What is Ethology?
Written by Hiddenhorse on 17/09/2009 – 9:38 pm -Basically ethology is the study of animal behavior, with the emphasis on studying animal behavior in the wild. The first ethologists were field zoologists who observed and recorded animal behavior, from their observations they cross-referenced and compiled lists of verified behaviors, these lists are known as ethograms. So an ethogram is really an documented ‘model’ of the behaviors of a species.
The ethogram of the horse is well documented and forms the basis of both the Ethological Model and the Natural Horse Keeping Model. The Ethological Model is really just the natural behavior of the horse and the Natural Horse Keeping model is derived from it. When we keep horses according to the ethogram of the horse we try to set up management systems that reproduce as much of the natural behavior of the horse as possible within a domestic situation. This is the Natural Horse Keeping Model, it is based on the seven principles of natural horse keeping and it has several major advantages, for example, our horses are fitter, healthier, more relaxed and generally safer to be around.
Once a horse has become like this, (because of our management based on the seven principles of natural horse keeping), we can begin to train it, using methods that are in accordance with it’s natural behavior and instincts, these are ways that respect the horse for what it is, not just for what it can do for us. For example:
- we always respect the horse as a prey animal and try to remain aware of our own instincts as a predator animal.
- we do not attempt to coerce the animal in any way.
- we acknowledge the prey animal’s instinct as a flight animal and allow it to move it’s feet if it needs to.
- we do not attempt to sneak up on it and ‘catch’ it.
- we do not attempt to trick or deceive the horse into doing what we want
- we do not trap or restrict the animals escape options – within reason
- we find ways to to reward the animal for doing the right thing (positive reinforcement)
- we never criticize the horse for doing the wrong thing
- we do not teach by ‘correction’
- we know all methods based on negative reinforcement and positive punishment, threatened or direct, are predatory and coercive and will have inevitable side effects
- we will attempt at all times to build with our horses a relationship based on mutual, liking, trust, respect, and thus cooperation
The ethology of the horse affects every aspect of our relationship with the horse, it is present every time the horse shows us new behavior, it is present every time that behavior is the opposite of what we want.
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Tags: behavior, Natural Horse, PrinciplesPosted in Ethology, Four Models | No Comments »
