Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot Study
This study aimed to use a computer-controlled touchscreen system to examine visual discrimination in Garrano horses (<i>Equus caballus</i>), an endangered breed of pony belonging to the Iberian horse family. This pilot study focused on the perceptual similarity among letters of the alpha...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | Animals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/24/3514 |
| _version_ | 1797461741112655872 |
|---|---|
| author | Clara-Lynn Schubert Barbara Ryckewaert Carlos Pereira Tetsuro Matsuzawa |
| author_facet | Clara-Lynn Schubert Barbara Ryckewaert Carlos Pereira Tetsuro Matsuzawa |
| author_sort | Clara-Lynn Schubert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aimed to use a computer-controlled touchscreen system to examine visual discrimination in Garrano horses (<i>Equus caballus</i>), an endangered breed of pony belonging to the Iberian horse family. This pilot study focused on the perceptual similarity among letters of the alphabet. We tested five horses in a one-male unit (OMU) living permanently in a semi-free enclosure near their natural habitat in Serra d’Arga, northern Portugal. Horses were trained to nose-touch black circles that appeared on the screen. Then, they were tested for discrimination of five letters of the Latin alphabet in Arial font, namely O, B, V, Z, and X, using a two-choice discrimination task. The confusion matrix of letter pairs was used to show the MDS and to identify the relative contribution of shape features. The results showed perceptual similarities among letters with curvatures pitted against those of straight lines. Shape perception in horses seems to share features with that of humans and other animals living in different niches. The touchscreen system proved to be an objective and innovative way of studying cognition in the socially organized group of horses. The automated system can promote the welfare of captive horses by maximizing their freedom of movement. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:24:37Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-064dd9095f294a88a766e0af22877ce0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2615 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:24:37Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-064dd9095f294a88a766e0af22877ce02023-11-24T12:51:02ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152022-12-011224351410.3390/ani12243514Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot StudyClara-Lynn Schubert0Barbara Ryckewaert1Carlos Pereira2Tetsuro Matsuzawa3Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurosciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering of Sorbonne University, CEDEX 05, 75005 Paris, FranceLaboratory «Scenes of the World, Creation, Critical Knowledge», Doctoral School of Aesthetics, Sciences and Technology of the Arts, University of Paris 8 Vincennes, CEDEX 02, 93526 Saint-Denis, FranceDepartment of LEA (Applied Foreign Languages), University of Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle, CEDEX 05, 75230 Paris, FranceDivision of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USAThis study aimed to use a computer-controlled touchscreen system to examine visual discrimination in Garrano horses (<i>Equus caballus</i>), an endangered breed of pony belonging to the Iberian horse family. This pilot study focused on the perceptual similarity among letters of the alphabet. We tested five horses in a one-male unit (OMU) living permanently in a semi-free enclosure near their natural habitat in Serra d’Arga, northern Portugal. Horses were trained to nose-touch black circles that appeared on the screen. Then, they were tested for discrimination of five letters of the Latin alphabet in Arial font, namely O, B, V, Z, and X, using a two-choice discrimination task. The confusion matrix of letter pairs was used to show the MDS and to identify the relative contribution of shape features. The results showed perceptual similarities among letters with curvatures pitted against those of straight lines. Shape perception in horses seems to share features with that of humans and other animals living in different niches. The touchscreen system proved to be an objective and innovative way of studying cognition in the socially organized group of horses. The automated system can promote the welfare of captive horses by maximizing their freedom of movement.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/24/3514horse cognitionletters of the alphabetshape perceptiontouchscreen systemoperant conditioning: shapingone-male unit |
| spellingShingle | Clara-Lynn Schubert Barbara Ryckewaert Carlos Pereira Tetsuro Matsuzawa Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot Study Animals horse cognition letters of the alphabet shape perception touchscreen system operant conditioning: shaping one-male unit |
| title | Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot Study |
| title_full | Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot Study |
| title_short | Garrano Horses Perceive Letters of the Alphabet on a Touchscreen System: A Pilot Study |
| title_sort | garrano horses perceive letters of the alphabet on a touchscreen system a pilot study |
| topic | horse cognition letters of the alphabet shape perception touchscreen system operant conditioning: shaping one-male unit |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/12/24/3514 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT claralynnschubert garranohorsesperceivelettersofthealphabetonatouchscreensystemapilotstudy AT barbararyckewaert garranohorsesperceivelettersofthealphabetonatouchscreensystemapilotstudy AT carlospereira garranohorsesperceivelettersofthealphabetonatouchscreensystemapilotstudy AT tetsuromatsuzawa garranohorsesperceivelettersofthealphabetonatouchscreensystemapilotstudy |