Observing to Understand: Lessons from Animal Care

Sophie Morrill
UC Davis undergraduate, 2nd year
Major: Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology

Olivia grazing.

It's incredibly fascinating how much you can learn from observing animals in such a short amount of time. I began my internship with the Green Care Lab this January, with my only prior experience working with large animals dating back to high school. However, due to a busy schedule at that time, I was never able to develop a strong connection with them during my past volunteering. I was excited to have the chance to build a genuine, consistent bond with these animals while gaining valuable knowledge along the way. As I spend more and more time on the ranch, it has truly become the highlight of my week. After studying for long periods at the library or sitting through lectures all day, I find myself longing to walk the minis through the luscious grassy fields or prepare some of the enrichment activities for the animals. Something about spending time mucking the pens outside in the fresh air and pausing to give the animals a good scratch has been so mentally refreshing.

During my time at the Green Care Lab so far, I have spent time mucking the pens, taking the animals out for their daily walks, providing other enrichment, and working with them using clicker training. Over these past few months, I have not only had the pleasure of caring for these sweet animals but I have had the opportunity to observe the changes in animal behavior in relation to the natural environment and training/enrichment activities. Through this process, I have become more observant and in tune with the animals' expressions, which is very important to me as I hope to eventually attend vet school or at least work with animals in the future.

Being out in the fields in the winter, both the animals and our team have been exposed to the elements. During the many rainy days we have had this quarter I have witnessed changes in the animals’ moods in relation to the weather. Since we were unable to walk them or take them out to the field for turnout time due to flooding and excess mud, their behavior shifted significantly. I observed that the animals had lower energy and seemed to want more affection and attention these days while they huddled underneath the overhangs in their pens. Seeing their more melancholy mood on these rainy days proved to me that providing activities like enrichment and taking them for walks truly does make a significant difference in their well-being and are crucial parts of the animals’ routines.

Another notable behavioral shift I observed involved our delightful mini horse, Olivia. The day we first met Olivia, during our orientation for the lab, Olivia was very shy and would not allow us to approach her unless we were carrying a lead or halter. As a team, we made an effort to approach her slowly and worked to keep all interactions both safe and positive for her. Over this past quarter, we have all watched her bloom, with more of her personality showing through each day. Olivia is now accepting scratches and allows us to approach her with ease for the most part. Though she still has some nervous moments, I am so proud of the progress we have made with her. It is truly beautiful to watch an animal gain your trust as you work to nurture a positive relationship with them and a safe environment for them. This experience has reinforced the importance of adapting my approach based on an animal's comfort level and has shown me that prioritizing their happiness can positively impact their comfort and trust in you.

Similarly, this past quarter we have been working on training the goats to become more comfortable with people touching and picking up their hooves. In hopes of creating a positive association with this treatment, we have been clicker training them by producing a click and treats when we touch or pick up their hooves. Towards the beginning of the quarter they seemed quite uncomfortable with any touching of their legs and hooves during restraint for hoof trimming, bucking and kicking to try and get away. Since then, as we have practiced clicker training more frequently, both Lilly and Cal have become much more comfortable with this process. Overall, the clicker training has been very successful in reducing the goat’s fear surrounding their hooves and legs being handled.

Reflecting further, having the opportunity to spend so much time with these animals consistently has really allowed me to observe the slightest changes in their behavior through training, exposure, and environmental changes. Being attentive to an animal's behavior in response to environmental stimuli and your interactions with them is a crucial skill in both veterinary medicine and wildlife fieldwork--two fields that I am passionate about pursuing in the future. Thus, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with such sweet creatures, learning from them every day. I look forward to continuing my journey in animal care and behavioral observation next quarter.