Horse Welfare, Laterality, Hair Whorls, Cognitive Bias Pre-and Post-Weaning Handling: Old School versus New School Part III:

Generally, weaning at four months of age is considered safe. The foal’s nutritional requirements exceed that provided by the mare’s milk, and at that age, most foals eat grain and forage independently. Even so, consider the position of the hair whorl before making your decisions. Foals with high hair whorls are more prone to stress and may suffer more from forced weaning than foals with low whorls. The first step in the weaning process is ensuring the foal is eating good quality hay and comfortable eating a well-balanced ration. If you have a foal with a low whorl eating hay at three or four months, it’s a safe bet that weaning at four months of age will not cause undue stress; however, a foal with a high whorl eating hay and grain at four months may be too soon and cause considerable stress. Two weaning methods commonly used involve an abrupt method or a gradual method.

Since I understood the heritability of hair whorl height long before the geneticists figured out the estimates, I always bred for the high hair whorls, which meant I never used the abrupt method. Horses with high hair whorls are always more prone to psychological stress, and I wanted to avoid that unavoidable stress as long as possible. I almost always let the mares wean my foals. My filly Sam, who had the high right side whorl (the more emotional filly I described in an earlier post), stayed close to her mother even after her mother stopped her from nursing. In contrast, Bob ( the high-left whorl filly) lost interest in her mother’s milk before she dried up and enjoyed the forage from my pasture and the hay I supplemented when the pasture grass was less plentiful. Bob was also more independent from her mother earlier and lost her attachment and began to make friends with my border’s horses long before Sam.

The hair whorl is like an instruction manual that allows you to separate individuals into groups according to their intellectual and emotional needs. Therefore, it’s critical to consider the differences between individuals’ intellectual capacities (high versus low whorls) and their emotional characteristics before making weaning decisions.

For example, one thing all young horses need to learn to accept besides farrier work is veterinary care. I never let a veterinarian dictate how to administer a vaccination and what side to give it on. With Bob, I always insisted they give it to her on her right side, but with Sam, it was the left side. The less fearful side of a left-side hair whorl horse is the right side, and the less fearful side of the right-hair whorl horse is the left side.

The first experience with a veterinarian is the same as the first experience with a farrier; it’s a novelty and, therefore, something to fear. To clarify this point and make everyone understand, the left side of a left-hair whorl horse is the more fearful side, and the left eye is the “look out for danger” eye. The right side of a right-side hair whorl horse is the more fearful side, and the right eye is the “look out for danger” eye. Most horses have left-side hair whorls, and the minority have right-side hair whorls. Documented scientific evidence shows the percentages of lefties and righties are the same in humans (predominantly right-handed), horses (left hair-whorl right lead), dogs (left hair-whorl), right paw preference, and cattle (left hair-whorl), right side turning preference. Let that sink in for a minute, and you’ll understand where I’m going with this.

As a farrier, I always started on the left side (as do most farriers). I always mounted a horse for the first time on their left side (as does everyone). Veterinarians almost always give vaccinations on the left side. This generally accepted practice may be a further cause of the emergence of impaired psychological functioning and maladaptive behavior seen in most horses. First approaches to novel procedures are almost always on the horse’s more fearful side, except, of course, the horses with the right side whorls.

Here, I present the complete unedited abstract from a scientific journal article published in the Journal Biology Letters, The Royal Society, authored by Alice de Boyer des Roches, et al. (2010). (If you look up this article, you’ll notice the names of two authors I have cited in earlier posts: Martine Hausberger and Severine Henry.) To me, these French scientists are giants in the field of Behavioral Genetics and horse welfare, so far ahead of behavioral scientists in the U.S., it’s like comparing Old School versus New School.

The hair whorl and the associated laterality were unknown to the scientists who conducted this research. The title of this journal article;

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??????????? ?????????????, ????????? ????????????? ?? ????????? ??????????, ??? ????? ????????? ????? ?????????? ???? ?? ???????? (?????? ???????). ????, ?? ???????????? ??? ??????? ?? ?????????? ??????? ??????????? ?? ?? ????? ????? ?? ????????? ????????? ????? ??. ?? ??????? ??????? ????? ??????????? ?? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????. ???? ????? ?????????? ??????? ?????????? ??? ??????-???? ???????: ??? ????????? ?? ????? ?? ? ????? ????????, ???? ???? ???? 10 ???? ???, ???????? ????????? ?? ??? ???? ?????????? ?? ?????. ????? ?????-??????? ????? ???????? ??????? ???? ??????, ???? ??????? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ?????? ??????????? ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ???-??????? ??? ????-??????? ?????. ????? ??????? ????? ????????? ?????????? ??? ???????????? ?? ???????? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ??????.

Temple Grandin and I published an abstract in the Journal of Animal Science, Volume 72, (1994) that was the first scientific evidence of this phenomenon 16 years earlier titled; The Relationship between facial hair whorls and milking parlor side preferences. Our conclusion at the end of the abstract read: The study of hair whorls may provide insight into behavioral and neurological development.

From a historical perspective, I learned of this phenomenon 11 years earlier, in (1983) while working as a farrier and horse trainer. I used this information to make shoeing and training horses easier. If you go back to my first post with the article published 13 years ago titled, “How a horse trainer got to do research with Temple Grandin,” there is one quote worth mentioning,

“???? ??????????? ?????? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ??????? ?? ???????? ? ????? ??? ????? ??. ?? ? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?? ??? ???? ???? ?? ??? ?????’? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ???????, ? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ?? ?? ??? ????? ????. ???? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ????, ??? ????? ??? ???? ??????????? ?? ??? ????????? ????.”

I didn’t know back then what I stumbled on; I just knew it worked. But I also knew in my heart and soul that horses worldwide would suffer until people understood this. When I started talking to Temple Grandin thirty years ago about the welfare concerns with horses that troubled me, I asked her if I could take it on as a project. I remember what she said,

“???? ???????? ??? ?? ????????????? ??? ??????????? ?? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ??????? ??? ??????????? ?? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ???????? ??????????, ????????, ???????????, ??? ???? ??????????? ??????????????, ??? ?? ??? ???? ??? ???????, ?? ???? ?? ????, ??? ???’?? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ? ??????????.”

I’m now physically, mentally, and intellectually prepared but still unsure about it emotionally. I can’t stop thinking of the hundreds of millions of horses worldwide suffering in perpetual anxiety and stress around human beings who don’t understand and abuse them. Many suffer from all the symptoms of PTSD, and I see it in their eyes. Maladaptive behaviors, compromised immune systems, gastrointestinal distress and colic, biomechanical imbalances, negligent and incompetent hoof care, and veterinarians treat it all as standard. It’s not normal; it’s abnormal masquerading as normal.

There are many good farriers, really good veterinarians, and many fantastic horse trainers, and we need to support them. When I worked for Grandin Livestock Handling Systems on the welfare concerns of cattle, I always had her support, which was enough. She had enough support to support us, but now I’m going alone into this battle. I’m trying to give the horse a voice and need all the support I can get. I’ve started a war against the Old School and plead with everyone who feels the same to spread the word. I spent the last twenty-five years studying the industry and the literature, and the time has finally come to close the old school. If the dinosaurs don’t get on board, they must be locked inside and never let out.

The practical application of this knowledge should be a game changer for those interested in making their jobs easier as farriers, horse trainers, and veterinarians, and give horse owners the confidence that their animals are getting the best care possible.

Like my page and follow my posts; that’s all I ask.