Can Sound Alone Act as a Virtual Barrier for Horses?
Certain sounds, especially unfamiliar ones, can stop a horse in its tracks. Researchers in Poland wondered whether sound could be used to create a virtual fence.
Horses and Self-Awareness
It is difficult to prove whether horses realize that their own behaviour is the source of the behaviour they are seeing in their reflections. Mirror self-recognition was recently studied in horses by Italian equine behaviourist Paolo Baragl.
How to Keep Your Horse Hydrated During the Winter
Most equine nutritionists consider water to be the most important nutrient because of the various functions it performs. These include regulating body temperature, digestion, absorption, and utilization of nutrients, moving feedstuffs through the digestive tract from mouth to rectum, and removing waste products.
Is Equine Attachment Real?
Just how closely do horses attach to their humans?
Hay Selection Research: Horse Versus Human
A Swiss study looked at how well human selection stacks up against a horse’s hay preference for palatability.
University Students Collect Data From Over 700 Horse Skulls From Sable Island
PhD students at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax are helping to create a database for future research about the species. The almost mythical Sable Island horses have bewildered generations of scientists eager to learn more about their existence on the remote island off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Preventing Wildfire with the Wild Horse Fire Brigade
California resident and naturalist William Simpson explains how the grazing behaviour of a herd of wild horses helped mitigate the 2018 Klamathon Fire, keeping his land and much of his local community safe.
Does Your Horse Have Self-Control?
Horses might pass up one treat to wait for a “better” one. Researchers in Germany said this kind of self-control might help horses cope with new environments and training situations.
Long-Term Human-Horse Relationships Ease Equine Anxiety In Novel Situations
Horses that have a long-term relationship with an owner or caretaker respond to novel situations with less anxiety. A horse that has had several owners, or one that has multiple riders or who has only been with an owner for a short time, may respond with more wariness.
Horse Power from the Powerhouse of the Cell [infographic]
What makes a great horse great? As described in a recent Animal Frontiers article, the mitochondria, or powerhouse of the cell, is at least partially responsible for athletic performance.