Comportamiento Animal

21/01/2025

Hoy celebramos el día Mundial del Perro de Trabajo 💙

es una ONG destinada a buscar hogar a los perros de trabajo jubilados.

¿Cómo ayudar a nuestros héroes?

Hay varias formas, entra en https://www.heroesde4patas.org para saber como colaborar.

20/01/2025

20/01/2025

Evaluating the Ridden Horse - Seeing Beyond the Surface

As horse enthusiasts, it’s our responsibility to educate ourselves about what true harmony between horse and rider looks like.

Sadly, it’s easy to mistake a tense, stressed horse performing forced technical movements for one that is truly calm, relaxed, and moving correctly.

Recognizing this difference is critical—not just for the horse’s well-being but for the integrity of our sport and practices.

Forced head and neck positions, pulling on the horse’s face, or using gadgets to create a "false outline" may look polished to the untrained eye, but they mask significant physical and emotional harm.

Horses trained this way often display stiffness, discomfort, and tension that compromise their long-term health.

A horse’s outline—the way it carries itself—isn’t just about aesthetics. It’s a reflection of proper biomechanics: relaxation, balance, and engagement from back to front.

Our own International, passionate horse welfare advocate, author, trainer, Veterinarian and lecturer, Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, highlights the consequences of improper training methods in his works like Tug of War.

He explains how these techniques cause physical damage, leading to pain and behavioral issues.

True training emphasizes the horse’s natural biomechanics, fostering relaxation and correct muscle use.

For riders eager to deepen their understanding, our online courses and membership program promote valuable insights into ethical, evidence-based training methods.

Education is key to ensuring we aren’t unintentionally causing harm for the sake of appearance or competition.

By learning to recognize signs of stress, tension, and artificial postures, we can support our horses in reaching their full potential—calmly, correctly, and without force.

Let’s be the kind of riders who prioritize our horse’s welfare over ribbons or fleeting admiration. Together, we can inspire positive change in the equestrian world.

Learn more about our top rated courses, currently on sale, here:

https://equitopiacoursesonsale.com/

16/01/2025

15/01/2025

Horse Welfare: Words vs Actions - From the Horse's Perspective

In the equestrian world, aligning our words with our actions is crucial for genuine horse welfare.

It's easy to discuss best practices in care, management, and training, but is it working from the horse's perspective?

Evaluating whether a horse feels adequately cared for throughout the day requires a comprehensive understanding of what horse welfare actually is.

The Five Domains of Horse Welfare are the most current and comprehensive, evidence and research based protocols that we are aware of, as outlined in our September webinar last year.

Advancements in equine behavior science have provided tools to assess a horse's emotional state more accurately.

Research utilizing deep learning models has demonstrated the potential to identify various equine facial expressions as welfare indicators.

In a study involving 749 horses, a model was developed to recognize facial expressions and classify them into categories such as resting, experiencing pain, post-exercise, and during horseshoeing.

Additionally, there are other factors that significantly influence the well-being of a horse, including:

Saddle Fit: An ill-fitting saddle can cause discomfort and pain, leading to adverse behaviors and compromised performance. Ensuring proper saddle fit is essential for both horse and rider comfort.

Hoof Care: Neglecting hoof health can result in lameness and chronic pain. Regular maintenance by a qualified farrier is vital.

Bit and Bridle Fit: Improperly fitted bridles and bits can cause pain and discomfort.

The competence and posture of the rider directly affect the horse's balance and comfort.

Ongoing evidence and research based whole horse/whole rider education and training for riders and trainers are imperative to ensure horse welfare protocols are followed.

Responsible breeding should consider not only physical attributes but also temperament and genetic health, function and features that contribute to the overall welfare of future generations.

Let's hope that the definition of horse welfare, ridden and non-ridden, will become better understood and aligned with visuals that talk about it.

Learn more about the Equitopia Vision and Mission at www.equitopiacenter.com

14/01/2025

Are you ready to take the next step on your saddle fitting journey? Book your Professional 80-Point Saddle Fit Evaluation with one of our Certified Saddle Ergonomists today!

Check the link below to book a free online consultation!
https://schleese.com/book-a-consultation-with-a-saddle-fit-expert/

Click here for upcoming events in the USA:
https://events.schleese.com/event?fws=2

Click here for upcoming events in Canada:
https://events.schleese.com/event?fws=1

14/01/2025

14/01/2025

13/01/2025

Opciones seguras para interacciones niños-perros 😍

09/01/2025

08/01/2025

Is your horse’s nighttime vision better than your daytime vision?

When comparing equine vision to human vision, the horse has a smaller visible spectrum (see image) which means they see a smaller range of colors than we do. However, horses have a structure in the back of their eye—called the tapetum lucidum—that humans do not have. This enhances vision in low light conditions and allows a horse to see better in the dark than a human does. However, reflections from the tapetum lucidum can also blur images and lead to poor depth perception at night.

Dilation of the pupil allows all species to see better in the dark. This process takes longer in a horse (45 minutes) than it does in humans (25 minutes). So, when a horse is asked to do something in a dark environment, it’s important to allow their vision proper time to fully accommodate.

Overall, the nighttime vision of a horse is better than the nighttime vision of a human. However, the horse’s nighttime vision is NOT better than the daytime vision of a human. Anytime you are asking your horse to function in a dim light situation, give them time to adjust. And if they are fearful, be patient and try to understand how things look from their perspective!
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Brought to you by the AAEP Horse Owner Education Committee

06/01/2025

Las señales de calma, propuestas por Turid Rugaas en 1996, marcaron un antes y un después en la observación del lenguaje canino.
Popularizó comportamientos como bostezos, giros de cabeza o lamerse el hocico, interpretados como gestos para evitar conflictos.
Aunque su trabajo promovió un mayor respeto por la comunicación canina, limitarse a estas señales genera malentendidos.
Lamerse el hocico no siempre implica estrés o incomodidad; puede ser parte de procesos funcionales, como captar mejor información olfativa en el aire.
Por su parte, el bostezo, lejos de ser un simple 'gesto calmante', puede estar relacionado con liberar tensión acumulada.
Además, asumir que estos comportamientos son intencionados o deliberados simplifica lo que realmente ocurre a nivel fisiológico, como respuestas automáticas.
Hemos llegado incluso a intentar "bostezar" frente a los perros para calmarlos.
¿De verdad creemos que esto tiene sentido para ellos?
Es más probable que, si perciben algo, sea nuestra propia tensión, consiguiendo justo lo contrario de lo que buscamos.
Estas interpretaciones limitadas subestiman la complejidad de su lenguaje.
El lenguaje canino abarca mucho más que señales de calma. Incluye proxémica, marcajes olfativos, posturas corporales, estrategias contextuales, lateralización motora y otros elementos que conocemos hoy.
Por ejemplo, la lateralización motora, vinculada a factores neurofisiológicos comunes, podría ser más universal que señales específicas.
Esto contrasta con gestos que, debido a diferencias morfológicas, pueden no ser entendidos entre perros de razas diferentes.
No es casualidad que razas como akitas y bulldogs franceses tengan 'lenguajes distintos', lo que puede derivar en conflictos.
Pensar que el lenguaje canino es universal es una simplificación.
Sus capacidades comunicativas dependen de factores como genética y experiencia.
Respetar a los perros requiere observar su lenguaje desde un enfoque amplio, considerando su diversidad y complejidad.
Desmontar las señales de calma no invalida el aporte de su creadora.
Reconocer que el lenguaje canino es más amplio y dinámico nos permite avanzar hacia una comprensión más completa y respetuosa.
Te leo👇

06/01/2025

Preventing Kissing Spines: A Key Aspect of Equine Welfare & Performance

Kissing spines, or overriding dorsal spinous processes, is a painful and often debilitating condition that affects the well-being and performance of horses.

While some cases may have a genetic predisposition, many occur due to preventable factors rooted in management, training, and care practices.

Understanding how to reduce the risk of kissing spines through these aspects is essential for any horse owner, trainer, or caretaker dedicated to equine welfare.

Prevention begins with recognizing the interconnectedness of a horse’s posture, muscle development, hoof balance and saddle fit.

Poorly conditioned back muscles, improper riding techniques, ill-fitting tack poor hoof care can contribute to abnormal spinal mechanics, increasing the likelihood of this condition.

Additionally, overworking young horses before they are physically mature can predispose them to long-term structural issues, including kissing spines.

Equally important is identifying and addressing early warning signs, such as behavioral changes under saddle, resistance to movement, or sensitivity when grooming the back.

Timely intervention with tailored management and training strategies can significantly improve a horse’s quality of life and performance after a confirmed diagnosis.

This topic, and other important horse welfare protocols, are part of Equitopia's library of resources, all underpinned with evidence and research.

We aim to empower you by gaining a deeper understanding of these critical prevention and management strategies.

Our membership includes access to a two-part webinar presented by Dr. Martin Neidhart, a leading expert in equine spinal health, who dives into this topic in detail.

This comprehensive resource provides a roadmap for welfare-centric care, training protocols, and management practices to prevent and manage kissing spines as part of a clinically relevant diagnosis.

Join today and ensure your horse’s back health for a lifetime of partnership.

See the benefits and learn more at www.equitopiacenter.com