The Effect of Social Environment and Handling on the Behavioural and Physical Development of Young Horses

Download or read book The Effect of Social Environment and Handling on the Behavioural and Physical Development of Young Horses written by Eva Søndergaard and published by . This book was released on 2003 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This thesis focuses on the young horse from weaning and onwards, and on the ways in which it is best prepared for adult life as a companion animal for sport or leisure. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of social environment and handling of young Danish Warmblood horses with respect to their behavioural and physical development with special emphasis on the human-animal relationship. From the results of the present study and the literature it is concluded that group housing and handling exert a positive effect on the behaviour and emotionality of young horses. However, the composition of the group and the time spent in a group versus alone may influence the behavioural development of young horses