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.

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




