Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"Mule ducks’ (Cairina moschata x Anas platyrhynchos) behavioural reactions to overfeeding show the impact of housing conditions during the ‘foie gras’ production stage","authors":"Mathilde Stomp ,&nbsp;Chloé Monestier ,&nbsp;Anthony Legeard ,&nbsp;Sarah Lombard ,&nbsp;William Massimino ,&nbsp;Séverine Laban-Mele ,&nbsp;Aurélia Warin","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106738","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106738","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ‘foie gras’ production sector faces various challenges, among which overfeeding and housing conditions are particularly determinant for the future to meet social expectations. Achieving significant advancements in farm animal welfare requires scientifically validated assessments. To date, determining the real impact of housing conditions during the overfeeding period on mule ducks’ health and welfare appears difficult. The scientific literature still lacks a behavioural assessment methodology to monitor the overfeeding phase in ‘foie gras’ farms. Our study aims to (1) develop and implement an objective measure of behavioural responses in ducks during overfeeding and (2) assess the impact of two housing systems – elevated collective pens (ECP) <em>vs.</em> collective floor pens (CFP) – on ducks’ welfare before and during the overfeeding meal. The developed measure is based on two specific indicators characterising ducks’ reactions – struggling and overall agitation profile – to overfeeding and toward the feeder. In addition to these indicators, data on behaviour and health were also collected. Trials were conducted on commercial farms at two separate sites (hereafter “site A” and “site B”) and repeated with two batches on both sites. Behavioural and health data were recorded for 1226 male mule ducks (<em>Cairina moschata</em> x <em>Anas platyrhynchos</em>) 1.5 h before overfeeding and then during overfeeding meals, three times throughout the overfeeding phase. Ducks housed in ECP showed more discomfort behaviours, while ducks housed in CFP expressed more natural behaviours before overfeeding meals. Ducks housed in ECP were also more agitated and struggled more during overfeeding than ducks housed in CFP. Moreover, the thighs (in both sites) and livers (in site A) of ducks housed in CFP were heavier than those of ducks housed in ECP. The results obtained before and during overfeeding meals align and complement each other, providing strong support for the development of new behavioural metrics for mule ducks’ reactivity. Our results also suggest that mule ducks housed in CFP exhibit a more effective coping strategy in response to stressful situations. This strategy is supported by the increased opportunity to explore their environment and engage in species-specific behaviours within this housing system. Finally, the results obtained with the ducks housed in CFP align with the 'one welfare' concept, as CFP enhances not only the well-being of the ducks but also the farmer’s well-being, with the ducks struggling less and being less agitated.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106738"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144571800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding animal introductions and welfare in zoos: A scoping review","authors":"Claudia Martinez ,&nbsp;Valerie James-Aldridge ,&nbsp;Todd J. McWhorter ,&nbsp;Eduardo J. Fernandez","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106737","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106737","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Managing captive zoo species often requires modifying their social groups, but these changes can increase stress and aggression. Specifically, introductions of new animals to existing exhibits with established animals is commonplace, yet little has been published to systematically evaluate this process. This review used the PRISMA framework to evaluate published research on introductions of unfamiliar individuals in zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries. Peer-reviewed studies from PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were screened and extracted using Covidence software. Studies were included if they provided quantitative data and before-and-after comparisons. Of 25 studies meeting criteria, most focused on primates, especially western lowland gorillas, followed by Asian and African elephants. Measured outcomes included activity levels, stereotypic behaviours, and social interactions. Although introductions often had positive welfare effects, negative impacts were also common. The most frequent introduction types were single-to-multiple and multiple-to-multiple, with evidence suggesting that multiple-to-multiple introductions may help mitigate negative welfare effects. This review emphasizes the need for more systematic introduction protocols and species-specific considerations to minimize welfare risks. Future studies should include diverse species and physiological indicators for a more comprehensive understanding of introduction effects on zoo animal welfare.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106737"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144535858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual attractivity and receptivity in tailed and docked ewes","authors":"Jocelyn M. Woods,&nbsp;Sarah J.J. Adcock","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106733","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106733","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Removing a portion of the tail, also known as tail docking, is commonly performed in sheep. However, there is evidence that females of small ruminant species use their tails to communicate in sexual contexts. The objective of this study was to test whether a ewe’s tail status affected the mating behavior of ewes and rams. Within 18 Polypay female twin pairs, one lamb was docked between 24 and 36 h of age by placing a constrictive rubber ring on the tail while her sister’s tail was left undocked (n = 18 lambs/treatment). The estrous cycles of the ewes were synchronized when they reached 7–8 months of age, and 9 groups of 4 ewes (2 twin pairs/group) were each exposed to a single unfamiliar virgin ram (n = 9; 7–8 months of age) for 48 h. Behavioral interactions were video recorded over the first 2 h and analyzed to determine the ram’s latency to investigate each ewe’s perineal region and to mount her, the duration of perineal investigation, the number of headbutts and mounting attempts towards the ewe, and the proportion of mounts that the ewe accepted out of the total attempted mounts. We used real-time location sensors to record the <em>x, y</em> location of ewes and rams every second, from which we determined each ewe’s total distance traveled and average distance to the ram. Undocked ewes tended to be mounted sooner by the ram and, when mounted, tended to accept more mounts compared to docked ewes. No differences were observed between docked and undocked ewes in any of the other behaviors. These findings suggest that tail docking neonatal ewe lambs may reduce sexual attractivity and receptivity later in life, with potential implications for reproductive success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106733"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144471537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Learning and cognitive flexibility in two-choice visual discrimination tasks are similar in juvenile and adult sheep","authors":"Kathryn L. Gatford ,&nbsp;A. Jennifer Morton ,&nbsp;Sebastian D. McBride","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106735","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106735","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sheep is a valuable species for studying neurodevelopment. The two-choice visual discrimination-reversal task is a widely used set-shifting task assessing function of fronto-striatal brain networks but whether lambs can complete this task has not yet been evaluated. Here we compared cognitive performance in mature adult Texel ewes (n = 12, 1.4–6.4 years old at start of training) and their weaned Texel lambs (n = 5 females, n = 8 non-castrated males, 4.1–5.5 months old) during training and testing in visual attention and two-choice discrimination-reversal tasks within a semi-automated operant system. Adult ewes completed the visual attention task in fewer sessions than lambs (<em>p</em> = 0.030) and a greater proportion of ewes than lambs completed the visual attention task within 10 training sessions (ewes: 8/12; lambs: 3/13; <em>p</em> = 0.028). Numbers of trials taken to reach the learning criterion in the two-choice visual discrimination-reversal task, however, did not differ between adult ewes and lambs during the first acquisition (<em>p</em> = 0.494), or the first (<em>p</em> = 0.955) or second reversal (<em>p</em> = 0.314) phases. Adult ewes completed the second acquisition phase in fewer trials than lambs (<em>p</em> = 0.031). This study confirms that learning and cognitive flexibility can be evaluated using a two-choice visual discrimination-reversal task in growing lambs as well as adult ewes, but that visual attention may take longer to achieve in lambs. This allows longitudinal assessment of the impacts of pregnancy exposures and responses to interventions in sheep models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106735"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Do looks matter? Investigating facial expressions and intraspecific communication across different dog morphotypes","authors":"Chiara Canori ,&nbsp;Eleonora Biffi ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Gaggia ,&nbsp;Barbara Iuliano ,&nbsp;Paola Valsecchi","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Brachycephalic dogs gained great popularity in recent years, however the extreme conformation (e.g., wide eyes, flat nose, round heads, short tails) characterizing some breeds raised concerns about the effectiveness of facial signals in these dogs. These features might create challenges for an effective intraspecific communication and potentially lead to misunderstandings during intraspecific interactions. This study aimed to investigate potential differences in behavioural displays during intraspecific approaches between dogs of different morphotypes: hunting dogs and shepherd dogs (mesocephalic morphotype) and small companion molossoids and guard molossoids (brachycephalic morphotype). Fourteen brachycephalic dogs and sixteen mesocephalic dogs were tested. We predicted that mesocephalic and brachycephalic would express facial signals at different extent and that if brachycephalic dog facial signaling is impaired by their facial conformation it could elicit different responses in the opponent dog. Contrary to our predictions, no behavioural differences were found between brachycephalic and mesocephalic breeds, suggesting that extreme conformation of brachycephalic dogs has not drastically altered their communicative abilities. Further results showed that the “tongue flicking” behaviour, previously suggested to function as an early warning in conflicted/aggressions-related contexts was performed more by mesocephalic TESTED DOGS when the DOG STIMULUS was a brachycephalic dog, suggesting that this morphotype can elicit intense and ambiguous response in mesocephalic dogs. Conversely, the “bow” behaviour, a stereotyped cue consistently found in canids intraspecific social contexts, was expressed more by the mesocephalic TESTED DOG towards other mesocephalic approaching DOG STIMULI. Different behavioural patterns associated to the specific breed types tested emerged: shepherd dogs showed higher alertness and dog orientation, hunting dogs barked more, guard molossoids showed calm vigilance and small companion molossoids were more avoidant in regards of the dog approaching them. The present study is the first aimed to examine if the brachycephalic morphotype influences dogs’ intraspecific communication and due to the limited number of dogs tested further experimental evidences are needed. Nevertheless, it appears that brachycephalic dogs are perceived differently by non-brachycephalic ones and these results could provide valuable insights for researchers, breeders and dog trainers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106720"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamics of behaviour and habitat-use of black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata variegata) in a captive zoo environment","authors":"De Cai ,&nbsp;Fidelma Butler ,&nbsp;Paul.S. Giller ,&nbsp;Declan O’Donovan ,&nbsp;Ruth Mary O’Riordan","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Black-and-white ruffed lemurs (<em>Varecia variegata variegata</em>) are critically endangered animals, which highlights the urgent need to establish backup populations within zoos and promote their animal welfare and breeding potential. However, studies have shown captive <em>Varecia</em> are more inactive than their wild counterparts. The present research focuses on a year-long study (2022–3) of the behavioural patterns and habitat preferences of a successfully breeding captive group of ten <em>Varecia</em> under naturalistic conditions at Fota Wildlife Park, Cork, Ireland. Focal and scan sampling were used to examine the effects of a series of factors such as time, daylight duration, temperature and visitors on the behavioural repertoire and activity budget to help elucidate which factors may influence behaviour and thereby enhance management options and breeding success. The results reveal that the activity budget of this captive <em>Varecia</em> group was similar to that of their wild counterparts, with the exception of a higher level of self-directed (9 %) and affiliative behaviours (20 %). Juveniles engaged in affiliative behaviours 112 % more than subadults, while adults spent 60 % more time being inactive than juveniles. Behaviours of the group changed significantly across the day and also across the year, with locomotion significantly decreasing as daylight hours lengthened and affiliative behaviours decreasing as temperatures rose. The most utilized area of the captive <em>Varecia</em> was the naturalistic island (39 %) and an out-door mesh tunnel (33 %). Locomotion was significantly higher on the island, while the tunnel had greater occurrences of affiliative behaviours. Visitor numbers had a significant influence on the utilization of all habitats, with higher visitor numbers near the island and tunnel increasing the use of the tunnel, while higher visitor numbers near the viewing window prompted greater utilization of this inside off-exhibit cage. These data contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of the behaviour of <em>Varecia</em> in a captive environment and can potentially offer insights into enhancing natural behaviours of this species within complex zoo settings, whilst also providing valuable guidance for future husbandry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106722"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144522828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"fair-fish database|catch: A platform for global assessment of welfare hazards affecting aquatic animals in fisheries","authors":"Caroline M. Maia ,&nbsp;María J. Cabrera-Álvarez ,&nbsp;Jenny Volstorf","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106732","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106732","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fish welfare is a crucial issue that needs to be addressed in fisheries. Thus, the scope of the fair-fish database - an online open-access platform - was expanded from aquaculture (farm branch) to fisheries (catch branch). It provides farm and catch welfare profiles (WelfareChecks) of aquatic species based on literature reviews. In the catch branch, each WelfareCheck encompasses a species in relation to a specific fishing method used to catch it, assessing 10 criteria covering welfare hazards throughout the steps of the catching process: prospection, setting, catching, emersion, release from gear, bycatch avoidance, sorting, discarding, storing, and stunning/slaughter. In each criterion, we assess the likelihood and potential of experiencing good welfare under minimal and high-standard fisheries conditions, respectively, besides the certainty level about these. A final WelfareScore is provided for each profile, which serves as a benchmark for assessing and improving fish welfare. Since its publication in 2023, we have published five WelfareChecks. The goal is to increase the number of profiles for several fished species and catching methods over time. In conclusion, the catch branch of the fair-fish database serves as an open-access source providing an overview of the welfare of a fished species given a certain catching method. It is a reliable tool that raises public awareness of fish welfare, provides scientists with insight into knowledge gaps, and offers practitioners with suggestions about how to avoid welfare risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106732"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144489857","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of an unfamiliar person’s presence on shelter use, feeding, and exploratory behavior in domestic rabbits during animal-assisted interventions","authors":"Michaela Součková ,&nbsp;Lucie Přibylová ,&nbsp;Martina Frühauf Kolářová ,&nbsp;Hana Vostrá-Vydrová ,&nbsp;Helena Chaloupková","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106721","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106721","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rabbits have been increasingly used in Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) in recent years. The issue of their welfare during these interventions, however, remains insufficiently explored. The common practice of holding a rabbit on the client’s lap often leads to signs of stress. An alternative could be the use of a therapeutic table which allows for partial movement and provides a hiding place. This study aimed to analyze rabbits’ behavior during AAI and determine whether the therapeutic table represents an appropriate compromise for ensuring their well-being, or whether a no-contact approach with the client would be more suitable. The study included 9 female domestic rabbits habituated to human handling and 4 children, aged 9–11 years, unknown to the rabbits. A randomized controlled within-subject design with repeated measures was used. Each rabbit was tested twice in two different conditions: either on a specially adapted table with a hiding place in the presence of a child or without the presence of a child. A total of 36 sessions, each lasting 10 min, were conducted. The use of the hiding place, exploratory behavior, and feed intake were monitored, with all sessions video-recorded and later analyzed using Observer XT software. Statistical analysis was performed using R software (version 4.3.3; unction <em>glmer</em> in lme4 package and <em>nlme</em> package). The results showed that the rabbits spent on average three times more in the shelter during therapeutic sessions when a child was present compared to sessions without a child (F_1,34 = 2.051; p = 0.051). Rabbits displayed exploratory activity significantly less (F_1,34 = 6.308; p &lt; 0.0001) in the presence of a child, whereas in his absence, this time increased. Additionally, we observed a significant reduction in feed intake: in the presence of a child, the rabbits ate in less than 20 % of the observation time, while in the control group, feed intake was recorded in more than 80 % of the observation time (F_1,34 = 2.709; p = 0.007). The findings suggest that even though the therapeutic table provided hiding opportunities and allowed for movement, it did not fully mitigate the negative impact of the unfamiliar child’s presence on the rabbits’ welfare during AAI. These insights must be considered when planning and conducting these interventions, taking into account the welfare of the participating animals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106721"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144502822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Having a gander at goose behaviour. Evaluating time-activity of captive and wild geese at two different wetland sites","authors":"Paul Rose ,&nbsp;Amelia Roper ,&nbsp;Christopher Giorgio ,&nbsp;Joe Thomas ,&nbsp;Robert Kelly ,&nbsp;Michelle F. O’Brien","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106719","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geese are not common subjects for behavioural investigation in zoological facilities, despite their popularity in waterfowl collections and their complex ecological needs. This research evaluated time-activity budgets of six goose species located at two UK Wildfowl &amp; Wetland Trust (WWT) centres, comparing captive population behaviours with two species of wild goose. Using a standardised ethogram and instantaneous focal sampling, we recorded over 220 h of behavioural data across 892 observations. All data were recorded in spring and summer of 2015, 2017 and 2018. Data were analysed using linear mixed models and zero-inflated models to account for high frequencies of zero occurrences in alert and social behaviours. Results show that whilst captive and wild geese broadly perform similar species-typical behaviours, captive birds exhibited higher levels of resting and lower social engagement. Foraging and locomotion differed significantly by species, and this may be a factor of ecological niche. Minimal stereotypic behaviour (&lt;2 % of observations) was recorded in the captive birds, suggesting that the large, naturalistic enclosures provided by WWT support positive welfare by enabling appetitive behaviours, such as grazing. However, high inactivity rates highlight the need for further enrichment and dynamic enclosure management to be considered to further improve goose behavioural diversity. Comparisons with wild geese provide useful benchmarks for evaluating behavioural normality under human care. This research supports the use of time-activity budgets as a practical tool for developing evidence-based, species-specific husbandry guidelines. We recommend future research focusses on long-term, individual-bird behavioural monitoring, seasonal comparisons, and the incorporation of personality profiling to further our understanding of how geese respond to their captive care at the population, species and individual bird level.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106719"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144366753","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Combined reinforcement: Poisoned cue or a panacea for modern equine training? A narrative review","authors":"Ella Bradshaw-Wiley ,&nbsp;Cathrynne Henshall ,&nbsp;Andrew McLean ,&nbsp;Rafael Freire","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106718","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106718","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Equine industry stakeholders have identified that inappropriate training practices are of significant concern for the welfare of domestic horses. Common approaches to horse training are largely based upon traditional practices, which frequently do not align with equine telos, ethology or cognition, and consequently, the techniques used to facilitate human-horse interactions warrants this concern. Given the current pressure on equestrianism’s social licence, it is timely to review what is currently known about equine behaviour modification approaches and identify areas where there is a deficit of knowledge. Uniquely in horse training, negative reinforcement is the fundamental basis for the majority of human-horse interactions, compared to the wider reliance on positive reinforcement in other animal species. While positive reinforcement offers many advantages for animal training, the characteristics of the ridden horse interaction necessarily relies on the use of aversive stimuli during training, such as pressure cues, even if of low intensity. Therefore, the question of whether a combined reinforcement model, incorporating both positive and negative reinforcement, can provide the benefits of positive reinforcement while accommodating pressure cues from negative reinforcement is worth investigating. This review seeks to outline current knowledge and application of combined reinforcement in the equine training literature for comparison with positive and negative reinforcement modalities. A survey of the literature highlighted a large number of inconsistencies in the description and classification of different forms of reinforcement used in training. Many studies putatively exploring positive reinforcement incorporate unacknowledged aspects of negative reinforcement, thereby confounding experimental outcomes and the interpretation of the results. Consequently the lack of specific focus on how these approaches actually consist of combined reinforcement has meant opportunities to advance scientific understanding in this area have been missed. As a result, knowledge of combined reinforcement remains poor, whilst training approaches and outcomes arising from positive reinforcement are inconsistent or incorrectly classified. These inconsistencies highlight the need for targeted research on the use of combined reinforcement, to better understand how to incorporate rewards-based training programs in horse training, including during riding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"291 ","pages":"Article 106718"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}