Assessment of equine temperament by a questionnaire survey to caretakers and evaluation of its reliability by simultaneous behavior test
Assessment of equine temperament by a questionnaire survey to caretakers and evaluation of its reliability by simultaneous behavior test
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DOI：
10.1016/j.applanim.2003.08.001
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发表时间：
2003-11-25
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Kusunose, R
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Momozawa, Y;Ono, T;Kusunose, R
我们使用东京马术公园（日本中央竞马协会）饲养的 86 匹骑马用马，对饲养员进行了问卷调查。问卷调查采用5分制和3分制的方式，根据马匹在日常护理和日常训练中的常态和倾向，评估几位看护者对每匹马气质的印象。对五点量表问卷获得的气质得分进行因素分析，揭示了三个相互独立的因素，我们将其命名为“焦虑”、“寻求新奇”和“理解”。为了验证本次问卷调查的可靠性，使用同一匹马进行了气球反应测试。每匹马都被引入一个陌生的室内竞技场（7 m x 12.5 m x 3 m），两个气球在竞技场的中心缓慢旋转。通过记录 5 分钟实验期间马匹行为和心率 (HR) 的变化来评估马匹的反应。通过比较问卷调查和气球反应测试，发现被看护者评估为高度焦虑的马匹在暴露于气球刺激期间往往比其他马匹表现出更大的心率增加和更频繁的排便。此外，被看护者评估为在日常护理和/或训练方面存在问题的马匹在气球反应性测试中表现出心率和排便频率的更大增加，并且被评估为“对不熟悉的物体有较长适应时间”的马匹被发现不愿意触摸气球。因此，马在气球反应测试中的行为与问卷确定的它们的气质高度一致。这些结果表明，问卷调查将是评估马的气质特征，特别是与焦虑相关的特征的有效手段。 (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. 保留所有权利。
We carried out a questionnaire survey of the caretakers, using 86 riding horses kept in the Equestrian Park, Tokyo (Japan Racing Association). The questionnaire survey used a 5-point scale and a 3-point scale to assess several caretakers' impressions of each horse's temperament, on the basis of the norm and the horse's tendencies in ordinary care and daily training. Factor analysis of the temperament scores obtained with the 5-point scale questionnaire revealed three mutually independent factors that we named "anxiety", "novelty seeking" and "understanding". In order to verify the reliability of this questionnaire survey, a balloon reactivity test was conducted using the same horses. Each horse was introduced into an unfamiliar indoor arena (7 m x 12.5 m x 3 m) in the center of which two balloons slowly revolved. The horses' responses were assessed by recording changes in their behavior and heart rate (HR) during the 5 min experimental period. By comparing the questionnaire survey and the balloon reactivity test, it was found that the horses evaluated as highly anxious by the caretakers tended to show greater HR increases and defecate more often during exposure to the balloon stimuli than did the other horses. Additionally, the horses assessed by caretakers to have problems with ordinary care and/or training showed greater increases of HR and frequency of defecation in the balloon reactivity test, and the horses assessed as having 'a long adaptation time to unfamiliar objects' were found to be unwilling to touch the balloons. Thus, the horses' behavior during the balloon reactivity test was highly consistent with their temperament as determined by the questionnaire. These results suggest that the questionnaire survey would be an effective means to assess equine temperamental traits, especially those related to anxiety. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.