Parameters for the Analysis of Social Bonds in Horses
| Autor: | Volker Stefanski, Riccarda Wolter, Konstanze Krueger |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
spatial proximity Social behaviour Biology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Article social bonds mutual grooming Time frame lcsh:Zoology medicine social bond analysis 0501 psychology and cognitive sciences 050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology lcsh:QL1-991 lcsh:Veterinary medicine General Veterinary Aggression 05 social sciences feral horses Group composition Social bond Breed Body contact Social relationship lcsh:SF600-1100 Animal Science and Zoology medicine.symptom Demography |
| Zdroj: | Animals, Vol 8, Iss 11, p 191 (2018) Animals Volume 8 Issue 11 Animals : an Open Access Journal from MDPI |
| ISSN: | 2076-2615 |
| Popis: | Social bond analysis is of major importance for the evaluation of social relationships in group housed horses. However, in equine behaviour literature, studies on social bond analysis are inconsistent. Mutual grooming (horses standing side by side and gently nipping, nuzzling, or rubbing each other), affiliative approaches (horses approaching each other and staying within one body length), and measurements of spatial proximity (horses standing with body contact or within two horse-lengths) are commonly used. In the present study, we assessed which of the three parameters is most suitable for social bond analysis in horses, and whether social bonds are affected by individual and group factors. We observed social behaviour and spatial proximity in 145 feral horses, five groups of Przewalski&rsquo s horses (N = 36), and six groups of feral horses (N = 109) for 15 h per group, on three days within one week. We found grooming, friendly approaches, and spatial proximity to be robust parameters, as their correlation was affected only by the animals&rsquo sex (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.001, t = &minus 2.7, p = 0.008) and the group size (GLMM: N = 145, SE < 0.001, t = 4.255, p < 0.001), but not by the horse breed, the aggression ratio, the social rank, the group, the group composition, and the individuals themselves. Our results show a trend for a correspondence between all three parameters (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.004, t = 1.95, p = 0.053), a strong correspondence between mutual grooming and friendly approaches (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.021, t = 3.922, p < 0.001), and a weak correspondence between mutual grooming and spatial proximity (GLMM: N = 145, SE = 0.04, t = 1.15, p = 0.25). We therefore suggest either using a combination of the proactive behaviour counts mutual grooming and friendly approaches, or using measurements of close spatial proximity, for the analysis of social bonds in horses within a limited time frame. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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