abnormal behaviours

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lindy

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On this beautiful sunny afternoon please take five minutes to complete my poll on abnormal behaviours for a university project on equine abnormal behaviours.

Your time is very much appreciated and i thank you in advance for taking part in this survey.

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I'm so pleased you said that Forester because for a moment I was thinking I was completely dumb.

Stereotypical behaviour in my horses is; well mannered, easy to work with, content to do as I ask etc etc. Doesn't mean my stereotypical horses are the same as someone elses.

All the vices you have named are just that....vices.
 
I think the word stereotypical is a scientific word applied to certain behaviours. I don't feel up to supplying my own definition, but found this quote which sums up what I understand by the term:

"Stereotypies are considered to be socially based; i.e. they are based on the animal feeling frustrated by the inability to do something they want to do. Stereotypies are seen in all types of animals such as pacing of zoo animals in cages and horses that weave in their stables. The zoo animal wants to be out hunting but can only pace up and down in their cage. Horses want to run and graze but are frustrated by the confines of their caged environment."

I've have always believed that behaviours such as weaving and windsucking were stereotypies.
 
A caged tiger which paces constantly at the perimeter of its cage, shows stereotypical behaviour of a "caged tiger". A free tiger who stalks and kills prey shows stereotypical behaviour of a "free tiger". You can't say a tiger is stereotypical...
 
Yes so therefore a horse enclosed in a stable that box walks is the equivalent of a tiger pacing when caged sort of, so therefore is a stereotypie.
A man once came to our old yard to study stereotypies...and he was studying crib biting, weaving and box walking.
 
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I think the word stereotypical is a scientific word applied to certain behaviours. I don't feel up to supplying my own definition, but found this quote which sums up what I understand by the term:

"Stereotypies are considered to be socially based; i.e. they are based on the animal feeling frustrated by the inability to do something they want to do. Stereotypies are seen in all types of animals such as pacing of zoo animals in cages and horses that weave in their stables. The zoo animal wants to be out hunting but can only pace up and down in their cage. Horses want to run and graze but are frustrated by the confines of their caged environment."

I've have always believed that behaviours such as weaving and windsucking were stereotypies.

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I thought the same, I took it as the scientific term,. Would possibly include excessive box walking too
 
I've not explained myself very well, LOL! The word "stereotypical" can be used as a scientific term, which has a definition rather different from that we use in everyday language. It comes from the word "stereotypy" - there is a definition in this medical dictionary link - http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/stereotypies
- which describes it as:

1. The maintenance of one attitude for a long period.
2. The constant repetition of certain meaningless gestures or movements.

I presume the OP is referring to the scientific/medical definition of the term, and not what the lay person would understand by stereotypical.

By that definition, weaving is a sterotypy and rearing isn't!
 
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Ahh stereotypy!! Like cupboardy....
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[/ QUOTE ]Is that the maintenance of one attitude in a cupboard for a long period of time?
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I wouldn't say that any of the behaviours in the list are stereotypical - they are abnormal

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ditto!

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same here
 
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I've not explained myself very well, LOL! The word "stereotypical" can be used as a scientific term, which has a definition rather different from that we use in everyday language. It comes from the word "stereotypy" - there is a definition in this medical dictionary link - http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/stereotypies
- which describes it as:

1. The maintenance of one attitude for a long period.
2. The constant repetition of certain meaningless gestures or movements.

I presume the OP is referring to the scientific/medical definition of the term, and not what the lay person would understand by stereotypical.

By that definition, weaving is a sterotypy and rearing isn't!

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I answered it it this way, taking stereotype in the scientific sense. I didn't even think of it in the other way. Studying science must have shrunk the rest of my brain!
 
When I've spoken to behaviourists they would equate stereoptypical behaviours with what other people term vices.
Shows how confusing words can be!
Answering a couple of those questions I did find myself thinking "Depends...."
 
Thank you all for your replies and comments. Stereotypic behaviour is, i guess, more of a scientific term. It is used to describe behaviour commonly seen in stabled horses that is invariant, repetitive and apparently functionless. These behaviours are abnormal, that is free-living horses have not been reported to display these behaviours. They include weaving, crib-biting and wind-sucking. Current research suggests that these behaviours are developed due to brain dysfunction, which means horses with this dysfunction are more predisoposed to displaying stereotypic behaviour in response to the artifical environment in which they live. I believe these behaviours are not vices or indeed abnormal, but normal behaviours developed by the domesticated horse. Horses should therefore not be punished. Instead we need to address the envirnoment in which these behaviours occur in order to revise the horses management regime in order to answer our horses communication that he is unable to display the behaviours he instinctively wishes to.
 
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