Your opinions on stereotypical behaviours

B

bertin12

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 January 2011
Messages
267
Visit site
I was wondering if you could help me..
I am doing a project for college about the development/ causes of stereotypical behaviours in horses. I would like to know if any of you think that older horses or certain breeds of horses are more likely to develop behaviours (such as weaving/ crib biting etc) or do you think any breed/ age are as likely as each other to develop stereotypical behaviours.
Thanks :)
 
I personally think if the mother does it then they are much more likely to. I know one who started cribbing when he moved from France to England at about 7 years old but aside from that the ones with stereotypical behaviour on our yard have just "always done it". We have/ had over the years had a Selle Francais, Arab, Warmblood, Irish Sports Horse, welsh D, Irish Draught and various X breeds displaying stereotypical behaviour, so I cant see being breed or age specific from my experience.
 
I don't believe that it is anything to do with the breed - it is all down to how the horse is kept imo. At the end of the day, wild horses don't display stereotypic behaviours. They can develop them at any age, if their environment/husbandry suddenly changes to one that they find stressful/boring.

Limited turnout (being stabled for like 20+ hours a day), limited companionship, high energy feeds, not enough forage, rich grazing = problems stereotypic stereotypic
 
I dont think its down to breed more circumstances and to some extent temperament, many tbs crib or weave due to the environment they are kept in when in training.
I had a mare at livery years ago, she was a good event horse that lived in a stable at night turned out all day while here all year round, she moved away and was turned out less, returning a year later cribbing I think she was 7 or 8 at the time.
On her return I kept her in my main yard, in a bigger box, she was now on full livery not DIY which are in my back yard, she cribbed while in but not when turned out. She went away for a few months to a pro eventer but still cribbed and it got worse she even did it in the lorry.
Sorry long story:) when she came back again I put her into her old box in my back yard, mainly to keep her away from the others and the cribbing gets annoying after a while, she stopped from that day and never cribbed again, she spent a year round in the old stable quiet and content without the need to crib and was retired to stud.

So for her it was definitely her environment, I dont think it was moving that caused it as such because she had moved several times with her owner before she came to my yard the first time, it was just one yard that was the trigger.
 
I'd be willing to bet that you'd find more vices like weaving, cribbing etc in TBs or warmbloods than you would in Shetland ponies, but that's because (generalisation) a TB type is infinitely more likely to spend a large portion of its time cooped up, while a Shetland is far more likely to be out 24/7 and less likely to develop such habits. You'll need a vast sample size before you can work out if it's at all breed-specific, or whether it's all environmental!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top