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Topic:Observational Study
Observational studies in horses involve systematically assessing and recording behaviors, conditions, or other characteristics without manipulating the study environment. These studies provide insights into natural equine behaviors, health conditions, and interactions with their environment. Researchers often focus on aspects such as herd dynamics, feeding patterns, or responses to environmental changes. The data collected can help identify trends, correlations, and potential risk factors for certain conditions. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various observational methodologies and their applications in understanding equine behavior and health.
Musculoskeletal Burden in German Equestrians: Hip-Specific Symptoms and Risk Factors. Equestrian sport is a major component of German athletics, with broad recreational participation and a strong competitive sector. In 2019, about 2.32 million people identified as active riders, and more than 60,000 competitional licences were issued in 2021, reflecting substantial competitive engagement across the Olympic disciplines and national performance levels. Hip pain is a frequent and clinically relevant complaint among athletes and can stem from structural, degenerative, or overuse-related causes. In riding, the hip joint is crucial for transmitting forces and coordinating rider-horse...
A study of the forces generated during equine cheek tooth extraction. Significant force is often applied when elevating equine teeth from the alveolus during extraction. No previous studies have investigated these forces. Objective: To develop a method to allow measurement of elevation forces (EF) applied during extraction, and to record forces during extraction of cheek teeth in both cadaver specimens and clinical cases, evaluating factors that might affect this and comparing differences between tooth positions and horse signalments. Methods: In vitro experimental study of cadavers and observational study of a convenience sample of clinical cases. Methods: Stra...
Evaluation of Point-of-Care Coagulation Measurement Systems for Activated Clotting Time and Partial Thromboplastin Time in Heparinized and Non-Heparinized Equine Blood. To compare the performance of one point-of-care activated clotting time (ACT) machine (Vet-Tube), one point-of-care activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) machine (Coagulation DX), and one bench-top ACT machine (Medtronic ACT II plus) with previously published measurements from stationary devices in whole blood from healthy horses. Methods: Prospective, observational study SETTING: University veterinary teaching hospital, from August 2023 to September 2023. Methods: Thirty healthy university-owned horses. Methods: ACT and aPTT were measured via point-of-care analyzers (ACT POC, aPTT POC)...
Successful restoration of heathlands and grasslands associated with long-term habitat preferences of cattle and horses: Insights from GPS tracking. Long-term, year-round grazing by large herbivores is increasingly used to restore degraded temperate heathlands and grasslands, yet the behavioral mechanisms of grazers underlying restoration remain insufficiently understood. We combined over 13 years of high-resolution GPS-tracking data of free-ranging Heck cattle and Konik horses with repeated vegetation surveys across various habitat types (encroachment-derived Calamagrostis epigejos stands, dry sandy grasslands, dry heaths, and pioneer forests) in Central Germany. We quantified how habitat preference and vegetation structure co-develop und...
Cervical spinal cord compression may affect anesthetic recovery quality and seizure incidence in horses after myelography. To compare anesthetic recovery quality and seizure incidence after cervical myelography in horses with or without cervical spinal cord compression. Unassigned: Anesthesia and medical records from January 2017 to December 2022 of horses anesthetized for myelography were retrieved. Patients with incomplete records, equine protozoal myeloencephalitis diagnosis, or an anesthetic protocol outside an established standard were excluded. Demographic analysis, ataxia score, and anesthetic management variables were recorded in an observational retrospective fashion. Each variable was compared between gr...
A non-trauma-focused equine-assisted intervention was associated with reductions in all four PTSD symptom clusters in treatment-resistant military veterans. Veterans are at greater risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and show a poorer response to first-line treatments than civilians. Although equine-assisted interventions (EAIs) represent a promising alternative for military veterans,the underlying mechanisms remain uncertain, and their effectiveness across different PTSD symptom clusters has yet to be established. This study examined the effects of a non-trauma-focused EAI on specific PTSD symptoms in treatment-resistant military veterans. Unassigned: Participants in the intervention were military veterans diagnosed with PTSD...
Equine-assisted coaching in formerly incarcerated men with histories of substance abuse: a 12-week exploratory study of anger regulation, quality of life, human-horse synchrony, and equine behavior. Equine-assisted interventions are increasingly used as complementary approaches to support psychosocial functioning, yet empirical evidence in justice-involved populations with histories of substance abuse remains limited. The present exploratory quantitative study examined the effects of a 12-week equine-assisted coaching program on anger regulation, quality of life, and human-horse synchrony in formerly incarcerated men, while also monitoring equine behavioral responses from a One Health perspective. Eleven male participants residing in a residential reintegration facility in the Netherlands...
Do Polish Konik Horses Find Soaked Hay to Be Palatable? Frequently, equine diseases necessitate the moistening or soaking of hay for the horses. It was assumed that this treatment would not reduce the willingness of the Polish Konik horses with low nutritional requirements to consume the hay. Furthermore, it was believed that moistening would increase the palatability of this feed. The aim of this study was to determine time and frequency parameters and the amount of unconsumed dry, moist, or soaked hay. The research material comprised 12 Polish Konik horses consuming either 1 kg of dry hay, 2.1 kg of moist hay, or 3.3 kg of soaked hay on three sub...
Feasibility of a hand-held myotonometry device for measuring biomechanical muscle parameters in horses. To evaluate the feasibility of a hand-held myotometry device for measuring the biomechanical parameters (frequency, stiffness, and decrement) of the longissimus dorsi muscle in the thoracolumbar region of healthy horses. Unassigned: Data were obtained from 50 adult horses. The biomechanical parameters were measured using a MyotonPRO device in triple-scan mode. Measurements were recorded on both sides, with the horses standing square. The analysis focused on whether there were differences between the sides and correlations between the variables. Unassigned: The mean muscle frequency (hertz) was...
Anatomical distribution of meconium detected by focused abdominal ultrasound in hospitalized healthy and sick neonatal foals. Meconium impaction is a common cause of neonatal colic in foals, yet its ultrasonographic appearance and distribution remain poorly characterized. Objective: This study aimed to describe the frequency, distribution, and ultrasonographic appearance of meconium in hospitalized neonatal foals using a standardized focused ultrasound (FUS) abdominal protocol. Methods: The FUS protocol included 9 acoustic windows (3 left-sided, 3 ventral, 3 right-sided) and was performed once during hospitalization by a single operator using a curvilinear transducer. Results: Thirty-six foals (16 healthy and 20 sick...
Outcomes and racing performance in thoroughbreds following a long-term injury sustained during a jump race in Great Britain. Limited literature is available about the career outcomes of horses sustaining a long-term injury (LTI) in a jump race. Methods: All Thoroughbreds that sustained an LTI, defined as any non-fatal musculoskeletal injury requiring a minimum 90-day break from racing, in a British jump race between May 2018 and April 2023 were followed up for at least 24 months and outcomes described. Pre-injury racing performance was compared between horses that did and did not return to racing, and post-injury racing performance was compared between horses that sustained tendon/ligament injuries and fractures. R...
Conflict Behaviour Frequency During Show Jumping Competitions: A Practical Study. With society's ever-growing concern for animal welfare, the equestrian industry has focused on passing and enforcing new rules to protect the main athlete, the horse. In jumping, courses go by quickly, with judges using the occurrence of conflict behaviours to assess any welfare breach. This study aimed to evaluate the overall frequency of such behaviours in Brazilian Sport Horses during elite show jumping competitions in Brazil. Conflict behaviour displays were analyzed in 120 different horse-rider pairs in jumping competitions in Brazil. All videos were observed at a slowed-down speed, with ...
Management factors associated with abnormal behaviours in rural Chilean working horses. Working horses remain essential for rural livelihoods in Chile and across Latin America. However, housing and management conditions in these systems are poorly characterised, underscoring the need for standardised welfare assessments to generate evidence and guide targeted improvements. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of abnormal behaviours in rural working horses and to examine associations with management and housing related factors. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. Methods: Seventy-seven working horses from a rural area of the Papudo commune (Valparaíso Region, Chile) we...
Industry Perceptions of Thoroughbred Racehorse Emotions and Quality of Life: Implications for the Development of an Equine Quality of Life Assessment Tool. Understanding how horses experience their lives is essential for improving their welfare, particularly in high-performance industries such as horseracing. Quality of Life (QoL) frameworks highlight the balance between positive and negative experiences over time, yet there is limited evidence on how racing professionals assess horse emotions and QoL, especially positive emotional states. This study reports findings from an international online survey of 230 racing industry participants. It explored confidence in assessing racehorse emotions, the perceived importance of emotional state for perfo...
Cardiac Cost During Submaximal Exercise as a Practical Monitoring Tool in French Standardbred Trotters: Short-Term Reproducibility of Non-Invasive Field-Derived Indicators. Routine monitoring in racehorses requires indicators that are reproducible and practical under real training conditions. This observational study evaluated the short-term reproducibility of cardiovascular and speed indicators in French Standardbred trotters, with a particular focus on cardiac cost (CC), defined as the ratio of heart rate to speed (beats·m). The full dataset comprised 483 sessions from 60 trotters and was used to describe age-related patterns. For reproducibility analyses, consecutive monitored sessions within the same horse were grouped into follow-up blocks when the interval...
Open habitats and species differences shape space use in semi-feral cattle and horses across Danish rewilding sites. Large herbivores can strongly influence ecosystem structure and biodiversity, making knowledge of their space use important for trophic rewilding. We used GPS-tracking data collected over two years from 10 semi-feral cattle and 17 horses across ten Danish rewilding sites to analyse habitat use in a use-availability framework using resource selection functions (RSFs), complemented by direct behavioural observations. Both species showed large individual variability but overall used habitats disproportionately to availability, with higher relative use of open habitats; including dry grassland and...
Effects of an Equine-Assisted Riding Program on Motor Performance, Movement Quality, and Well-Being Among Young Inmates. Equine-assisted programs have been shown to promote psychosocial outcomes, but quantitative evidence of motor benefits in correctional settings is scarce. Objective: The present study examined the effects of a one-week equine-assisted riding program on riding performance, movement quality, and well-being among young inmates in an open German prison. Methods: Ten male participants (24.5 ± 0.71 years) completed a five-day program combining practical riding exercises, cooperative activities, and guided reflection. Riding performance was assessed using standardized expert video ratings based on t...
Bronchoalveolar lavage changes the ultrasonographic and radiographic appearances of lungs in adult horses. To describe the effect of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) on the ultrasonographic and radiographic appearances of lungs of horses being evaluated for equine asthma syndrome (EAS). Unassigned: Prospective observational study enrolling 32 adult horses evaluated for EAS. Ultrasonographic and radiographic examinations of the thorax were performed before and within 3 hours following BAL and scored using previously validated systems. The differences in scores between groups (normal, mild EAS, moderate/severe EAS) were evaluated through the Kruskal-Wallis test, and the differences in scores before and f...
Farm Atmosphere: Calm Attention and Mobility Characterise Positive Horse Welfare. On-farm welfare assessment of equines is a challenge given the large diversity of management practices, especially in terms of housing and activities. In our study, we tested time budget measures as a complementary tool to more conventional welfare indicators (e.g., stereotypic behaviours, ear position while foraging, neck shape). We observed 174 horses living in eight facilities (in their home environment) for which data on management practices and welfare were available. Time budget was assessed using the scan sampling method (1 min scan sampling over 30 min; 33 scans), while welfare assessm...
Synchronization dynamics between rider and saddle motion across gaits revealed by IMU analysis. Effective rider-horse coordination is essential for performance and welfare, yet objective, field-based quantification of rider-saddle synchronization across gaits remains limited. Objective: To quantify dynamic synchronization between rider motion and saddle motion (as a proxy for horse trunk oscillations) across walk, trot, and canter using a minimal inertial measurement unit (IMU) setup, and to determine whether synchronization differs between rider body segments. Methods: Two experienced riders (8-20 years riding experience) rode their own or familiar warmblood horses (n = 2; age 6-14 year...
From Concept to Perception: Equestrian Definitions of Harmony and Visual Attention in Horse-Rider Evaluation. In equestrian circles, horse-rider harmony is understood intuitively, yet clear criteria are lacking. This study examined how different equestrians conceptualized and visually assessed harmony and how this influenced scoring. Qualitative interviews were combined with eye tracking technology. Thirty equestrians assessed five videos of horse-rider combinations performing in dressage, showjumping, eventing, working equitation and Icelandic riding, with eye movements being recorded using a mounted eye tracker. Verbal definitions were analyzed using thematic analysis, revealing three overarching th...
Owner-Reported Cohort Study of Causes, Management and Outcome of Traumatic Wounds in 219 Horses. Current evidence on traumatic equine wounds are predominantly from expert opinion reviews or referral hospital studies. This study aimed to describe the owner-reported causes, management and outcome of equine wounds. An owner-reported cohort approach was used. Owners of horses with recent traumatic wounds were recruited through snowball sampling. Data were collected from initial injury to final healing and outcome, including horse demographics, wound cause and location, owner- and veterinary-administered treatment, and outcome. Descriptive statistics included frequency percentages (%, x/y) and...
Short-term clinical responses in horses and ponies treated with canagliflozin: A clinical field study. Treatment with the sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin in insulin dysregulated (ID) horses has shown promising results in randomised clinical trials. Larger field studies are needed to further evaluate treatment responses and potential adverse effects under real-world conditions. Objective: To assess the short-term effects of canagliflozin on postprandial glucose and insulin responses in client-owned horses and ponies with ID using a single-sample feed-challenge test (FCT), and to characterise treatment-associated changes in bodyweight, liver enzyme activities, and ...
Lacrimal caruncula thermography overestimates rectal temperature in horses: Influence of camera type and measurement distance. Rectal temperature (RT) is the gold standard for assessing body temperature in horses, but handling and welfare concerns limit its use. Thermography of the lacrimal caruncula (LC) has been proposed as a noncontact alternative, although its accuracy may be influenced by device characteristics and measurement distance. Objective: To evaluate agreement between LC thermography and RT in horses, compare two infrared thermal cameras and determine the effect of camera-to-subject distance on measurement bias and variability. Methods: LC temperature was recorded at 0.5, 1 and 2 using two cameras (IR Fl...
Factors influencing gestation length in Mares in the Tiaret region, Algeria. Gestation length is a key parameter in equine reproductive management, yet its variability remains poorly documented in Barb and Arabian mares under Algerian conditions. Objective: This study aims to determine gestation length in mares and to assess the influence of various factors, including breed, year of mating, mating month, mare age, parity, reproductive status, stallion and the foal's sex on gestation duration. Methods: A total of 133 mares from the National Stud Farm of Tiaret (Algeria) were monitored over the period 2021-2024. Results: The mean gestation length was 332.5 days (range: 3...
Quantitative evaluation of behavioral and physiological adaptation during retraining of retired Thoroughbred racehorses. Retired Thoroughbred racehorses commonly transition into riding roles, yet outward behavioral calmness may not fully reflect internal physiological regulation, with implications for safety. Objective: To quantify behavioral and autonomic adaptation across repeated startle exposures and assess concordance between behavioral and physiological indicators. Methods: Twelve retired Thoroughbreds underwent standardized plastic-bag startle trials conducted across three sessions (T1-T3), each including pre-training (Before) and post-training (After) phases, with three repeated exposures at 5-minute int...
Rostral hard palate swelling (lampas) in horses: true or fiction? This study aimed to determine the occurrence of swellings (lampas) in the rostral portion of the hard palate in young, adult, and elderly horses and to characterize them histologically. One hundred and twenty horses of different ages were evaluated by oral inspection. Horses were classified with lampas when the mucosa of the hard palate extended beyond the occlusal surface of the upper incisors and samples of palatal mucosa were collected. Ten other horses without rostral hard palate alterations, euthanized for unrelated causes, were included as the control group. Histological analysis include...
Measuring Chuckwagon Racehorse Movement Asymmetry Before and After Racing Using Wearable GNSS-IMUs: A Preliminary Study. In Chuckwagon racing, teams of four Thoroughbred horses pull wagons at high speeds. Movement symmetry is a key locomotion metric linked to force production, racing direction, and lameness. Racehorse symmetry in trot during on-track warmups and cooldowns was assessed. Over 10 days, 60 horses (average 8 per day) were fitted with Global Navigation Satellite Systems combined with Inertial Measurement Unit (GNSS-IMU) sensors. Weight-bearing asymmetry was quantified using the minimum difference (MnD) in vertical trunk displacement between diagonal limb pairs, and push-off asymmetry was quantified us...
Monitoring horse behaviour with deep learning models. Detailed analysis of stabled horse behaviour can reveal accurate information about its well-being. Advances in deep learning now allow these behaviours to be tracked without being invasive through the use of video data. This study evaluated a convolutional neural network for recognising standing, lying, and drinking behaviours in a horse housed in a wooden stall and recorded continuously over 29 consecutive days. Model predictions were compared with manually annotated ground truth data. Standing was detected with high precision (97.5%) and high recall (89.2%). Lying behaviour was classified wi...
Comparison Between Inertial Sensor and Video-Based Detection of Spatiotemporal Limb Movement Parameters During Equine Swimming. Equine swimming is increasingly used for injury prevention and rehabilitation, but objective analysis of movement during swimming remains limited compared to land-based locomotion. Spatiotemporal parameters are essential for evaluating therapeutic outcomes, yet capturing these parameters is technically challenging due to difficulties in observing limb motion in water. Inertial sensors, already widely applied in equine science, offer a promising solution for measuring swimming kinematics objectively. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reliability of inertial sensors placed on equin...
