Honors Theses
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/241604
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Item Open Access Captivating interest at small-scale equine events(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Lewis, Augusta Rose, author; Stone, Cayla, advisor; Matlock, Sarah, committee memberAttendance at the Right Horse Showcase—an event organized for students in ANEQ205 where they gain knowledge and valuable opportunities to work with horses from diverse backgrounds, and later offer them up for adoption - has been relatively small in recent years. Previous research suggests that several variables influence attendance, including competition with other events, weather conditions, cost, entertainment value, and the effectiveness of media outreach. Emotional engagement and the choice of facility also play important roles. These factors are further supported by organizations such as the American Wild Horse Conservation, which generated $4 million following significant revisions to their advertising and marketing strategies. This paper explores how a comprehensive marketing approach may improve engagement and increase attendance, and includes an example of a marketing application for the Right Horse Showcase.Item Open Access Modifying defecation behavior in cattle(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2025) Quintero, Valeria, author; Engle, Terry, advisor; Carvalho, Pedro, committee memberCattle do not naturally defecate in specific locations, creating challenges for hygiene, health, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability in production systems. The ability to toilet train cattle to defecate in designated areas would enable improved management of feces reducing greenhouse gas emissions, cost of management, and enhancing animal welfare. In this proof-of-concept study, we evaluated whether defecation behavior in steers could be modified using negative reinforcement. Eight halter-trained steers were randomly assigned to either an experimental (n = 4) or control (n = 4) group. Over a total of 22 consecutive days, individual steers were placed daily in a 13×4-foot training pen for a two-hour session. Experimental steers were tied and released only after defecation occurred, at which point they also received a small feed reward (distillers' grain). If defecation did not occur, steers were released after two hours without reinforcement. Control steers were similarly tied and released upon defecation but received no feed reward. All sessions were observed, and data was collected on defecation timing and frequency. Contrary to expectations, the experimental group took longer on average to defecate than the control group. Further investigation is needed to refine training strategies and assess the role of motivation, stress, and environmental familiarity in modifying elimination behaviors in cattle.