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SUMMER 2014 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
18
BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS
Stable vices
Horses have evolved to travel vast
distances, spending two-thirds of their
time grazing and to be part of a herd
socializing with other horses. Modern
management often means that horses are
not kept in this way and sometimes
stereotypical behavioural problems
can arise as a result. Many of these
behaviours are termed ‘stable vices’,
examples of which are below.
Unfortunately once these behaviours
become ‘learned’, even when changes
are put in place to improve the horse’s
environment they may never stop.
Prevention often involves trying to
maintain as much turn out time and/or
exercise as possible to minimise boredom
in the stable. Horses are sociable animals
so keeping them in a group is also
beneficial. Nutrition can play a part too
so it is important to make sure horses
have enough long stemmed forage in
their diet (hay/grass) alongside hard
feed if required.
l
Weaving
- the horse moves its head
and neck, and sometimes its feet from
side to side.
l
Crib-biting
- the horse grabs on to a
horizontal surface with its front teeth,
often the top of the stable door or
fence, pulls back, arches its neck and
grunts as it sucks in air (figure 1).
l
Windsucking
- this is similar to crib
biting without the horse grabbing on
to anything.
l
Box Walking
- the horse paces around
and around its box.
l
Separation Anxiety
- the horse
becomes very distressed and agitated
when another horse leaves its yard
or field.
Figure 1
Other abnormal behaviours
Headshaking
This is a serious neurological condition
that can affect your horse’s welfare.
Characteristic signs are seasonal, worsen
with exposure to light and vary from the
classic repetitive up and down movements
of the horse’s head, to nostril clamping
and face rubbing.
Affected horses can become extremely
distressed, unmanageable, cause
themselves serious injury and be a danger
to their owner. Research is still being
carried out to try and understand this
complex condition and its treatment in
more depth. It is thought that some or
all affected horses are suffering from a
condition called trigeminal neuropathy
(nerve pain) and as such an infraorbital
nerve block is often performed for
diagnosis (figure 2). People with similar
syndromes report a sudden pain across
the face not unlike an electric shock.
There are no consistently effective
treatments available for headshakers
although there are a number of options
that are worth trying, some of which can
help significantly. Anything from changing
the environment (avoiding bright light -
turnout at night, dark stable in the day,
avoid warmth or wind on the face), UV
mask or nose nets. Some medication may
help but it is expensive and can cause
drowsiness. Surgery targeting the nerve
may also help.
Hepatic encephalopathy
This is another neurological condition
that can be seen in horses with severe
liver disease. Horses may yawn, be
depressed or aggressive, circle
compulsively, or press their heads into
walls or the ground. Horses that are
exhibiting signs of hepatic encephalopathy
may be dangerous to handle and require
immediate veterinary care.
Narcolepsy-like behaviour
Narcolepsy was first identified in
‘fainting’ Suffolk foals in 1924 and has
since been characterised as a rare sleep
disorder presenting as cataplexy (loss of
muscle tone and excessive sleepiness).
Narcolepsy-like behaviour refers to
collapse or falling asleep at an
inappropriate time. This is often seen
when a horse has been deprived of sleep
i.e. as a result of a condition causing
chronic pain. Successful resolution of this
abnormal behaviour relies on the treatment
of the underlying cause.
Procedure aversion
This is specific to veterinary treatment
but essentially manifests as a behavioural
intolerance to procedures such as
injections etc. In an ideal world all
youngsters should be well handled. If
rehabilitation is necessary, techniques such
as classical conditioning, desensitisation
and counter conditioning based on
positive reinforcement should be used.
Summary
Behavioural problems in horses can often be a manifestation of underlying disease and
as such it may be the only obvious sign of a health problem. It is important for the welfare
of the animal to prove that it is a true behavioural problem (as opposed to branding an
animal as badly behaved or difficult), when a painful underlying condition is present.
Figure 2