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Preweaned Thoroughbred (Equus caballus) foals exhibit fewer behavioural signs of distress if accompanied by a handler while separated from their dam during covering

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

S McGee  and
H V Smith
S McGee
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Aras an Phiarsaigh, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland, [email protected]
H V Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Aras an Phiarsaigh, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland, [email protected]
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Extract

Thoroughbred mares (Equus caballus) are usually first teased 6 days post foaling and during this brief (often 3-6 minutes) process the mare's foal will be left alone in its stable. This will be repeated daily until the mare goes out of season. During this part of her cycle she may later be sent for covering by the resident stallion. On some farms the foal is alone in its stable during covering and this period can last for anything from 20 minutes to an hour, during which the foal typically exhibits signs of considerable distress. Though the foal can be heard whinnying for the mare, it has not previously been noted what behaviours the distressed foal exhibits during this separation. Though a recent study by Houpt (2002) looked at responses of 10 pony mares and their foals to brief weekly periods of separation at up to nine weeks of age, most research on separation distress in foals has previously been done with respect to the artificial weaning process, an event that most Thoroughbred foals experience by 6-7 months of age.

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BSAP Occasional Publication , Volume 32: Emerging Equine Science , 2004 , pp. 161 - 163
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Production 2004

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References

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