Category | Trait | Characteristics |
---|---|---|
Movement | Walk | Four-beat gait with large overlap times between the stance phases of the limb, and no period of suspension [40] |
Trot | Two-beat, symmetric, diagonal gait with phase suspension [40] | |
Canter | Three-beat asymmetric gait with phase suspension. It is executed with either a right or left “lead” [40] | |
Vigilance | Snoring | Very short, raspy inhalation sound produced in a low alert context, such as investigating a novel object or obstacle [41] |
Vocalisation | Production of sound by means of a vocal apparatus of vertebrates [42] | |
High head position | Neck raised over 45 degrees [43] | |
High tail position | Fleshy part of tail outstretched horizontally or elevated above horizontal [43] | |
Sticking together | Horses sticking together on the pasture | |
Foraging (grazing) | Occurs as a horse bites off and ingests grasses and forbs close to the ground [44] | |
Comfort | Playing | Type of self-enjoyment expression [44] |
Examining the surroundings | ||
Sniffing | Standing with lowered head and nostrils within 10 cm of object [45] | |
Maintenance of hygiene | Rubbing against objects Scratching against an object | Includes using a hind foot to scratch another part of horse’s own body, or rubbing against various objects [46] |
Autogrooming or allogrooming | Usually head-to-shoulder or head-to-tail, grooming each other’s neck, mane, rump, or tail by gently nipping, nuzzling, or rubbing [42] | |
Rolling | Dropping from standing to sternal recumbency, then rotating one or more times from sternal to dorsal recumbency, tucking the legs against the body [42] | |
Resting | It is characterised by a general lack of attention and a relaxed state and may occur in a standing position or in recumbency [44] |