The Horse Behaviour toward Grooming

Abstract

The domestication and artificial selection of horse for various purposes have led to the emergence of various horse breeds, often associated with specific physical characteristics and behavioural tendencies. Understanding individual differences in horse behaviour, particularly during interactions with humans, is essential for promoting positive experiences and welfare. Mane grooming, a common human-horse interaction, provides valuable information about the horse's emotional responses and the preferences. This study was conducted to determine the behaviour of 350 horse seven different horse breeds (101 Thoroughbred horses, 96 Arabian horses, 123 Hanoverian horses, 10 Belgian horses, 6 French horses, 8 Dutch horses, 2 German horses, and 1 Hungarian horse) during mane grooming sessions. The study involved observing the horse from the front and both sides during the mane grooming process and face-to-face interviews with horse owners. The research aims to obtain information about the emotional reactions of the horses by focusing on approach and avoidance behaviours, and it investigates the effects of characteristics such as breed, age, gender and mane direction. Research has revealed that personality differences among seven different horse breeds. Also, it shows that only 10.28 % exhibited aggressive behaviours during the mane grooming. Some differences have been observed among breeds in terms of mane direction. According to the results, it was concluded that breed-specific and individual characteristics should be taken into account in care practices in order to enhance horse welfare and strengthen the human-horse bond.

Keywords

• Aggressive Behavior
• Grooming
• Horse Mane

Atın Bakıma Karşı Davranışı

Öz

Atların çeşitli amaçlar için evcilleştirilmesi ve seleksiyon, farklı fiziksel özelliklere ve davranış eğilimlerine sahip özel at ırklarının ortaya çıkmasına yol açmıştır. Özellikle insanlarla etkileşimde at davranışlarındaki bireysel farklılıkları anlamak pozitif deneyimleri arttırmak ve hayvan refahı bakımından önemlidir. Yaygın bir insan-at etkileşimi olan yele bakımı, atların duygusal tepkileri ve tercihleri hakkında değerli bilgiler sağlar. Bu çalışma, yedi farklı at ırkından 350 atın (101 İngiliz atı, 96 Arap atı, 123 Avrupa atı, 10 Belçika atı, 6 Fransız atı, 8 Hollanda atı, 2 Alman atı ve 1 Macar atı) yele bakım seansları sırasındaki davranışlarını belirlemek amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma, yele bakımı sırasında atın önden ve her iki yandan gözlemlenmesini ve at sahipleriyle yüz yüze görüşmeleri içermektedir. Araştırma, yaklaşma ve kaçınma davranışlarına odaklanarak atların duygusal tepkileri hakkında bilgi edinmeyi amaçlamakta ve ırk, yaş, cinsiyet ve yele yönü gibi özelliklerin etkilerini araştırmaktadır. Araştırma, yedi farklı at ırkı arasında kişilik farklılıkları olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca, sadece %10,28'inin yele tımarı sırasında agresif davranışlar sergilediğini göstermektedir. Yele yönü bakımından ırklar arasında bazı farklılıklar gözlenmiştir. Araştırma sonucuna göre, at refahını artırmak ve insan-at bağını güçlendirmek amacıyla bakım uygulamalarında ırka özgü ve bireysel özelliklerin dikkate alınması gerektiğini sonucuna varılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Agresif Davranış
• At Yelesi
• Tıraş

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