Reliability of a descriptive reference ethogram for equitation science

An ethogram and its components, correctly defined behavior units, are the fundamental measuring tools for (applied) ethology and, therefore, also for equitation science, the nascent discipline that gathers an evidence base on horse training, handling and riding. However, there is currently no consensus on names and definitions of equine behaviors and no purely descriptive ethogram for horses is available. As structural descriptions of behavioral units are a starting point for experimental enquiries into their function, cause or ontogeny, this project set out to draft and test the reliability of a descriptive reference ethogram for domestic horses (Equus caballus).
Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research