Date of Award
2020
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelors
Department
Social Sciences
First Advisor
Harley, Heidi
Area of Concentration
Biopsychology
Abstract
Past research has shown that horses are able to learn via positive reinforcement-based training and can discriminate between a variety of olfactory stimuli. This study investigates whether horses can learn to respond to olfactory cues with trained behaviors. It was expected that horses would learn to produce specific behaviors in response to olfactory stimuli. Using positive reinforcement, three horses were trained in a set of four head movement behaviors, each associated with a different scent, and subsequently tested via presentation of the scent cues. Results indicated that horses did not learn to associate scents with specific behaviors, but did learn to perform one of the four behaviors when presented with the stimulus container.
Recommended Citation
Juge, Aiden, "JUDGING WITH A SNIFF: CAN HORSES ASSOCIATE SCENTS WITH TRAINED BEHAVIORS?" (2020). Theses & ETDs. 5866.
https://digitalcommons.ncf.edu/theses_etds/5866