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Equids

Our Equid Ethogram is a general behavioural framework for equine species. It was developed primarily with domestic horses in mind, but can be adapted to fit other equids, and expanded to include more species-specific behaviours. Primary sources for this ethogram include McDonnell, 2003; Cooper & Mason, 1998; Wolf et al.2018; Rørvang et al. 2015; Hausberger et al. 2004; Butler et
al.2014, and Nicodemus & Clayton, 2003.

Equids

Alone locomotion: Alone movement behaviour including a walk, trot, canter/lope, gallop, tölt, flying pace, or backing up 


Alone resting: Standing rest, sternal recumbency, or lateral recumbency performed alone 


Social resting: Stationary resting behaviour with another animal within 1 body length 


Anticipatory behaviour: Animal orients body or gaze toward caretakers, gates, or predictable events (excluding pacing) 


Vocalisation: Any vocalisation such as whinnying, neighing, grunting, or calling 


Alone non-enrichment play: Play with own body, water, or environment without enrichment items 


Enrichment engagement: Exploration or play directed toward enrichment objects or activities 


Social non-enrichment play: Gentle play with another animal, lower intensity than agonistic behaviour 


Food intake: Animal ingests food during feeding or enrichment 


Social grooming: Animal licks or gently bites another animal’s fur 


Sexual behaviour: Genital contact, genital sniffing, mounting, copulation, pelvic thrusting, or Flehmen response 


Agonistic behaviour: High-speed aggressive interactions such as chasing or biting 


Alone grooming: Animal grooms its own body 


Wakeful inactivity: Animal stationary with eyes open but not resting 


Alone sniffing: Animal sniffs air or environment (excluding enrichment) 


Environmental rubbing: Animal rubs body against environmental features 


Pacing without anticipation: Repetitive locomotion without anticipatory cues 


Pacing with anticipation: Repetitive locomotion with anticipatory cues 


Oral ARB: Repetitive oral behaviours such as cribbing or invariant licking 


Locomotory ARB: Repetitive movement-based behaviours such as head tossing 


Urinate/Defaecate: Animal observed urinating or defaecating 


Other behaviour: Any behaviour not listed 


Out of sight: Animal not visible

© 2017-26 Isabella Clegg

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