Play Behavior Project Summary

Amy Poulin and Sue M. McDonnell
Equine Behavior Laboratory
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

One of the fundamental starting points for behavior research is an ethogram of the species under study.  An ethogram is a categorical description of specific behavioral responses and sequences.

To our knowledge, a complete equid ethogram has not been published.  However, our lab has completed and published an inter-male agonistic ethogram and is preparing ethograms of equid parental-foal interactions as well as sexual behavior.  My contribution to our lab's long term goal of completing the equid ethogram was to focus on play behavior within all age groups and both sexes during the summer of 2000.

Our approach was as it had been for the lab’s previous ethogram work.  We first undertook an international literature search to determine what descriptions and nomenclature others have used when describing play in equids.  I also observed our semi-feral herd of ponies to obtain representative photographs of the various forms of play.  My work was then combined with previous observations from our laboratory on horses and ponies, Przewalskii horses, donkeys, and zebra. 

The format of our ethogram includes for each behavior entry: a line drawing depicting the behavior, a text description, references to other names used, specific comments regarding each behavior, and a photograph of the behavior in context. 

A draft of the play ethogram was sent to equine behavior scientists world wide for their review and commentary.  The manuscript was then submitted to Applied Animal Behavior Science where it will be published in a special issue to be published in 2002, the year of the horse!

Material from this play ethogram will also be included in a book version of the entire equid ethogram to be published in 2003 by Eclipse Publications.