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Proximity interactions
| Stand
resting or grazing close to another individual indicates a significant
preference, often linked to age or relatedness (a foal will remain
close to its mother). The function of this proximity is to maintain
connections between individuals and so to enforce the cohesion of the
group. |
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Naso-nasal contact
| This is contact between the noses of two individuals (or nose-body contact). Horses can detect a lot of olfactive information through sniffing, but the transmission and treatment of this information is still not well understood. |  |
Grooming
Grooming
is observed
between individuals who are close to each other, often between a mare
and her foal. These interactions reinforce the cohesion of the group
and ameliorate social stress.
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Play
Play
is first seen in
horses when they are just a few weeks old. Play sessions can be
observed among foals and the young stallions in a bachelor group. Play
can include kicks, bites and chases.
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Dominance interactions
| Dominance
interactions
are also observed early in a horse's life and are the expression of
relative places in the hierarchy between individuals. Dominance
hierarchy affects horses in many ways, particularly for access to
water, food, and choice of partners. Dominance hierarchies exist both
within and between groups. Dominance interactions typically observed
include charges, bite threats, bites and kicks. |
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Submission
This
behaviour is
expressed the day after birth and is shown toward all older members of
the group, especially towards dominant stallions. This is a
response of subordination to an aggressive behaviour or movement from
the dominant stallion of the family group.
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Stallion rituals
| These
rituals begin
between mature stallions (typically around 2 years old), and allow them
to confirm their social rank and create mutual respect between the
dominant stallions of family groups. Examples of stallion rituals are
to sniff, deposit dung and then sniff again on dung piles, parallel
movements, and striking out with front hooves. |
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Fights
Fights
contain the same
actions as play, but with a much greater intensity and the ears are
turned back, rather than held sideways. In general, fights are seen in
stallions from 4 or 5 years old.
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Cohesion (herding)
| Characteristic
of
dominant stallions gathering the individuals of their group together,
particularly the mares. Herding reinforces the cohesion of the group
and allows stallions to maintain a distance from their rivals. |
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