Taste Preferences of Horses in Relation to Their Breed and Sex

Highlights

• Horses' taste preferences were found to vary according to breed and sex.

• Mares most likely choose feed with carrots addition, whereas stallions first choose sour apple addition.

• Mares, in contrast to stallions, were more likely to choose a sweet taste.

• The horses' behavior should not be taken as a proof of a feed's tastiness.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the taste preferences of horses in relation to their breed and sex. Forty-eight adult purebred Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, Polish Konik, and Polish cold-blooded horses—stallions and mares in equal numbers—were examined in the study. During the experiment, five types of industrially processed feeds based on oats and natural dried products commonly regarded as horse treats (i.e., sour and sweet apples, carrots, sugar beet molasses, and barley with salt) were given to horses in buckets on three consecutive days. The behavior of the horses during the experiment was evaluated, as was the way in which they expressed their taste preferences, the sequence in which they consumed the pellets, the time they took to become interested in the pellets, and the time they took to consume each kind of pellet. The taste preferences of the horses were found to depend on their breed and sex. Pellets containing molasses were consumed more willingly by mares than stallions. Feeds with the addition of apples or carrots were the favorite treats of all tested breeds. The greatest variety in pellet taste preferences was found in purebred Arabian horses. Pellets with a distinct sweet taste or slightly salty cereals should be given to horses if other options are not available. In most cases, these two additions were chosen last by the horses in the experiment. Primitive horses had a distinct manner of expressing taste sensations. Horse behavior indicating an interest in a feed should not be taken as a proof of its tastiness. The first food chosen is not necessarily the one consumed most quickly.

Introduction

The adaptation of horses to changing environmental and climatic conditions has resulted in the development of specific nutritional, and consequently, taste-related preferences [1]. As a result, feeding methods which differ significantly from natural methods can cause a number of somatic diseases and mental disorders in horses [2], [3]. Horses like to eat various types of plants but avoid others as being unpalatable, indigestible, or poisonous [4]. The same is true for commonly accepted horse treats, of which only some would be chosen in the wild. However, horses became accustomed to various feeds after being domesticated [5]. The choice of feed by one-hoofed animals depends not only on its taste but also on its texture and smell because only when these three qualities are combined can horses receive full information on the feed that they eat [6].

Although promoters of natural horse riding claim that horses should not be given treats as a reward, feeds are quite commonly used in training as a positive stimulus [7]. One common practice involves injecting molasses through an opening in the bit immediately after a horse has successfully performed a task [8]. The national circus in Switzerland, Circus Knie, which is widely regarded as having the best horse training shows in the world, is a perfect example of feed being routinely used in the training of animals [9]. Beneficial effects of using positive stimuli in horse training have been indicated by the findings of Innes and McBride [10]. These authors demonstrated that rewarded animals were better motivated for work and exhibited greater curiosity in the face of new situations or in a completely new environment. Heleski et al. [7] discovered that the use of rewards may not result in more rapid achievements in training but that it can positively modify the behavior of horses toward their trainers. Similar results regarding the behavior of rewarded horses in training or in difficult situations have been observed by Sankey et al. [11] and Hendriksen et al. [12].

Another consideration in deciding whether it is right to use feed as a treat for horses is the current focus on animal welfare. Solutions are being sought that partially compensate for living conditions that are at odds with the biology of the species and the forced physical effort required of the animals [13]. The main form of such compensation is to give animals treats because all herbivorous animals have an extremely well-developed sense of taste [14], [15]. As a result, various animal species prefer different tastes. Opinions about taste preferences in horses differ. According to Krzymowski and Przała [16], horses prefer sweet and bitter tastes. However, Randall et al. [17] claimed that horses did not tolerate bitter and sour tastes and that they preferred sweet and salty tastes. A several-day period of intolerance occurs after a horse is given feed with a new taste or smell [18]. There is evidence that the taste preferences of horses are an individual trait or one that depends on imprecisely specified factors. The aim of this study was to determine if breed and sex influenced the taste preferences of horses. The reactions of horses to different tastes were recorded in four ways: the time taken to become interested in the food, the time taken to consume the food, the order in which the feeds were eaten, and the behavior of the horse while eating the food.