Abstract
Brain lateralization enables preferential processing of certain stimuli and more effective utilization of these stimuli in either the left or the right cerebral hemisphere. Horses show both motor and sensory lateralization patterns. Our aim was to determine whether a lateralized response could be detected in foals during the naturally side-biased behaviour, suckling. The foals’ preferred suckling side could be the effect of either visual or motor lateralization. In the case of a visual lateralized response, foals are expected to suck more often from the mother’s right side, so potential danger can be detected by the better adapted right hemisphere (i.e. left eye). Motor lateralization can be identified when a foal will suck predominantly from one side, either left or right. We found no population trend in the preferred suckling side, but we detected significant differences amongst individual foals. One-third (35.4 %) of 79 foals showed a strong, either right or left side preference which increased with age. The mothers did not influence the foals’ suckling side preferences either by side-biased rejection or termination of suckling. According to our findings, a general pattern of sucking with the left eye open for better danger detection and recognition is unlikely in foals up to 7 months old. Foals of this age are probably young or fully focused on suckling and rely on their mothers’ vigilance. Individual side preferences amongst foals are suggested to be based on motor lateralization.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Lenka Gotthardová and Jan Höck, the former and current directors, as well as to other staff, mainly Illona Křížová and Eva Kozlová, of the National Stud Kladruby nad Labem, for their support and assistance. We are grateful to Jitka Komárková, Marta Komárková and Jana Dubcová for excellent field assistance and to Professor Stephen E. G. Lea, Katrina Franken and Jan Kokoška for improving English of the manuscript. We highly appreciate helpful comments on the manuscript by Jan Pluháček, Luděk Bartoš and two anonymous referees. The project was supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of the Czech Republic (project Nos. QH92265 and MZe0002701404).
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Komárková, M., Bartošová, J. Lateralized suckling in domestic horses (Equus caballus). Anim Cogn 16, 343–349 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-012-0575-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-012-0575-x