Why does my stallion not perform as eagerly in the breeding shed as in the past? Why does my mare's ground behavior become nearly unbearable during estrus? Is there a reason that my gelding isn't moving along as easily in his training as other horses I've worked with in the past? What can be done about each situation? These are all questions that a unique group of equine veterinarians, researchers, and students seek to answer every day at New Bolton Center's Equine Behavior Laboratory in Kennett Square, Pa., which is part of the Section of Reproduction at the University of Pennsylvania's (UPenn) School of Veterinary Medicine.

They answer these questions in their diagnosis and treatment of clinical cases, observances of a semi-feral herd of ponies (feral horses are those that roam freely and whose ancestors were domestic, while a semi-feral herd is enclosed or managed), and research into the cognitive ability, temperament, and learning of horses.

In The Horse's Behavior column each month, you've read responses to your behavior questions posed to Sue McDonnell, PhD, Certified AAB (Applied Animal Behaviorist), founder of the Equine Behavior Laboratory at New Bolton.

There are three main areas of the behavior program–clinical work, teaching, and research. All blend together to help better understand the mind and activities of the horse. A recent visit to the Equine Behavior Laboratory will help you get a glimpse of what goes on there every day and how those studies can help us, and our horses