FEBRUARY 2022 THE RIDER /27 ^Between The Ears^


they have evolved over time from their origin in Africa. Since their domestication, assumed to be in Egypt around 3000 BC, donkeys have spread across the world with the largest popu- lation of them in China at 37.6%, Africa 26.9%, Latin America 19.9%, Middle East 11.8%, Europe 3.7% and the lowest population is in United States and Canada at 0.1%. There is an esti- mated 41 million donkeys worldwide and their purpose varies much differently be- tween Canada/USA and the


By Ellie Ross. Donkeys are said to be


the most stubborn and emo- tional of all equids so what could be better to study be- havior than the donkey? Stubborness is a trait we are quite familiar with, with donkeys, so how could envi- ronmental factors such as weather, season, lunar cycle, climate etc. impact their be- havior? Is it stubbornness or something else? Can behav- iour be predicted by such environmental factors?


Let’s look at the research. There was a study


done involving 300 donkeys by F. Gonzalez et al, with the behaviour assessments completed over a 3 year pe- riod, at 22 different farms throughout Spain. Four be- havior categories were recorded; response type, mood/emotion, response in- tensity and ability to learn. Donkeys are highly sensi- tive to the environment and


Does the Moon, Wind, Sunlight, Temperature etc Impact Behavior?


other countries. Primarily a working animal, they are driven, packed,


ridden,


guardians of livestock , sires of mules, milked, raised for meat (especially China) and a variety of other products including, in the past, parch- ment paper. It is no secret that donkeys are stubborn and to understand this, one must realize it is because they possess a much stronger sense of self preser- vation than horses and their connection to people is not as strong. Only once trust has been established, does


the donkey become a will- ing partner to humans but that is a topic for another day.


In this study, it was


noted that the donkeys ex- hibited depressive behavior during a winter season where the temperature was the coldest it had been in 117 years. One of the most interesting things I learned in this study is that greys are more sensitive to cold, which is something I sus- pected and have observed in the herd of horses that reside on my own farm. Research also indicated that cold weather could be relative to altering the sex ratios lower- ing the occurrence of male offspring. On a side note - Pregnant women and rats were also studied and re- vealed that if exposed to ex- tremes in weather, this often contributed to lower birth weights as well as cognitive and emotional disorders. High and low extremes in temperature, humidity, wind speed, decreased sunlight all have a negative impact on emotions and mood. Horses and donkeys


are endothermic animals whose body temperatures change with the environ- ment to keep the brain cool. In another


study by


Janczarek et al, it was re- ported that horses being rid- den in temps over 26C, could be the cause of change in mood. The impact ob- served in horses and don- keys was that they became more elusive, less respon- sive and much less willing to work. In temperatures 25-


29C, they were much more likely to reject and be fear- ful.


Windspeed proved to


reveal an unexpected result. As it decreased, the behav- ior of the donkeys in the study, turned to being less cooperative. Once again coat coloured was reported to also be a factor and the donkeys in the study were grey. Greys, surprisingly, absorbed more heat under higher wind speed. Heat leads to stress which im- pacts mood. Barometric pressure


has been shown to cause de- pression in rats when levels plummet but the donkeys in this study were not exposed to these changes. What about the moon?


Research has shown us that Dairy cows tend to have higher birth rates near or during a full moon. A cow that was due during the first quarter moon, was more likely to be ‘overdue’. Cows that were due


during the full moon phase, typically delivered on schedule. More research is being collected to determine if the birth during the vari- ous lunar cycles would have an impact on mood and/or learning ability. It would be interesting to know What impact did the moon have on mood/emotion patterns in donkeys in the study;


⁃ Calm behavior was the highest in the 1st quarter


and least during the winning gibbous moon phase (phase just before moon is full)


⁃ Mistrustful behavior was the lowest during the 1st


2021 Racing Industry Scholarship Winners Announced Equine Guelph has an-


nounced the recipients of its 2021 tuition awards. Kate- lynn Rourke is the recipient of the Roger L’Heureux Me- morial Equine Award and Vanessa MacDonald has re- ceived the Stuart Stocks Memorial Equine Award. Selected for their love


of horses, commitment to their welfare and desire to learn, both winners will re- ceive two online courses through Equine Guelph val- ued at $549 each (Certifi- cates are available in Equine Science, Equine Welfare and Equine Business – six courses complete the certifi- cate).


Rourke comes from a


non-horsey family and caught the horse bug at age 6 when she started riding lessons. Following her dreams to own and train horses, the path has been one of always trying to un- derstand what makes horses tick. Rourke has worked with equine nutritionists,


skills as a horse person!” says Rourke. “I am so ex- cited to get started in these courses. I would love to take the Equine Nutrition and Equine Behavior courses!” MacDonald plans to


apply what she learns in the two online courses to giving horses in her care, including her best friend Bumble, op- timal care. MacDonald first met


Vanessa MacDonald – 2021 Stuart Stocks Memorial Equine Award winner. Photo by: Frankie L.


massage therapists, became a race office administrator. As a certified trainer, she saw success right off the gate with her first green training project. Together they ended up winning their first start! Already a student of short


Equine Guelph’s courses on TheHorsePor-


tal.ca, Rourke believes in continuously researching how to better herself as a trainer and caretaker, so her horses can feel and perform at their best. She is now ready to dive into the 12- week courses awarded. “This is a great oppor-


tunity to learn all the latest innovations and improve my


After Market while groom- ing at Rideau Carleton Raceway during the sum- mer of 2016 and she knew right away how special this horse was. They bonded and MacDonald enjoyed watching his confidence grow as she tended to him with the utmost attention. They were separated when he was sold and resold to different


trainers across


North America, but he was never forgotten. Five years later MacDonald jumped at the chance to purchase him and bring him home when he turned up for sale in


they go so much farther than that for us,” says MacDon- ald. “I am elated to be given the chance to go an extra mile for them in return. They are well worth every effort.” The Roger L’Heureux


Memorial Equine Award was established in loving memory of Standardbred driver, trainer and groom, Roger L’Heureux by David L’Heureux and Crystal Fountains Inc. The Stuart Stocks Me-


morial Equine Award has been created by the Stocks family in memory of their beloved brother, son and uncle, and avid follower of top thoroughbred race- horses, Mr. Stuart Stocks.


Submissions will be


Katelynn Rourke – 2021 Roger L’Heureux Memorial Equine Award winner


Ohio. Overcoming injuries and all the exchanges, Bum- ble won his first start for MacDonald, who says he has more than earned his


forever home. “Standardbreds


are


bred to race a mile, but any- one who has the opportunity to work around them knows


accepted for this year’s ap- plicants until November 30, 2


0 2 2 .


http://www.equineguelph.ca /education/tuition_awards.p hp


quarter and highest during the wanning crescent phase (just after a new moon)


⁃ Fearful behavior was low- est during the 1st quarter


and highest during the win- ning gibbous phase ( just after the last quarter phase)


⁃ Rejective behaviour was lowest in the 1st quarter and


highest in all other phases of the moon but showed a sig- nificant decline in the full moon phase. We know that seasons


lead to changes in serotonin levels that affect human be- havior and disrupts cogni- tive ability. Humans tend to learn better in the summer months when there is more daylight. Another factor that increased depressive type behaviours and caused sig- nificant changes in affection was exposure to natural light as it disrupts sleep cy- cles and can alter tempera- ture, hormones etc.


Author Bio: Ellie Ross studied Agriculture and Equine Science at Virginia Tech, Pscychology at Uni- versity of Guelph and a va- riety of programs


in


Animals Science and Be- haviour. Ellie was the ‘An- imal Expert’ on CTV for 10 years and actively competes internationally with her Quarter Horses and trains in Classical Dressage in Spain. Circle 8 Ranch is home for her along with her Black Angus cattle, Quarter Horse Breeding program and her 7 dogs.


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