Background
The horse was a wild prey species for 55 million years, shaping their behaviour, until domestication 5,500 years ago altered it. Wild horses are now extinct; only domesticated and feralised ones remain. Feral horses display vigilance especially toward predators. This study examined vigilance and grouping behaviours in three genetically similar feral horse groups with different predator exposure. I hypothesize that a feral group of horses exposed to predators would display more vigilance, more locomotor and grouping behaviours than a group never exposed to predators. Additionally, I expect that all groups would display heightened vigilance, locomotor response and grouping behaviours to wolf vocalisation in comparison to the human voices, reflecting their innate fear response mechanisms shaped by evolutionary adaptation.
Aims
- To disentangle the part of genetics and life experience concerning the vigilance and grouping behaviours of feral horses.