2008). Preliminary investigations into the ethological relevance of round-pen (round-yard) preparation of horses. Journal of applied fauna welfare scientific discipline : JAAWS, 11 (3), 285-98 PMID: 18569224
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