Vliv struktury stáda koní na agonistické chování

The bachelor thesis deals with selected parts of equine ethology and manifestations of behaviour in communication, social behaviour and hierarchy. It focuses in more detail on the agonistic behaviour of horses, which involves interactions between two or more individuals in conflict. Agonistic behaviour is observed in three herds of horses with different structures. Ethological observations of three differently structured herds were made by direct observation over a period of forty light hours. Records of the interactions of individual herds were recorded in ethograms. The ethograms were then used to evaluate the frequency of interactions and the occurrence of individual manifestations of agonistic behaviour. The frequency and intensity of agonistic behaviour of horses in herds were evaluated and the behaviour in individual herds was compared. A total of 202 interactions were recorded during the follow-up period, of which 54 (27 %) interactions involved direct contact. The overall incidence of aggressive interactions with direct contact was most observed in stallion herds at 74 %, mares at 19 % and mixed herds (geldings, mares and foals) were found to occur in only 7%. The highest frequency was again observed in the stallion herd where there were 2.8 interactions per hour, in mares 1.3 interactions and in the mixed herd it was 1 interaction per hour. Stallions showed the highest intensity and frequency of agonistic behaviour. When comparing individual herds, there was a statistically highly significant difference in behaviour between the stallion herd and the mare herd, a statically significant difference between the stallion herd and the mixed herd, as well as between the mares herd and the mixed herd