Does the human voice have a calming effect on horses?

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Abstracts / Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 33 (2013) 321-399

Table 1 Mean ( SEM) moisture, organic matter, total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium of stockpiled feces from Quarter Horse geldings (n¼9) consuming a pelleted feed with additives (ADD) fed alone or in addition to orchardgrass hay (ORCH), ORCH alone, or a similar feed without additives (CTRL) fed alone or in addition to ORCH1. DMB Diet2

Moisture, %

OM, %

Total N, %

NH3-N, mg/kg

P, %

K, %

A B C D E

64.61.21a 69.61.21b 76.11.21c 70.91.28b 64.91.21a

80.00.34a 78.80.34b 77.40.34c 77.60.36c 79.10.36ab

1.090.06a 1.640.08b 2.290.09c 1.700.08b 1.120.06a

79.911.8a 80.811.9a 95.812.9a 83.112.6a 105.213.5a

0.830.03a 0.870.03a 0.840.03a 0.890.03a 0.890.03a

0.480.05c 0.800.08b 1.320.13a 0.980.10b 0.540.05c

1

Values within columns with different superscripts differ (P<0.05). Diet A. 100% digestible energy (DE) from CTRL, includes sulfate mineral forms (Co,Cu,Mn,Zn) and sodium selenite; Diet B. 50% DE from CTRL, 50% of DE from ORCH; Diet C. 100% of DE from ORCH; Diet D. 50% DE from ORCH, 50% DE from ADD, includes chelated Co, Cu, Mn, Zn (ZinproÒ 4-PlexÒ), organic selenium (AlltechÒ Sel-PlexÒ), yeast culture (Diamond VÒ XP), Bacillus sp. direct-fed microbials (DuPontÒ, MicroSourceÒ S), and Yucca schidigera extract (DPI GlobalÒ MicroAidÒ); Diet E. 100% DE from ADD. 2

References [1] Swinker AM. 2011. Update of nutrient management regulations and the equine industry. Pp 122–131 in Proc. 9th Mid-Atlantic Nutr. Conf., Timonium, MD. p.122-131. [2] Thompson WH. Test methods for the examination of composting and compost. In: Thompson WH, editor. Houston, TX: Edaphos International; 2001.

Does the human voice have a calming effect on horses? K. Merkies 1, H. MacGregor 1, M. Ouimette 1, E. Bogart 2, and K. Miraglia 1 1 University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, 2 Agrocampus Rennes, France Interest in how horses interact with humans has grown in recent times, particularly with the advent of alternative uses for horses in equine-assisted programs. Understanding how horses react to humans is essential to correct interpretation of behaviours and safety for the human participants. While horses mainly use body language to communicate with conspecifics, humans more often use voice to communicate intent. Anecdotally, it is believed that a calm gentle voice will inspire calm behaviour while a stern voice implies wrongdoing and causes the horse to cease its behaviour. Eight draft-type horses (age 6-11 years) were placed individually in a familiar round pen (10m in diameter) and allowed to move freely. A heart rate (HR) monitors was attached to a surcingle around the horse’s girth. Behaviours and HR were monitored every 5sec to obtain baseline readings. After 5min, a familiar human approached the round pen and stood 1m away from the fence. Simultaneously, one of four voice recordings was played (PL – pleasant voice low tone; PH – pleasant voice high tone; SL – stern voice low tone; SH – stern voice high tone) for a duration of 10sec. During treatment and for 10sec following, behaviours were noted every second. Control treatments consisted of a human present with no sound, and sound present with no human. Behaviours were scored retrospectively using video recordings to note gait (1¼halt; 2¼walk;3¼trot; 4¼run), head position (1¼below withers; 2¼even with withers; 3¼above withers), ear position (1¼toward human; 2¼away from human), and body position (1¼toward human; 2¼perpendicular to human;

3¼away from human). Mean behaviour scores and HR were analyzed using a General Linear Mixed Model with horse as the random variable, and differences among treatments were determined using Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference. Horses moved at a faster gait when a SL voice was played (P¼0.0316), and reduced movement when PL was played (P¼0.0004). Horses carried their head lowest when no human or sound was present, but all horses raised their heads in the presence of a human or a sound (p<0.0001). Horses oriented their body toward the human more often when a pleasant tone was played (p<0.0001). There was no treatment effect on ear position (P¼0.47), but horses oriented their ears more toward the sound if the human was present (P¼0.044). The presence of a human alone did not increase horse HR (P¼0.87), but paired with any sound, HR did increase, with the greatest effect in SL (P<0.0001). These results indicate that horses appear less distressed/calmer when a human is present speaking in a pleasant voice, and show more distress if a stern voice is heard, particularly in a low tone. This lends credence to the horseman’s tenet that speaking in a calm voice helps to calm the horse. This is important knowledge for horse trainers and facilitators working with students around horses.

Do domestic horses in hot, sunny weather prefer shade? K.E. Holcomb 1, C.B. Tucker 2, and C.L. Stull 1 Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, 2 Department of Animal Science, University of California, Davis 1

Provision of shade is recommended by best practice guidelines for horses living in hot, sunny environments despite a lack of research focused on potential benefits of shade for horses. We found in a previous study that horses with no access to shade showed greater rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate (RR), and exhibited more sweat than horses that were completely shaded. Yet this apparent benefit is dependent on horses choosing to stand under the shade provided. Our objective for the current study was to assess horse preference for shaded and unshaded areas in the hot and arid, sunny summer weather in Davis, California. For this preference test, twelve healthy, adult