Research into Vices

By Your Horse

28 September 2010 16:27

Risk Factors

Daniel Mills, professor of biological sciences at the University of Lincoln and a leading international authority on animal behaviour problems, believes that it’s important to assess each behaviour in isolation.

"It’s not an advantage to muddle them all together with one single cause," he says. "The word ‘vice’ has been used as blanket description to cover all horses thought to be bored or sour, but it’s about understanding the individual.
"There are not only differences between forms of vice, but also within a form itself. With weaving, for example, there’ll be different factors that affect different individuals."

So why does a horse develop a certain behaviour? According to Professor Mills, it’s a combination of the horse’s genetics, his life history and the environment he lives in.

"There are risk factors within an individual, and there are also well-recognised risk factors relating to lifetime experiences," he explains. "The manner in which horses are weaned is one area gaining increasing attention.

"It’s the first time a young horse really has to cope with frustration, and we think it might be critical in what happens behaviourally and neurologically later on in life." Additionally, the behaviour can be triggered by aspects of the horse’s day-to-day management – especially the practice of stabling a horse for long periods so he can’t interact with company, or otherwise occupy himself with activities such as grazing.

Fresh Research

Increased study is exploding some common myths about stable vices.

"One area in which we’ve seen advances is the relationship between colic and cribbing," says professor Mills. "People often think the animal swallows and traps air, causing colic, but the best evidence we have to date suggests this isn’t the case.

"There’s a build-up of gas, but we’re beginning to think this might be because there’s a change in the gut flora, or bacterial population, and that the cribbing is actually a sign of gastrointestinal disturbance rather than the cause of the gas build-up."

Professor Mills also explains that the sweetness of the horse’s food can be a trigger for crib-biting, and suggests: "If you need to feed concentrates, choose a feed that’s fat-based rather than sugar-based."

He adds that crib-biters in particular seem to be "neurologically different" to other horses. But this seems to be less the case with weaving, he says, explaining that this behaviour is often brought about by frustration of locomotion.

"Weaving relates much more to ‘I am frustrated at the moment’," he continues. "The horse might see another across the yard and want to interact, but he can’t reach it and do the greetings.

"What has been proved to work in many cases of weaving and box walking is a stable mirror, which can relieve feelings of isolation. But there might be other causes of frustration," says Professor Mills. "Perhaps the horse’s feed bowl is just out of reach outside the stable, or he has a high motivation to self-exercise (typical of the endurance horse, for example) and can’t do so within the confines of his box."

Reducing Frustrations

Researchers now believe that a horse’s motivation to perform a behaviour may actually rise if he’s physically prevented from doing so. Many preventative treatments and devices, or more radical solutions such as drugs or surgery, can increase stress and anxiety, and may compromise the horse’s welfare. So what alternatives are available for the owner of a horse with an established vice?

"Don’t just try to prevent the behaviour – you have to focus on the horse’s motivation," advises Professor Mills. "A general explanation like ‘he’s bored’ won’t help, as most vices are associated with a specific frustration.

"We can’t do anything about the horse’s genetics or past history, we’re stuck with that," he continues. "But we can do things about his current management to reduce the risk in the future."

Professor Mills advises managing the horse from the field as much as possible, using larger paddocks and providing companions. Time in the stable should be limited, especially if the horse is stabled alone. Horses bedded on anything other than straw are said to be at a greater risk, he explains, and concentrates should be cut down or avoided where possible in favour of a forage-based diet.

"Try to reduce frustrations," he says. "And allow horses to form stable, long-term relationships. A mare in the wild will have just three or four close associates in the whole of her lifetime, other than her own foals. How often do we move horses around, or mix and match? That’s stressful."

Tip - Keep your horse occupied – give him a turnip or swede, hang up a plastic bottle, or one of the specially designed stable toys