We have found a product on the internet known as the "ViceBreaker"
and would like to hear your views on it.
It is designed to 'cure' horses of all kinds of vices, from biting
to windsucking, by punishing the horse using a mild electric shock
when it carries out the undesired behaviour.
This product is designed mainly to treat two types of behaviour (although
it also has other training uses where punishment is used in learning).
The first type is aggressive behaviour such as biting or kicking and
the second type is stereotypic behaviour such as crib-biting, wind-sucking
and weaving.
Aggressive behaviour in horses can be caused by hormonal imbalances
so it is always advisable to have a vet check the horse for this first
before taking further action. Once this is ruled out it should be
noted that frustration is often the cause of aggression so the horse's
management should be reviewed. If you punish a horse for aggression
that is the result of frustration, you will only further frustrate
him and cause more problems.
However, it could be that the horse has learnt to perform aggressive
behaviours and been inadvertently rewarded for them and the behaviour
then becomes established. Here is an example: Consider the horse kept
in the field with his companions, we shall call him "Horse A" One
day the owner of one of the other horses comes to the field and feeds
his horse only. "Horse A" feels he is missing out and bites the horse
who is eating. This horse then backs of and "Horse A" gets the feed.
He has been rewarded for biting the other horse. "Horse A" quickly
learns that he can get the feed by biting other horses and there you
have the beginnings of a problem.
There are numerous other examples of how horses are accidently rewarded
for bad behaviour. In this instance the behaviour has been learned
so by using a device such as the "ViceBreaker" the problem can be
reversed. However, it is usually quite difficult to pin point the
cause or origin of aggressive behaviours.
The second type of behaviour, stereotypies, is more complex. Stereotypies
are repetitive behaviours which appear to serve no function. These
include wind-sucking, crib-biting, weaving, compulsive wood chewing
(i.e. not just the odd nibble) and box walking.
Their causes are not fully understood, but as stereotypies are not
seen in wild animals they are probably the result of the stresses
of domestic living. Scientists believe a combination of factors such
as lack of forage in the diet, confinement, lack of social contact
and genetic predisposition contribute to their development.
Once the horse starts displaying stereotypies they can quickly become
established. One explanation for this is that performing the stereotypy
releases chemicals in the body which act as a natural 'high' and this
helps the horse cope with the stresses of his environment. In this
instance punishing the horse for showing this behaviour would be preventing
him using his coping mechanism, causing serious welfare concerns.
Reviewing the way the horse is managed is important in treating stereotypies.
What makes it more complicated is that the behaviour can continue
even after the cause has been removed. In this instance the use of
the "ViceBreaker" may stop the behaviour and be beneficial as stereotypies
can cause physiological damage to the horse.
Again, it is important that the cause of the stereotypy has been removed
- this being very difficult as we cannot ask the horse himself.
Please have a look at the "ViceBreaker" website at www.vicebreaker.com
and read the product information and customer testimonals.
Then let us know what you think on our
'Horse Care' discussion board. |
