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Characterization of long-term memory, resistance to extinction, and influence of temperament during two instrumental tasks in horses

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Abstract

The present study investigated the influence of temperament on long-term recall and extinction of 2 instrumental tasks in 26 horses. In the first task (backward task), horses learned to walk backward, using commands given by an experimenter, in order to obtain a food reward. In the second task (active avoidance task), horses had to cross an obstacle after a bell rang in order to avoid emission of an air puff. Twenty-two months after acquisition, horses exhibited perfect recall performance in both tasks. Accordingly, no influence of temperament on recall performance could be observed for either task. In contrast, in the absence of positive or negative outcomes, the horses’ ability to extinguish their response to either task was highly variable. Resistance to extinction was related to some indicators of temperament: The most fearful horses tended to be the most resistant to extinction in the backward task, while the least sensitive horses tended to be the most resistant to extinction in the active avoidance task. These findings reveal extensive long-term memory abilities in horses and suggest an influence of temperament on learning processes other than acquisition.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Guy Duchamp, Fabrice Reigner, and their staff (INRA Nouzilly, France) for allowing the use of the animals and facilities. We would also like to thank Chantal Moussu and Aurélie Holtz for their assistance in data collection. This research has been supported by the COST of the ‘Institut Français du Cheval et de l’Equitation’ and the ‘Région Centre’.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical standards

Experiments reported in this study were conducted under a licence from the French Ministry of Agriculture (no. 37-125). Neither alimentary restriction nor invasive or painful methods were used. During learning sessions, the stimuli used were positive (food reward) or negative but not painful (puff of air). Neither injury nor pain was observed in any horse. Most of the time, horses lived in their social group in a large outdoor paddock. An audience horse was present during the tests to reduce stress induced by isolation during the tests. At the end of the experiment, horses returned to their habitual breeding conditions.

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Correspondence to Mathilde Valenchon.

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Valenchon, M., Lévy, F., Górecka-Bruzda, A. et al. Characterization of long-term memory, resistance to extinction, and influence of temperament during two instrumental tasks in horses. Anim Cogn 16, 1001–1006 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-013-0648-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-013-0648-5

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