Training the Equine Brain: A Headfirst Approach to Horse Well-being and Management
Speaker Introduction
- Dr. Andrew Hemmings
- Associate Professor in Equine Science at the Royal Agricultural University
- Head of School of Equine Management and Science
- Research interest in equine brain and behavior
Lecture Objectives
- Brain Basics
- Structure and function of the equine brain
- Dopamine
- Key neurotransmitter related to behavior
- Linkage between dopamine and learning/cognition
- Dietary Influence
- How feed affects behavioral output
Equine vs. Human Brain
- Horse brain is about half the mass of a human brain
- Similar structural features, but with notable differences:
- Smaller prefrontal cortex in horses
- Horses are more driven by basic desires (e.g., flee or fight)
- Human prefrontal cortex helps suppress primitive desires
Key Brain Structures
- Striatum
- Composed of caudatus, putamen, nucleus accumbens
- Crucial for fine motor control and pleasure response
- Substantia Nigra & Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA)
- Produce dopamine, essential for behavior control
- Dopamine transmits to the striatum, influencing pleasure and stress
Measuring Dopamine in Horses
- Spontaneous Eye Blink Rate (SBR)
- Indicator of dopamine levels
- Increased blink rate linked to high dopamine (e.g., anxiety, pleasure)
Behavioral Studies and Findings
- Cognitive Tests
- Adaptation of rodent tasks for horses
- Blink rate correlated with impulsive and compulsive behaviors
- Crib Biting
- Linked to elevated dopamine responses
- Occurs due to feeding palatable food
Practical Implications
- Blink Rate as Diagnostic Tool
- Could be part of a vetting process to assess temperament
- Potential for assessing cognitive function and learning ability
- Dietary Recommendations
- Reduce high palatability feeds to decrease stereotypic and hyperactive behaviors
- Promote high-quality forage-based diets
Questions & Answers
- Blink Rate Selection
- Based on human and limited equine studies
- 100 horses tested; categorized by low, medium, high blink rate
- Behavior and Disease Indicators
- Blink rate can be influenced by environmental factors
- Further research needed to differentiate between disease and behavior-driven changes
- Correlation with Heart Rate
- Blink rate provides more consistent data compared to heart rate and cortisol
Future Directions
- Developing automatic blink rate measurement tools
- Potential further studies on neurotransmitter influence on behavior
Closing Remarks
- Emphasis on non-invasive measures for assessing welfare
- Importance of collaboration and knowledge transfer across fields
Note: The lecture highlights the significance of understanding equine brain functions and neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, in influencing behavior and training strategies.