Samantha Couper - Equine ABCs

Two-way communication is incredible. It might feel quite sticky at first—we've been taught horses need to tolerate everything we ask of them. But, there are plenty of places we can begin looking for communication.

Out on the range, we unofficially call the home ranges of chronically injured and elderly stallions the “retirement community”.

Injured or elderly wild (feral) stallions typically leave their groups. Younger stallions remain alone until they have recovered significantly enough to rejoin bachelor groups or bands. Older stallions, or those with chronic injuries, often occupy similar home ranges and may join together.

Neophobic (fear of new things)? Horses are typically given this descriptor in scientific manuscripts. But, feral horses can be incredibly curious! This herd of horses followed me and my tripod for quite a ways before I pulled my phone out to capture this video.

Webinar: Wild Wisdom: Enhancing horse enrichment YouTube video by World Horse Welfare Education

Want to learn how wild and feral equines can enhance our ability to care for our domestic horses? Recorded webinar “Wild Wisdom” hosted by @worldhorsewelfare.bsky.social available online now, for free!

www.youtube.com/live/xvc48hl...

Affiliative behaviours regulate allostasis development and shape biobehavioural trajectories in horse Social interactions shape both physiological and behavioural development of offspring and poor care/early caregiver loss are known to promote negative outcomes in adulthood in both animals and humans....

More evidence for NOT weaning early. Prolonged maternal presence in horses is correlated with better brain development in areas related to a horse’s social skills and its ability to self-regulate!

Pre-Print

www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Can AI read pain and other emotions in your dog’s face? New approach for interpreting expressions in pets and livestock could improve animal welfare

Using AI to detect pain in multiple species, including horses.

@science.org

scim.ag/4bgluSJ

It’s a Trail Cam Tuesday! Listen to this herd of horses call out towards a brand new foal!

Camera ID: The Roan
Location: Onaqui North Herd Area
January 2025

Recall is one of the earliest things I train. You never know when a horse might escape, or someone will accidentally leave a gate open. It’s also the only thing I recommend keeping strong by using a high value reinforcer (apple). Everything else I train with low value hay pellets.

Did you know mare-theft by stallions (abduction) is uncommon?

In mixed gender bands, males and females travel together. Males display through fights, play with foals, and court the mare. In this case, a white mare and her pinto foal are being trailed by 6 bachelors. Who do you think she’ll choose?

Thank you!

Well, damn!

🧪Ooh, alert! Recent research looking at how a friendly (& long) maternal presence promotes maturation of brain territories involved in both social behaviour & physiological regulation IN HORSES, MY FRIENDS! Another paper to support rethinking premature weaning of 🐴. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

U. Utah course: continue.utah.edu/lifelong/cla...
Website: equineabcs.com
Onaqui Catalogue Foundation website: onaquicatalogue.org

Hello! I am a science communicator. I teach at the University of Utah on feral horse behavior, am chair of @onaqui.bsky.social which uses citizen observations of feral horses, and I work as a behavior consultant. Zoology seems like the closest fit! I’d love to be added or directed to the right spot!