Limb preferences and lateralization of aggression, reactivity and vigilance in feral horses, 'Equus caballus'

Title
Limb preferences and lateralization of aggression, reactivity and vigilance in feral horses, 'Equus caballus'
Publication Date
2012
Author(s)
Austin, Nicole
Rogers, Lesley
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd
Place of publication
United Kingdom
DOI
10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.10.033
UNE publication id
une:10228
Abstract
Observational field studies were conducted on two remote populations of feral horses in Australia to determine whether lateralization is a characteristic of 'Equus caballus' as a species or results from handling by humans. Group 1 had been feral for two to five generations and Group 2 for 10-20 generations. In both groups, left-side biases were present during agonistic interactions and in reactivity and vigilance. Therefore, as in other vertebrates, the right hemisphere appears to be specialized to control agonistic behaviour and responses to potential threats. The leftwards bias was stronger in measures of behaviour involving more aggression and reactivity. Preferences to place one forelimb in front of the other during grazing were also determined. No population bias of forelimb preference was found, suggesting that such limb preferences present in domestic horses may be entrained. Since stronger individual limb preferences were found in immature than in adult feral horses, limb preference may be modified by maturation or experience in the natural habitat. Stronger limb preference was associated significantly with elevated attention to the environment but only in younger feral horses. No sex differences in lateralization were found. The findings are evidence that horses show visual lateralization, as in other vertebrates, not dependent on handling by humans. Limb preference during grazing, by contrast, does appear to depend on experience.
Link
Citation
Animal Behaviour, 83(1), p. 239-247
ISSN
1095-8282
0003-3472
Start page
239
End page
247

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink