Hello and welcome back.
In this lesson on equine social behavior,
we'll delve into some of the dynamics of the herd animal.
In the wild horses have a complex social structure,
which we can see in a variety of behaviors.
We also see some of these deep rooted behaviors in our domesticated horses.
So it helps to understand the dynamics of a natural herd.
In this lesson we'll discuss those dynamics and behaviors.
And by the end of the lesson you'll be able to
identify them in your own domesticated horse.
Let's go back to the wild for a moment.
In the wild horses naturally form breeding groups,
which will include a stallion
or two several mares and their offspring often up to about three years old,
and some peripheral males called bachelors,
who stay outside the band of horses but who roam alongside the group.
There is usually a Guardian that the others look to for safety,
but this is not necessarily the stallion and the holder
of this position may shift depending on circumstances.
All members of the herd need to play a role in survival of the group,
being ready to sound the alarm to flee from danger.
Horses are grazers usually in open grasslands
who aim to keep visual contact with other group members.
Vocalizations are less frequent than in
other species because they don't want to attract predators.
But when visual contact is lost there will be shouting,"Hey,
where did everybody go?",
especially from the younger stock.
The population dynamics may revolve more around
friendships within the herd than the dominance and aggressiveness of a leader.
The composition of the herd will change over time due to births,
illness and injuries, deaths and environmental stressors like lack of food or water.
The social order is maintained with subtle gestures of pinned ears and bearing teeth.
Fighting, generally seen in the realm of the
stallion's and bachelors vying for the breeding rights.
Males will fight by rising up on their hind legs called rearing,
using front feet to strike out and the neck to knock an opponent down.
This encounter can involve severe biting and kicking.
Friendships and social ranking are maintained through
mutual grooming and the formation of smaller cliques within the group.
Mutual grooming and socializing is done by rhythmic scraping of the teeth on each other,
usually near the withers at the base of the neck.
Horses will also exhibit face to body rubbing.
Severe biting and kicking with hind legs in unison is
used for sorting out more serious social problems within the entire band.
Submission is shown by the horse pulling its lips back and clapping the teeth,
a rapid movement of the jaw.
They will also often tuck their tail with an arched back.
This is more common in young animals.
Submission is also demonstrated by moving
away from the dominant animal in response to cues.
Greetings often start with nose to nose sniffing.
Horses express playfulness by chewing at the neck and legs,
circling each other with kicking out, and some chasing.
Play and social interactions are ways for
horses to get rid of excess energy and entertain themselves.
It is a way for them to secure their place in the herd,
thereby increasing their chances of survival.
Don't be surprised by a loud squeal which you might hear
when a horse first makes nose to nose contact with another horse.
It's important that you are off to the side just in
case the greeting horses strike a front leg forward.
Horses are known to investigate objects by sniffing directly or indirectly in the air.
They are also known to exhibit a reaction called the flehmen response,
in which they flare their nostrils,
lift their upper lip and raise their head.
This motion allows them to analyze a scent in
a special olfactory organ called the vomeronasal gland.
The flehmen response can be demonstrated in
conditions of pain and also in conditions of disgust,
for example when you give a bitter medication orally,
the horse will often demonstrate a flehmen response in disgust.
One of the reasons social interaction is so important,
is that it serves as a sort of schooling for
youngsters much like they would experience in the wild in a mixed age group.
The older horses teach the younger horses
social rules and what is acceptable herd behaviour.
Modern equine breeding and rearing often separates horses by age group.
This separation is intended to keep
the growing horse safe from injury and infectious disease.
This good intention however may result in
an adult horse that has never learned how to get along in a group,
which can cause problems later in life with other horses and with humans.
When we consider the horses natural inclination to be in a herd,
we can begin to understand why a horse needs social time with fellow horses.
Behaviors we commonly see in domesticated groups include mutual grooming,
where they scratch each other's backs.
Some horse may think of this as a handshake.
Horses will often face each other and chew on each other's withers.
Sometimes they will just stand head rear lined up resting next to each other.
It is not unusual to see them loitering around the water trough.
Some horses will play headsies,
a game like mouthing and head tossing prancing with each other.
They may prance back and forth with tails held high and buck
at each other in a playful non-threatening manner,
and usually they will not make physical contact with each other when they're playing.
When a group of horses are together and they feel threatened,
they may crowd together to tighten the herd as a way
to maximize protection from their perceived predator.
One individual may be especially fearful and cram their way into the center of the group.
The group may look for a leader to guide their actions.
This is where having at least one calm, level headed,
well-adjusted and trained horse in the group can be a real advantage.
All of these behaviors have their roots in the wild and we see them
everyday in the behaviors of domesticated horses,
even without the threat of a predator.
But while we now have a good grasp of
normal behaviors in our next lesson we'll look at some of the problem,
or abnormal behaviors we encounter working with horses. See you soon.
Claudia Sonder, DVMEmeriti Director of Equine Outreach
