Camie R. Heleski

Is there evidence of learned helplessness in horses

Learned helplessness is a psychological condition whereby individuals learn that they have no control over unpleasant or harmful conditions, that their actions are futile, and that they are helpless. In a series of experiments in which dogs were exposed to inescapable shocks, this lack of control subsequently interfered with the ability to learn an avoidance task. There is evidence that both neural adaptations and behavioral despair occur in response to uncontrollable aversive experiences in rodents, although this has yet to be demonstrated in other species such as horses. However, certain traditional methods of horse training and some behavioral modification techniques—it has been suggested—may involve aversive conditions over which the horse has little or no control. When training and management procedures are repeatedly unpleasant for the horse and there is no clear association between behavior and outcome, this is likely to interfere with learning and performance—in addition to compromising welfare. This article reviews published literature and anecdotal evidence to explore the possibility that the phenomenon, learned helplessness, occurs in the horse.

Evaluating the Addition of Positive Reinforcement for Learning a Frightening Task: A Pilot Study With Horses

Horse training often relies upon negative reinforcement (NR). This study tested the hypothesis that adding positive reinforcement (PR) to NR would enhance learning in horses (n = 34) being taught to walk over a tarp (novel/typically frightening task). Subjects were Arabians, and the same person handled all of them. This person handled half “traditionally” (NR only)—that is, halter/lead were pulled; when horse stepped forward, pressure was released; process repeated until criterion met (horse crossed the tarp with little/no obvious anxiety). The same person handled the other half traditionally—but with addition of PR < food + verbal praise > (NR + PR). Subjects “failed” the task if they refused to walk onto the tarp after 10 min. Nine horses failed; 6 of 9 failures were from NR only—no significant difference detected (p = .41). The study detected no difference in time to first crossing of the tarp (p = .30) or total time to achieve calmness criterion (p = .67). Overall, adding PR did not significantly enhance learning this task. However, there were practical implications—adding PR made the task safer/less fatiguing for the handler.

Animal welfare judging teams—a way to interface welfare science with traditional animal science curricula?

Abstract Animal evaluation courses have been part of animal science curricula for over 80 years in the US. A need for skills in the visual evaluation of conformation traits and the appraisal of productivity potential laid the foundation for animal judging courses. Eventually, these courses developed into competitions for students to compare their skill level. Following a similar framework, we propose that developing teams to educate young people about animal welfare, then establishing competitions to assess these skills will be a successful way to integrate animal welfare science into the mainstream of animal science curricula. Using traditional judging programs as a model, a paradigm for establishing animal welfare judging/assessment teams has been developed. Students take a background course in understanding evolutionary biology, biological needs, behavioral and physiological indicators of differing levels of welfare, and how to holistically evaluate facilities, stockmanship and management schemes. It should be noted that while the assessment of various aspects of animal welfare can be objective and quantifiable, judgment decisions of which area will be acceptable in the continuum between very poor and very good welfare still comes down to an ethics-based choice. Animal welfare assessment will teach students to integrate science-based knowledge with ethical values for an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. The competition unfolds as follows: CD-ROM scenarios are prepared with indicators of animal welfare ranging from physiological data, video and still clips, to behavioral responses and time budgets. Students evaluate competition scenarios for each species being judged, prepare their analysis, then make an oral presentation of why they assess one scenario as demonstrating a higher level of welfare than another. The knowledge of welfare science in making the assessment, as well as the persuasion in the presentation, are key factors in scoring the students. A pilot competition was held March 1, 2002, at Michigan State University. Eighteen student participants from the University of Wisconsin, University of Guelph, Purdue University and Michigan State University competed in this pilot endeavor. Post-contest surveys demonstrated that 100% of the students felt the development of animal welfare judging teams was a good idea and that they would recommend the course to fellow students.

Equitation Science: The Application of Science in Equitation

Equine ethology, management, learning theory, skill, and talent combine to influence numerous outcomes in horse-rider interactions. The welfare of ridden horses merits scientific scrutiny because horses are largely trained using negative reinforcement and are required to respond to pressure-based signals rather than work for positive rewards. In the lay equestrian literature, the use of light aids (signals or cues) and the minimal use of punishment are highly regarded. However, as illustrated in work presented at the first International Equitation Science Symposium (2005), dressage judges struggle to identify light rein tensions (de Cartier d’Yves & Odberg, 2005).

Quantifying aggressive riding behavior of youth barrel racers and conflict behaviors of their horses

ABSTRACT Research shows that thoroughbred race horses reach top velocity when no whip is used and that increased whip use is not related to variation in velocity or improved finish position. The cloverleaf barrel race is a popular timed event among American youth riders, who are often encouraged to aggressively use both the whip and leg to increase the velocity of the horse. Hence, the purpose of this study was to quantify aggressive riding behaviors among youth riders in a timed cloverleaf barrel race, as well as specific horse behaviors. The first hypothesis stated there is a positive correlation between aggressive rider behaviors and performance time, such that increased aggressive riding would result in increased, and hence slower, run times. The second hypothesis asserted a positive correlation exists between aggressive rider behaviors and horse behaviors. Study participants included 64 horse‐and‐rider teams competing in a state‐level cloverleaf barrel race. This class was chosen because it allows for recording of individual runs of horse‐and‐rider pairs. Patterns were of the same measured distance, in the same arena, with the same footing conditions. Each horse‐and‐rider combination was videotaped from the time they approached the gate to the time they dismounted after their run. Three trained observers separately assessed horse and rider behaviors, and frequency of behaviors was recorded using a predetermined ethogram. Interobserver reliability of trained personnel ranged from 0.69 to 0.97. Aggressive riding did not enhance competition time (mean equaled 19.33 ± 1.77 seconds). There was a small but significant positive relationship between mean gate and whip scores (r = 0.25; P < 0.05): horses whipped more during the run were more likely to react poorly to entering the arena. Similarly, there was a small but significant correlation between mean kick and pop‐up scores (r = 0.30; P < 0.05): horses kicked more frequently by the rider were more likely to perform small rears. Finally, mean tail lashing and pop‐up score were significantly correlated (r = 0.36; P < 0.005). These data suggest that rider behavior does influence horse behavior in cloverleaf barrel racing and provide supporting evidence for future youth education programs.