Cognitive and stereotypies behavioural aspects in the horse.

The history of the human-horse relationship (Equus caballus) is based on man’s needs to take advantage of the many resources and skills of this animal that support human needs for work and for sport. To facilitate this interspecific relationship, studies have examined the cognitive and behavioural aspects of the horse to improve current training methods and have produced a better understanding of the actual and potential learning skills of the horse, leading to considerable improvement in herd management. The aim of this study was to simplify protocols to assess the behaviour of horses and assess the impacts on their welfare, giving particular attention to abnormal behaviour and stereotypies. During the evaluation, the main behavioural aspects were analysed in order to verify the incidence of stereotypies and any differences between subjects in the same housing con- ditions. Feedback was collected from the farm manager regarding the suitability of the protocol used and the results presented. The farm used was anonymous but was situated in the region of Campania in Italy. In the pe- riod between September 9 and September 16, 2021, 23 stallions were monitored, and a behavioural assessment form was filled. The horses were observed every day for 10 minutes after the distribution of the feed. Further- more, the avoidance distance test (AD) and voluntary animal approach test (VAA) were used, as described by Dalla Costa et al. (2014). The ISAE guidelines for Ethical Treatment of Animals in Applied Animal Behaviour Research were followed. Evaluation of the incidences of the different behaviours showed that the most fre- quent stereotypies were tongue movement and lip movement, both with an average prevalence of about 40%, followed by movement in a circle, observed in 36% of the individuals, and biting, with an average prevalence of 20%. The presence of biting behaviour was recorded in 9 stallions, 6 of which showed a biting frequency greater than or equal to 50%. During the avoidance distance test, horses that allowed their muzzles to be touched by the human assessor were found to be in 55% of cases. The results obtained from the surveys and tests using this method received positive feedback from the manager and allowed the stable staff to make evidence-based individual and group changes to improve the horses’ welfare.