Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"King penguins and gentoo penguins prefer to behaviourally interact with white plastics over other colours","authors":"A.M. Heswall ,&nbsp;K.E. Cain ,&nbsp;M.R. Friesen ,&nbsp;A.C. Gaskett","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106891","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106891","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seabirds are a speciose and at-risk animal group with specialized sensory ecologies that are highly responsive and vulnerable to sensory-related threats such as plastic ingestion. Seabirds may consume plastic because it functions as a sensory trap, exploiting the birds’ pre-existing biases for specific odours or colours. Previous studies have documented white plastics as a common colour in the ocean and is frequently ingested by seabirds, potentially due to its abundance. Alternatively, seabirds may selectively choose to ingest the colour white regardless of abundance in the marine environment. To evaluate whether seabirds prefer to behaviourally interact with white plastics over others, we used standardized behavioural assays to test seabird attraction to various colours of a commonly ingested plastic item: bottlecaps. Assays were performed with captive gentoo and king penguins (<em>Pygoscelis papua</em>; and <em>Aptenodytes patagonicus</em>; Tokoraki) by simultaneously presenting white, black, red and blue bottlecaps and quantifying responses. Overall, penguins were looking and showing interest with all four colours but strongly preferred the white bottlecap, showing a colour preference behaviour towards white plastics among seabirds. Seabirds may be actively attracted to white as it could be strongly associated with cues from eggs and prey associated with a potential foraging or reproductive benefit. It would be beneficial for future research to explore how plastic maybe exploiting the seabird’s sensory biases, using a sensory ecology approach to mitigate plastic ingestion for a threatened avian group.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106891"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behaviour and spatial distribution of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in experimental tanks: Influence of water flow and husbandry procedures","authors":"Martina Bortoletti ,&nbsp;Miina Lõoke ,&nbsp;Francesco Pascoli ,&nbsp;Gaia Bacchin ,&nbsp;Andrea Meloni ,&nbsp;Anna Broseghini ,&nbsp;Daniela Bertotto ,&nbsp;Paolo Mongillo ,&nbsp;Lieta Marinelli","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106892","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106892","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rainbow trout (<em>Oncorhynchus mykiss</em>) is increasingly employed as an experimental model, yet knowledge of its behaviour in laboratory settings is limited. This study examined short-term (24 h), mid-term (1 week), and circadian changes in behavioural and spatial patterns of individually-housed trout under two experimental conditions differing in the extent of underwater current: control <em>vs</em> water flow. Moreover, the effects of feeding and tank cleaning were evaluated to identify potential behavioural indicators of welfare of the species in this context. Short-term effects revealed that flow rate impacted on swimming behaviour, with trout showing less species-specific behavior in the absence of water flow. Over time, trout exhibited a marked reduction of behavioral expression, interpretable as behavioural stabilization but likely reflecting suboptimal welfare. Trout behaviors were affected by the day time being less active in mornings. Event-related findings indicated an increased in active behaviors and a decrease in maintenance behaviours after both husbandry procedures, with that of cleaning being more pronounced and lasting remarkably longer, suggesting that the two reactions were fundamentally different. This study highlights the need to critically evaluate behavioural expression, and the need to provide species-specific husbandry conditions. We also provide foundational insights into rainbow trout behaviour valuable for refining research practices and improving welfare assessment of this experimental fish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106892"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Behavioural and performance responses of primiparous buffalo cows to milking types with full or partial cow-calf contact during milking","authors":"İbrahim Cihangir Okuyucu","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106893","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106893","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The shift to mechanized milking warrants further investigation into its effects on performance and behavioral outcomes in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), a species characterized by a unique mother-calf bond and udder structure. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of milking type (MT) — bucket milking machine (BM) versus hand milking (HM) — and of cow–calf contact (CC) during milking (full (FC) or partial (PC)) on milking performance and behavioral traits in primiparous Anatolian buffalo cows. Hence, for an 8-week experiment, 80 healthy cows weighing 500 ± 40 kg and with 35 ± 5 days in milk were selected and assigned to four treatments (BM-FC, HM-FC, BM-PC, and HM-PC), with 20 cows per treatment. Data on behavioral traits (milking temperament, stepping, kicking, urinating, defecating, vocalization, turning the head back, and tail wagging) and milking performance (milk flow rate, milking duration, and milk yield per milking) were collected four times at 14-day intervals: behavioral traits by scoring and milking performance by measuring. The milking performance data were evaluated using a 2 × 2 factorial design: MT (BM and HM) × CC (PC and FC). A non-parametric permutation test was applied to assess the effects of these factors on the temperament score. Depending on the data type, Spearman or Pearson correlation analyses were used to assess pairwise correlations among behavioral and milking-performance traits. Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the relationship between behavioral responses and the MT and CC factors. The BM resulted in a longer milking duration and a lower milk flow rate than the HM, whereas the FC resulted in a shorter milking duration and a higher milk flow rate than the PC. BM-PC showed reduced milk yield per milking and greater nervousness during milking compared with BM-FC, HM-PC, and HM-FC. Positive correlations between milking temperament score and behavioral traits ranged from weak (defecation and urination) to moderate (vocalizing, turning the head back, and tail wagging). Milking performance parameters and temperament scores were moderately negatively correlated. The BM and FC cows exhibited higher behavioral response levels (primarily kicking, vocalization, and stepping) than their reference counterparts (HM and PC). This study indicates that primiparous Anatolian buffalo cows subjected to BM are more susceptible to CC-associated milking stress, which can adversely affect their welfare and, subsequently, their milking performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106893"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA) in farmed fox species and Finnraccoons","authors":"Tarja Koistinen ,&nbsp;Mika Kurkilahti","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106890","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106890","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Measures of emotional states have not gained much attention in farmed fox species (blue foxes and silver foxes) and Finnraccoons. This study aims to start the development of Qualitative Behaviour Assessment (QBA), to be later included in to the on-farm welfare assessment scheme, WelFur. To collect the potential QBA terms, two separate expert opinion surveys were carried out. Based on the questionnaire surveys, a fixed list of 26–27 terms (depending on the species) was generated for each species. To test the observer agreement and to investigate potential latent factors describing animal welfare, eleven persons assessed behavioural expressions of the fox species and Finnraccoons from 13 to 15 1–2 min video recordings from commercial farms. The consistency of the use of terms was studied by using Kendall’s coefficient of concordance and the data reduction was carried out by using Principal factor analysis. In all species, the inter-and intra-rater reliabilities of the individual terms were mainly moderate (Kendal W 0.4–0.7). They were interpreted sufficient for proceeding to factor analysis. The factor solutions differed between the species. In blue foxes, the analysis produced factors including all four components of the commonly found model of emotional dimensions describing bipolar valence (positive vs negative) and arousal (low vs high). In silver foxes, negative low arousal dimension was missing and in Finnraccoon, the clear low arousal factor was not divided into positive and negative valence. Besides these dimensions, a factor indicating attentiveness or interaction (with human) was found in both fox species and an incoherent factor in Finnraccoons. The present results show that, the behavioural expressions of farmed fox species and Finnraccoons can be described by using a large variety of terms, and fixed list could be generated out of these terms. The observer agreement in the scoring of the individual terms from videos is at least moderate and the selected terms constitute logical dimensions of animal welfare in the data reduction analysis. The further development of the method requires testing of the vocabulary on farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106890"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relationship between agonistic behaviour, physical condition and movement patterns of laying hens in aviaries","authors":"Klara J. Grethen ,&nbsp;Laura Candelotto ,&nbsp;Yamenah Gómez ,&nbsp;Michael J. Toscano","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Laying hens show inter-individual variation in fighting ability in agonistic interactions. However, in large groups exceeding 100 animals, the impact of this variation remains largely unexplored. In such environments, hens which frequently submit to others, may experience restricted access to resources, potentially leading to compromised health and welfare. Conversely, they may adapt by altering movement patterns to avoid interactions with dominant hens. We investigated how fighting ability relates to the physical condition and movement of hens in large groups in a quasi-commercial aviary system. We observed 36 focal birds (Dekalb White) across six pens, each housing 225 hens. Focal birds were selected from 18 birds per pen based on comb sizes to capture extremes in fighting ability. Social behaviour was observed for two hours per hen at 23, 25, and 27 weeks of age (WoA), and fighting ability was quantified as winning ratio (wins relative to the total of agonistic encounters). Additionally, every 4–7 weeks we assessed the animals’ body weight, keel-bone fracture (KBF) severity, plumage condition and aggressive pecking damage (i.e., comb injuries combined with head and neck plumage condition). A tracking system recorded the movements between the aviary tiers from 22 to 55 WoA (164 days), from which we extracted daily spatial and movement variables. Mixed effects models, incorporating WoA and winning ratio and their interaction as independent variables, were employed for analysis. Results indicated that birds with higher winning ratios were heavier over time than those with a lower ratio, whereas no effect of winning ratio was detected on KBF severity, plumage condition or aggressive pecking damage. Analysis of daily spatial and movement variables revealed that hens with higher winning ratios progressively spent less time on the highest tier. Before 30 WoA, they also travelled greater distances between tiers, suggesting increased space use, particularly in the period shortly after barn population than birds with lower winning rations. These findings suggest that fighting ability may relate to body weight and space-use strategies in large groups, although the mechanisms remain unclear. The observed differences in weight and space-use could reflect restricted access to feed and preferred areas for hens with lower winning ratios, or their active avoidance of agonistic encounters. Alternatively, they may stem from inherent behavioural differences between individuals. Future studies should aim to disentangle potential mechanisms by investigating individual resource access and decision-making in large-group housing systems, to clarify how fighting ability affects long-term welfare in commercial aviary systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106889"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Try before you buy: Preferences for naturalistic-style enclosures are influenced by experience in bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)","authors":"Melanie Denommé,&nbsp;Glenn J. Tattersall","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To ensure their welfare in captivity, reptiles are typically provided enclosures that aim to mimic their natural environment, as such enclosures may be preferred and better facilitate important behaviours. Research has frequently supported this principle, and has often found that reptiles’ preferences for naturalistic resources are innate. Regardless, it is critical to assess if the assumed benefits of such enclosures are realized; this may be especially pertinent for reptiles, given that the life histories of many species are not well known, making it unclear what “naturalistic” entails. Therefore, we used preference tests to examine the behaviour of bearded dragons (<em>Pogona vitticeps</em>) when allowed to freely interact with environments that were naturalistic or less complex (hereafter, standard). Lizards were randomly assigned to live in either naturalistic- or standard-style enclosures and swapped into the opposite style after 200 days. Preference tests were performed twice, occurring at least 100 days after lizards had lived in either enclosure style. In contrast to other work in reptiles, we found that a lizard’s experience influenced their behaviour: Lizards who were housed exclusively in standard-style enclosures when they were young spent more time with the style that they were familiar with when the preference test was performed, and, for all lizards, naturalistic-style enclosures were only preferred the second time the test was performed. Overall, these results suggest that familiarity may play an important role in the lizard’s preferences for naturalistic resources. Furthermore, the behaviour of lizards exclusively housed in standard-style enclosures when young could be indicative of neophobia induced by the relative low complexity of their rearing conditions, as has been observed in other vertebrates. Finally, because lizards only preferred naturalistic resources the second time the test was performed, these results may also suggest that the perceived value of naturalistic resources may have changed due to the timing of these tests, perhaps due to the lizard’s maturation or due to the season in which each test was performed. Regardless, all lizards used naturalistic resources more often to climb, dig, and hide, suggesting that these were superior for facilitating important, species-specific, motivated behaviours. In conclusion, these results demonstrate how a number of factors could influence a lizard’s perception of naturalistic resources and underscores how such resources may best facilitate important behaviours in <em>P. vitticeps</em>. Furthermore, these findings highlight the importance of assessing the assumed benefits of naturalistic enclosures and provide some practical recommendations for such assessments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106887"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Environmental enrichment improves behavior and welfare in captive cockatiels","authors":"Rodrigo Mendes Aguiar ,&nbsp;Nicolas Châline ,&nbsp;Cristiano Schetini de Azevedo","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental enrichment is widely used to enhance the welfare of captive animals, particularly in cognitively complex species such as parrots. This study experimentally evaluated the behavioral effects of two enrichment categories object-based items and food-based enrichment on captive cockatiels (<em>Nymphicus hollandicus</em>). Forty adult birds were observed across three phases: a 30-day baseline without enrichment (March–April 2023), followed by a 30-day acclimatization period (May 2023), a 30-day enrichment phase (June–July 2023), and a post-enrichment phase after a 30-day latency (September–October 2023). Behavioral data were collected through focal animal sampling and analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Enrichment reduced stress-related behaviors, with a 58 % decrease in FDB directed to conspecifics (IRR = 0.42, p &lt; 0.001) and a 43 % decrease in self-directed FDB (IRR = 0.57, p = 0.034). While FDB directed to conspecifics reductions persisted post-enrichment, the effect on self-directed FDB did not. Positive behaviors also increased, with greater flight activity during enrichment (IRR = 1.43, p &lt; 0.001) and a significant rise in mating behavior in the post-enrichment phase (IRR = 2.27, p = 0.021). Object-based enrichment items elicited significantly more engagement than food-based ones (p &lt; 0.001). Interindividual variation was notable. Cluster analysis revealed distinct behavioral profiles, ranging from highly responsive to non-responsive individuals. These results reveal substantial interindividual variation, suggesting that birds differ in their responsiveness to enrichment. Overall, enrichment reduced stress-related behaviors and promoted behavioral flexibility, as evidenced by the capacity of individuals to adjust their activity patterns in response to changing environmental conditions. These findings support the use of tailored enrichment protocols to enhance the welfare of captive psittacines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106888"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"","authors":"Lisa Dickel ,&nbsp;Suzanne Truong ,&nbsp;Heather Browning ,&nbsp;Jes Lynning Harfeld ,&nbsp;Anna Rademann","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106886","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106886"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145748960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mending fences: Relationship quality, not reproductive cycle, predicts reconciliation in Amiata jennies","authors":"Alice Galotti ,&nbsp;Viviana Forti ,&nbsp;Alessandra Rota ,&nbsp;Paolo Baragli ,&nbsp;Elisabetta Palagi","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Research on reconciliation has mainly focused on primates, leaving domestic ungulates largely unexplored. To address this gap, we investigated female–female agonistic and post-conflict dynamics in a stable group of jennies (<em>Equus asinus</em>), integrating behavioral observations with a physiologically validated reproductive parameter. During estrus, females showed increased proximity, suggesting that reproductive cycle promotes tolerance and spatial cohesion. Closer spacing did not lead to more overt aggression, but was associated with a rise in subtle threats, likely functioning as a low-cost strategy to regulate tension while avoiding escalation. Here, we also reported reconciliation in our group of jennies, consistent with findings in horses, a species phylogenetically close to donkeys. Most conciliatory contacts occurred within seconds after aggression and were more frequent between closely bonded partners, supporting the <em>Valuable Relationship Hypothesis</em>. Victims were more likely to initiate post-conflict contacts with close affiliates and aggressors of similar rank, indicating a balance between preserving valuable ties and minimizing risk. Reconciliation was also more likely after high-intensity aggression, suggesting its key role in rapidly repairing relationships when social costs are highest. Contrary to our predictions, the reproductive cycle did not influence post-conflict behavior. The absence of a resident male in the group likely reduced reproductive competition among females, which may explain this result. By integrating physiological and behavioral approaches, this study not only provides the first systematic evidence of reconciliation in donkeys but also demonstrates that subtle social dynamics in female-only groups can be rigorously quantified. Extending conflict management research beyond primates to domestic ungulates reveals mechanisms that are both evolutionarily informative and directly relevant to husbandry, offering novel insights into how social cohesion and welfare can be maintained in managed populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"295 ","pages":"Article 106885"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145665667","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessment of the interrelationship between personality traits, emotional states and abnormal behaviour in horses","authors":"Laize Guedes do Carmo ,&nbsp;Matheus Borges de Carvalho ,&nbsp;Pedro Vicente Michelotto ,&nbsp;Ruan Rolnei Daros","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106813","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Personality traits may be linked to the development of abnormal behaviours in horses. However, abnormal behaviour could represent an attempt to adapt to the environment to improve the horses' emotional state. This study aimed to investigate whether personality traits can predict the expression of acute abnormal behaviours in horses stabled for a short period and whether the emotional state is influenced by the occurrence of these abnormal behavioural responses or by personality traits. To this end, fifteen mixed breed adult mares, housed outdoors, underwent three validated equine personality tests (open field test, novel object test, and startle test) and a new behavioural test aimed to assess neuroticism in horses. Subsequently, the mares were housed in individual stalls for three consecutive days and were filmed using continuous focal sampling to monitor acute abnormal behavioural responses. At the end of the third day, three additional tests were conducted to assess the emotional state of the mares in the stalls: memory bias test, judgement bias test, and attention test. The results showed that the mares exhibited box walking behaviour but no other abnormal behaviour when housed for three days in an individual box stall. Box walking events were counted and ranked according to the frequency observed in each mare. The median of these values was used to separate the mares into two groups categorized as with and without abnormal behaviour. Principal component analyses were performed to extract the main personality traits from each test; however, there was no association between the extract traits and the groups with and without abnormal behaviour. Additionally, no association was found between box walking frequency and the responses in the memory, judgement, and attention tests. When testing the association of personality traits with cognitive tests, neuroticism showed an association with the memory test, the insecurity trait (novel object test) was negatively associated with the judgement bias test, and the duration of the first alert event (startle test) and neuroticism were associated with the attention test. This study identified box walking within the first three days of housing; however, it was not possible to associate this behaviour with personality traits or cognitive test responses. Nevertheless, certain personality traits, including neuroticism, may be associated with horses' cognitive responses over a short period of individual housing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"293 ","pages":"Article 106813"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145690735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}