Dr Sue McDonnell

Dr. Sue McDonnell is the founding head of the Equine Behaviour Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine in the USA. Her work includes clinical, research and teaching activities focussing on equine behaviour and is particularly interested in stallion behaviour. Dr. McDonnell is the author of Understanding Horse Behavior (published by The Blood Horse in their Horse Health Care Library Series) and The Equid Ethogram, A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behavior (published by Eclipse Press).

1) What led you to your career in equine behaviour?
Serendipity.  I was studying human psychology at the master’s level when the animal research colony facility had to be shut down for remodelling.  My next-door neighbor was a vet working at the University of Pennsylvania and asked me to consider doing my research for my masters and PhD on stallion behavior.

2) What are your current main research interests?
In our semi-feral herd we are studying:
a) foal developmental behavior and development in relation to natural weaning
b) gentling techniques for positive human animal interaction
c) growth and wear of hooves in relation to nutrition and activity patterns

3) Your speciality is sexual behaviour in horses. What do you think is the greatest myth held by horse owners in this field and please dispel it for us!
That a stationary female, standing all ready to mount is the most effective stimulus mare.  Movement in mares and the typical change from initially a bit feisty to then subdued, is what usually turns on a shy or quiet stallion, and is most stimulation to most stallions.

4) If a stallion and a mare run together in a domestic setting, how similar is their behaviour to a wild or feral stallion and mare?
Indistinguishable

5) It is common practise in the UK to keep geldings and mares separately in stable yards (perhaps for fear of injury and a perception that there is greater risk of injury in a mixed herd). Are we denying them certain behavioural opportunities?
Well geldings are not a natural gender, so tough to say what they represent other than other horses?  So I would have to think about it, but the geldings are probably in good company with each other.  

6) Stallions are often kept in social isolation apart from when they are to be bred. In wild herds, there are harem stallions and bachelor stallions and they all live together without life-threatening aggression. So, why are stallions in stud farms usually kept in social isolation rather than together?

Well, farms are not natural places and domestic management with so much coming and going of animals and grouping and re-grouping of animals is not natural.  If stallions were put in direct contact as adults, say in the same pasture, it would take some time to work it all out.  Since they would be confined within fences, two stallions new to each other would be at a greater risk of injury while they were working out their order.  The level of aggression may be higher and since the loser may not be able to escape, it could fairly dangerous.
 

7) What do you think is the most intriguing unanswered question in the field of equine behaviour? 

How complex is animal cognition?  What are they thinking?

 

8) Who has inspired you the most throughout your career?
Nikko Tinbergen, Konrad Lorenz, and BF Skinner.