30/10/2023
โก๏ธ ๐๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ฌ โฌ
๏ธ
First off, what is that? A stereotypy (not stereotype) is an abnormal behavior an animal repeats for no obvious purpose. For horses, they are coping mechanisms for dealing with stress or anxiety and often include:
โ๏ธ Weaving
โ๏ธ Cribbing
โ๏ธ Wind Sucking
โ๏ธ Box Walking
โ๏ธ Head Shaking
โ๏ธ Wood Chewing
โ๏ธ Self-Mutilation
Stereotypies are also known as "diseases of domestication" because they have been observed in 20% of domestic horses but have NEVER been observed in feral horses.
๐๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ is when the horse stands in place and swings his head back and forth repeatedly. This affects 3.2%.
๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ is when a horse grabs something stationary with its front teeth, flexes it's neck muscles pulling back on the object and may or may not pull air into their esophagus. It is seen in 2.4 - 8.3% of domestic horses, depending on the country, and has been shown in recent studies to relieve gastrointestinal discomfort - it is often secondary to gastric ulcers.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ is similar to cribbing, but the horse does not pull on something with their teeth, but does suck in air. It affects 3.8% of horses in North America.
๐๐จ๐ฑ/๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ is when a horse repeatedly walks around the perimeter of their housing (stall, run, pen, paddock, etc) in a pattern which could be a circle, figure-8, or something more irregular. This affects 2.2% of domestic horses.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ looks the opposite of how it sounds - it's more similar to a quick nod - the horse flicks/jerks it's nose up and out repeatedly. Can be mistaken for a fly-avoiding behavior, but the horse will do it even when there aren't any insects around.
๐๐จ๐จ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ is when the horse chews on and may ingest wood. It often indicates inappropriate diet quality. It is not abnormal in feral horses, but should not be seen in a domestic horse with a diet that meets all nutritional needs.
๐๐๐ฅ๐-๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง is repeated biting of the flank, chest, shoulder, or forearm +/- kicking out and is considered a result of severe stress/anxiety.
The main thing to remember is that these are all caused by *poor management*, yet they are often just labeled as vices, dismissing their poor welfare. Usually this conclusion leads to inappropriate treatment for the behavior like crib collars, anti-weaving stall doors, anti-wood chewing sprays, etc which are all band-aid fixes that do not resolve the underlying cause. These quick fixes will stress the horse even more, they might develop another stereotypy, and the cycle continues.
๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ:
๐ฅ Social Isolation - housing one horse where they can't see another horse, or can see but cannot interact
๐ฅ Lack of choices within their environment with no enrichment
๐ฅ Environments where they feel threatened
๐ฅ Inappropriate Feeding - does not meet requirements for how or how often horses should eat; For example, a diet that is high in concentrates but low in forage is linked to cribbing; one or two daily "meals" that are finished within a few hours are linked to weaving and other locomotor-related stereotypies
๐ฅ Bedding Type - horses provided with paper or shaving type bedding perform more stereotypic behaviors than those given straw or deep sand
๐ฅ Breeds - Thoroughbred and Arabian horses are more prone to developing stereotypies because they are bred to have higher energy levels and therefore get bored, frustrated, and anxious more quickly
๐ฅ Genetics - only 8% of horses develop these behaviors without a family member displaying them, 25% when a sibling or grandparent displays stereotypies, but a whopping 60% if a parent displays them ๐ฌ
๐ฅ Early/Abrupt Weaning - 35% of foals weaned "cold turkey" develop stereotypies
๐ฅ S*x - stallions are more prone to developing stereotypies than mares or geldings, but this is likely because they are isolated from other horses more often
๐ฅ Riding Discipline - 32.5% of dressage horses, 30.8% in eventing, and 19.5% in endurance
Stereotypies can be prevented, reduced, or eliminated by species-appropriate management. However, they can be impossible to eliminate if the horse has been performing the behaviors for several years and finds comfort in the habit even when the stressor has been removed.
You can:
๐ด Offer enrichment toys like food puzzles, scent containers, novel objects, etc
๐ด Offer choices like different feeding modalities (free vs bagged), water from a metal tank vs plastic bucket, terrain (hard vs soft), shelter or open area, etc
๐ด Reduce or eliminate social isolation
๐ด Feed a species-appropriate diet i.e. forage based with 24/7 access (or at least several small meals throughout the day)
๐ด Remove potentially threatening stimuli
๐ด Do not use approaches that address only the symptom instead of the problem
Learn something new every day! "Do the best you can until you know better. Then, when you know better, do better" - Maya Angelou ๐
