Introduction

At WVS we want to promote the welfare of all our patients, through care and understanding of their behavioural, psychological and veterinary needs. Donkeys, horses and mules are prey animals - with very different behaviours from our own - and allow humans to interact and work with them. Modern animal behaviour science is advancing all the time and the findings allow us to enhance our interspecies relationships.

Horses exhibit a range of behaviours, not all of which are desirable for the humans that interact with them. In any case of interspecies communication, it is easy to enter into conflict when there are misunderstandings. Conflict may manifest as minor incidents (bites, jostles, crushes) or can even be fatal. Due to the extended amount of time spent with these animals - especially when they are distressed or in pain - the large majority of incidents involve horse handlers and veterinarians, which is why there is a great need to understand the reasons behind equines’ behaviour.

Unwanted behaviour can take many forms:

• It may be normal equine behaviour that humans cannot cope with or is destructive to the horses environment (e.g. chewing trees or wooden fences)
• Behaviours that have been inadvertently rewarded and consequently ‘trained’ by the person (e.g. kicking the door prior to feeding)
• Behaviours indicative of an underlying issue such as pain (e.g. bit avoidance with dental pain)
• Stereotypic behaviours of stress such as weaving

While they are likely to differ in their aetiology, all might be perceived as equine behavioural problems by horse owners. Being able to correctly identify abnormal behaviours can help (in most instances) to prevent them from escalating, and then to enable treatment. Humans should also be able to recognise the behavioural signs of horses’ mental state in order to improve their welfare.

This section provides an introduction to topics that assist professionals working with equines to remain safe themselves while being respectful of the needs of their patients.