Volume: 5, 2026
5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: A038
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.A038
Published online: 22 April 2026
Assessment of the behaviour of horses of different ages in response to familiar and unfamiliar odors
Marta Wnęk* and Elżbieta Wnuk
Department of Horse Breeding and Use, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 13 Akademicka Street, 20-950, Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: marta.wnek@up.edu.pl
Based on previous scientific research, a hypothesis was developed regarding the behavioral responses of horses in different age groups when exposed to familiar and unfamiliar odors. It was assumed that horses would demonstrate greater interest and a broader range of behaviors when exposed to new odors. The aim of this study was to conduct a detailed observation and analysis of horses’ behavior when exposed to herbs belonging to three groups: unfamiliar, familiar only by smell, and familiar by both taste and smell, considering the influence of the horses’ age on their behavioral responses.
Behavioral assessments were conducted on a group of 16 horses ranging in age from 4 to 20 years. The horses participating in the study were warmblood horses (Polish halfbred) and ponies (Felin Pony). All the horses were kept in identical conditions. The horses were fed meadow hay and oats. The botanical composition of the hay did not include any of the plats used in the study.
As part of the study, horses were exposed to the scent of dried plant placed in a special container to prevented them from being eaten. Nine plant species were used, divided into three groups: unfamiliar to horses (Aronia melanocarpa, Rubus idaeus, Carum carvi), familiar only by smell (Rosmarinus officinalis, Calendula officinalis, Rosa canina), familiar by both taste and smell (Leonurus cardiaca, Origanum vulgare, Achillea millefolium). The experiment consisted of two phases an adaptation period and the main research phase. To conduct an objective observation and behavioral analysis of horses, an ethogram of cognitive behaviors that occur during olfactory exploration was used. The collected data was analyzed in detail using Statistica 13.3. Based on the results, it was concluded that the behavioral responses of horses in different age groups differ when exploring familiar and unfamiliar odors.
Keywords: behavior; herbs; horse; olfactory
How to cite
Wnęk M., Wnuk E., 2026. Assessment of the behaviour of horses of different ages in response to familiar and unfamiliar odors. In: 5th International PhD Students’ Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL5.A038