21st March 2005
Horses have such a powerful urge to socialise that they may be prepared to risk even serious physical harm in order to be able to interact with others of their kind. This far-reaching finding - with potentially serious implications for “leisure” horses and ponies stabled alone – was unveiled in London last Friday at a landmark international conference about animal sentience.
The finding was announced by one of Britain’s leading veterinarians Dr Bill Swann, international director of the Brooke, to hundreds of delegates from 50 nations at the ground-breaking conference, “From Darwin to Dawkins: The Science and Implications of Animal Sentience”, which was organised by the Compassion In World Farming Trust charity at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre on 17-18 March.
The desire for equine animals to socialise has long been known: Dr Swann’s finding indicates it is far more important to them than previously suspected. His discovery emerged during a new project that the Brooke - the world’s foremost charity for the health and welfare of working horses - is undertaking in northern Guatemala, Central America.
When Dr Swann carried out an initial welfare assessment of working horses in the region he found that while they were in good condition they were unusually fearful of people. The reason soon became clear: here, most horses aren’t tethered after work but simply left to roam.
“They wander in small groups, nuzzling each other, playing, chasing and foraging together, ending up on private land, including fields in forest clearings where families grow corn,” says Dr Swann. “To prevent them causing damage and stealing corn people drive them away by kicking or throwing stones at them - sometimes even attacking them with machetes - frequently causing injuries.
Despite this cruelty the horses keep returning to forage together. “The conclusion is that social behaviour is so important to horses they will risk even serious injury to engage in it,” says Dr Swann.
This study reinforces his belief that socialising may be as important to equines as foraging itself. As he explains: “In Delhi where the Brooke already works, donkeys working at brick kilns become dehydrated and hungry. However, on release from work, we have noticed that they engage in social behaviour before moving as a group to food and water.”
These findings indicate that allowing horses to interact is a keystone of their welfare - it may be of equal importance to the provision of adequate food and shelter. Ensuring they can exercise, run, roll, chase and explore together leads to fulfilment and reduces the stereotyped frustration behaviour commonly seen among singly-housed animals.
Dr Swann's discoveries are being supported by another conference speaker, Prof. Christine Nicol (University of Bristol) who has been studying how horses learn complex tasks. “The importance of social contact in horses cannot be underestimated,” she says. “Horse owners should consider the benefits of allowing them appropriate social contact – I have found it makes them calmer and cleverer.”
Dr Swann’s observations are among many new examples of animal sentience that were unveiled at the CIWF Trust conference by the world’s leading animal scientists. The conference examined the profound effects these discoveries might have on the way we treat animals, in every area from farming to conservation.
As well as scientists, speakers included leading figures in agriculture and food production, conservation, government policy, education, philosophy and ethics - people who collectively play a key role in the setting of world standards on animal welfare.
Editors Notes:
Dr Swann also reported that the Guatemalan villagers in his study were ultimately saddened by their attacks on the horses: in co-operation with the Brooke they have now built corrals where horses can roam and interact socially but which prevent them from having access to the cornfields.
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