Horse odor exploration behavior is influenced by pregnancy and age

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00027014%3A_____%2F22%3AN0000102" target="_blank" >RIV/00027014:_____/22:N0000102 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.941517/full" target="_blank" >https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.941517/full</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.941517" target="_blank" >10.3389/fnbeh.2022.941517</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Horse odor exploration behavior is influenced by pregnancy and age

Original language description

In spite of a highly developed olfactory apparatus of horses, implying a high adaptive value, research on equine olfaction is sparse. Our limited knowledge on equine olfaction poses a risk that horse behavior does not match human expectations, as horses might react fearful when exposed to certain odors, which humans do not consider as frightening. The benefit of acquiring more knowledge of equine olfaction is therefore twofold; 1) it can aid the understanding of horse behavior and hence reduce the risk of dangerous situations, and 2) there may be unexplored potential of using odors in several practical situations where humans interact with horses. This study investigated behavior and olfactory sensitivity of 35 Icelandic horses who were presented with four odors: peppermint, orange, lavender and cedar wood in a Habituation/Dishabituation paradigm. The response variables were sniffing duration per presentation and behavioral reaction (licking, biting, snorting, and backing), and data were analyzed for potential effects of age, sex and pregnancy. Results showed that habituation occurred between successive odor presentations (1st vs 2nd and 2nd vs 3rd presentations: P < 0.001), and dishabituation occurred when a new odor was presented (1st vs 3rd presentations: P < 0.001). Horses were thus able to detect and distinguish between all four odors, but expressed significantly longer sniffing duration when exposed to peppermint (peppermint vs orange, lavender and cedar wood: P < 0.001). More horses expressed licking when presented to peppermint compared to cedar wood and lavender (P = 0.0068). Pregnant mares sniffed odors less than non-pregnant mares (P = 0.030), young horses (age 0-5 years) sniffed cedar wood for longer than old horses (P = 0.030), whereas sex had no effect (P > 0.050). The results show that horses’ odor exploration behavior and interest in odors varies with age and pregnancy and that horses naïve to the taste of a substrate, may be able to link smell with taste, which has not been described before. These results can aid our understanding of horses’ behavioral reactions to odors, and in the future, it may be possible to relate these to the physiology and health of horses.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10614 - Behavioral sciences biology

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience

ISSN

1662-5153

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

16

Issue of the periodical within the volume

July

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

15

Pages from-to

Article number: 941517

UT code for WoS article

000839023000001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85136050102