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.
Potter K, Stevens K, Menzies-Gow N.A retrospective treated versus untreated study (study 1) and multicentre prospective cohort study (study 2) were undertaken to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors associated with, acute laminitis in horses treated with corticosteroids. All old treated with corticosteroids January-December 2014 (study 1) and January 2015-February 2017 (study 2) by two first opinion and referral hospitals in UK were included. Additionally, an untreated animal was identified for each treated animal (study one). Signalment, body condition (study 2 only), relevant medical history, primary condition, corti...
Piccolo L, Kienapfel K.Too much rein tension while riding may compromise the welfare of the horse. But who generates the tension on the reins-the horse or the rider? The primary aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the maximum rein tension that horses voluntarily maintain without a rider compared to rein tension with a rider. A secondary aim was to evaluate conflict behaviours in relation to rein tension. Thirteen horses were used, all fitted with customised "Animon" rein tension sensors (25 Hz, up to 600 N range), free-moving with side reins set in dressage competition frame with the noseline on the vertical. Re...
Mendonça RS, Ringhofer M, Pinto P, Inoue S, Hirata S.In the rapidly expanding field of comparative thanatology, reports from a wide range of taxa suggest that some aspects of a concept of death may be shared by many non-human species. In horses, there are only a few anecdotal reports on behaviors toward dead conspecifics, mostly concerning domestic individuals. Here, we describe the case of a 2-month-old, free-ranging male foal that died around 12 h after being found severely injured due to a presumed wolf attack, focusing on other individuals' reactions to the dying foal. We also placed camera traps near horse carcasses to investigate reaction...
Prinsloo M, Hynd P, Franklin S, Weaver S, van den Boom R.Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) is common in horses and many factors, including stress, may play a role in lesion development. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) provides a measure of medium to long-term stress and therefore, the relationship between HCC and ESGD was examined in this study. Hair samples were collected from 25 horses and gastroscopy was performed to determine the presence and severity of ESGD. Hair cortisol concentrations were lower in horses with ESGD (P = 0.014), and negatively correlated with lesion severity. Mares had lower HCC than geldings (P = 0.031), and a...
Bonilla AG. The aim of this study was to report the technique, experience and outcome of standing arthroscopic removal of dorsal osteochondral fragmentation of the metacarpophalangeal and metatarsophalangeal joint using a 1.2-mm needle arthroscope. Methods: This was a prospective clinical study. Methods: All horses referred for standing arthroscopic removal of dorsoproximal first phalanx fragments or fragments embedded in the distal aspect of the synovial plica were included. Relevant information from the cases was recorded. Follow-up was obtained by a telephone questionnaire. Results: Twenty-...
Niinistö KE, Määttä MA, Ruohoniemi MO, Paulaniemi M, Raekallio MR.Clinical problems related to intestinal sand accumulation in horses are common in certain geographic areas, but the clinical signs appear nonspecific and the course of the accumulation remains somewhat obscure. This study examined the association between the presence and size of intestinal sand accumulations and owner-reported clinical signs, management, and feeding practices, as well as behavioral patterns in horses with radiographic diagnosis of sand accumulation. Owners of the horses filled in an online questionnaire. A total of 447 responses met the inclusion criteria. The size of the sand...
Catalano DN, Heins BJ, Missaghi S, Hathaway MR, Martinson KL.Goldfish (Carassius auratus) have been reported as a method to keep water tanks clean; however, little information exists on this approach. The objectives were to evaluate the efficacy of goldfish on maintaining water quality in tanks and to evaluate the frequency that this method is used. The first objective was completed during June through October 2017 in St. Paul, MN, using plastic and metal 379 L stock tanks, each with and without goldfish in a drylot that housed six adult horses. The stocking rate was 5 goldfish per tank. Daily readings of total dissolved solids (TDS) and water turbidit...
Catalano DN, Coleman RJ, Hathaway MR, Neu AE, Wagner EL, Tyler PJ, McCue ME, Martinson KL.Adding breed type, height, and neck circumference to body length and girth circumference improves bodyweight (BW) estimation in different breeds of horses; however, equations have not been developed for all breed types. The objectives were to develop BW estimation equations for Miniature, saddle-type, and Thoroughbred horses using morphometric measurements. Measurements were collected on adult (≥3 years, nonpregnant) saddle-type (n = 209), adult (n = 249) and juvenile (<3 years, n = 61) Miniatures, and adult Thoroughbreds (n = 100). Personnel determined body condition score (BCS), m...
De Cozar M, Sherlock C, Knowles E, Mair T.Acute-phase proteins may help assess the nature and severity of lesions and outcome in horses undergoing colic surgery. Objective: To compare serum amyloid A and plasma fibrinogen concentrations ([SAA] and [fibrinogen]) in the immediate post-operative period after exploratory celiotomy and determine their value in assessment of post-operative complications and survival to discharge. Methods: Observational study. Methods: This study included horses over 1 year of age undergoing exploratory celiotomy. Surgical procedures, lesions, post-operative care, complications and survival to discharge wer...
Gross I, Hadar A, Bala M, Hashavya S.Horse riding has become increasingly popular in recent years and is a common activity among children. As a result, pediatric horse-related injuries are frequently encountered in emergency departments. Objective: To examine the characteristics of horse-related injuries in the pediatric population. Methods: We collected and analyzed the data on all pediatric horse-related injuries presented to a tertiary hospital, level one trauma center, during the years 2006-2016. Results: A total of 53 children with horse-related injuries were documented. Forty-two patients were male (79%) and their mean age ...
Gregson RA, Shaw M, Piper I, Clutton RE.This pilot study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of transcranial bioimpedance (TCBI) measurement and variability of TCBI values in healthy conscious horses and to study effects of body position and time on TCBI in anaesthetized horses. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Methods: A total of four research horses and 16 client-owned horses presented for surgery. Methods: After establishing optimal electrode position using computed tomography scans of cadaver heads, TCBI [described using impedance at zero frequency, R0, (Ω)] was measured in four conscious, resting horses to investigate ...
Boorman S, Stefanovski D, Southwood LL.To determine risk factors, especially age, associated with postoperative reflux (POR; >2 L of reflux present upon intubation), high-volume POR (≥20 L in 24 hours), and short-term outcome after small intestinal (SI) surgery. Methods: Retrospective case-control study. Methods: Horses aged ≥16 years (geriatric; range, 16-30; n = 44) and <16 years (mature; range, 2-15; n = 39) with an SI surgical lesion that survived general anesthesia and did not have a second exploratory celiotomy during the same visit. Methods: Medical records (2009-2015) were reviewed; perioperative var...
Safryghin A, Hebesberger DV, Wascher CAF.In a number of species, consistent behavioral differences between individuals have been described in standardized tests, e.g., novel object, open field test. Different behavioral expressions are reflective of different coping strategies of individuals in stressful situations. A causal link between behavioral responses and the activation of the physiological stress response is assumed but not thoroughly studied. Also, most standard paradigms investigating individual behavioral differences are framed in a fearful context, therefore the present study aimed to add a test in a more positive context...
Paraskevaidi M, Hook PD, Morais CLM, Anderson JR, White R, Martin-Hirsch PL, Peffers MJ, Martin FL.Reliable and validated biomarkers for osteoarthritis (OA) are currently lacking. Objective: To develop an accurate and minimally invasive method to assess OA-affected horses and provide potential spectral markers indicative of disease. Methods: Observational, cross-sectional study. Methods: Our cohort consisted of 15 horses with OA and 48 without clinical signs of the disease, which were used as controls. Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy was used to investigate serum samples (50 μL) collected from these horses. Spectral processing and multivariat...
Rowland M, Coombs T, Connor M.Traveller horses are often perceived to be exposed to poor welfare due to Travellers' traditional way of horsemanship. However, few studies have investigated Traveller horse welfare. Hence, the present study aims to explore Traveller horse owners' attitudes to horse care and welfare. Semi-structured interviews and discussion groups examined 14 Irish Traveller horse owners' attitudes and approach to horse ownership. Additionally, a body condition scoring (BCS) instrument was assessed for its accuracy and ease of use when applied by Traveller horse owners. Additionally, the BCS system was used t...
Shah SZA, Nawaz Z, Nawaz S, Carder G, Ali M, Soomro N, Compston PC.Equine ownership is a common income-generating strategy in Pakistan. In Karachi, donkey carts are used to transport building materials, commercial produce and garbage. This study aimed to articulate the role and welfare of donkeys used in waste management. We conducted interviews with donkey owners ( = 200), households which use donkey carts for waste collection ( = 50) and key informants ( = 14). To assess the welfare of donkeys, the Standardised Equine-Based Welfare Assessment Tool (SEBWAT) was used ( = 204). Collection of waste was the primary source of income for 89% of owners interviewed....
de Laat MA, Reiche DB, Sillence MN, McGree JM.Endocrinopathic laminitis is common in horses and ponies, but the recurrence rate of the disease is poorly defined. Objective: To determine the incidence of, and risk factors for, the recurrence of endocrinopathic laminitis. Methods: Privately owned horses and ponies with acute laminitis (n = 317, of which 276 cases with endocrinopathic laminitis were followed up to study completion). Methods: This prospective cohort study collected data on veterinary-diagnosed cases of acute laminitis for 2 years. Each case was classified on acceptance to the study as endocrinopathic or non-endocrinopathi...
Kuhnke S, Bär K, Bosch P, Rensing M, Borstel UKV.The study compared results of the traditional horse judging system (T) using subjective grades with those of a novel system of linear scoring (LS) using an application ("Breed Show App"). The horse's quality in relation to the total breeding aim was evaluated based on weighting factors for 57 individual traits commonly regarded in T, thus allowing immediate ranking of the horses. Results were stated as total grade in percent for both systems. One thousand nine hundred nine American Quarter horses were judged at regular breed shows with either T (n = 883), LS (n = 1,026), or both systems (n ...
Fonseca-Rodríguez O, Pinheiro Júnior JW, Mota RA.In Brazil, glanders remains a serious problem, with the obligatory sacrifice of disease-positive animals without compensation. Each year, glanders cases are reported in several regions of the country, causing severe economic losses and trade restrictions. The present study describes and discusses the occurrence of glanders foci in Brazil during a 12-year period from 2005 to 2016. The highest frequency of reported affected holdings during the study period was in the northeast region. Moreover, during this period, the disease incidence in Brazil showed an overall increasing tendency. The number ...
Pehkonen J, Karma L, Raekallio M.No studies have focused on dental pain signs associated with periapical infection in cheek teeth (CT) of horses. Moreover, the ability of owners to recognize signs of dental pain in horses has not been reported. We hypothesized that periapical infection will usually induce pain that manifests in the behavior of the horse. Removing the infected tooth will reduce the expression of such behaviors. Owners of 47 horses whose CT had been removed because of periapical infection participated in this study. They filled an internet-based questionnaire including 23 questions about eating behavior, bit be...
Molesan A, Wang M, Sun Q, Pierce V, Desideri R, Palmer S, Todhunter R, Kelly K.Postmortem evaluation of racehorses has focused primarily on musculoskeletal injuries; however, horses also die suddenly on the track (sudden death [SD]). Although cardiac conditions are frequently suspected as a cause of death, SD racehorses are often autopsy negative; however, previous studies have been limited due to inconsistent or insufficient cardiac sampling and lack of controls. SD in New York (NY) and Maryland (MD) racehorses was evaluated in an observational case vs control study comparing clinical information, postmortem evaluation including cardiac dissection, and cardiac conductio...
Bennett-Wimbush K, J SB, Amstutz M, Duthie M.Three sequential studies were performed to evaluate the effects of tying horses while wearing overchecks (strap from the bridle to backpad). In an observational study, horses (n = 305) wore high (HC), low (LC), or no overchecks (NC) with frequencies of 29.2%, 51.8% and 19.0% respectively. Study 1 (Latin square, n = 6) consisted of a 90-min tie test (90TT) with treatments (HC, LC, NC) x periods (1-3). Horses wearing HC had higher plasma cortisol (P < 0.01) when compared to LC and NC. Muscle soreness (MSS) and tightness (MTS) were evaluated pre and 24 hr post 90TT and were higher (P <...
Fortina M, Maniscalco P, Carulli C, Meccariello L, Colasanti GB, Carta S.Horse racing is a hazardous sport. We analyzed the incidence and characteristics of jockey injuries in a typical horse race. Methods: We analyzed all injuries sustained by 224 jockeys in the last 72 years. Results: It was found that in 96.1% of the races there was at least one fall and in 28.6% of the races 50% or more of the jockeys fell. In 43.4% of the falls, the jockey was taken to the emergency room. Comparing the Palio with traditional races in other countries, a higher injury incidence rate was observed for every 100 falls (109.884 vs 27-59) and a lower concussion rate/100 falls (0.97 v...
Bonsembiante F, Perazzi A, Deganello A, Gelain ME, Iacopetti I.The cytobrush technique is commonly used to sample the equine ocular surface. Impression cytology (IC) is an innovative noninvasive method, which allows for the collection of superficial layers of ocular epithelium. Objective: The aims of this study were to compare the cytobrush and IC techniques on healthy equine ocular surfaces, to assess the agreement between observers with different levels of expertise, and to test the preservability of filters over time. Methods: Twenty-four horses were sampled within 10 minutes of slaughter using IC on the left eye and the cytobrush technique on the rig...
Shelef A, Brafman D, Rosing T, Weizman A, Stryjer R, Barak Y.Equine assisted therapy (EAT) which includes therapeutic horseback riding (THR), grooming, horsemanship and ground level work with horses, has been studied as treatment for children with special needs and/or autistic spectrum disorder. Preliminary evidence indicates that EAT is also effective for improving self-efficacy and self-esteem in adults with psychiatric disorders. Empowerment, bonding and building trust with the horses, may promote functioning of patients struggling with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The authors performed a prospective, pilot open case series study to assess t...
Popescu S, Lazar EA, Borda C, Niculae M, Sandru CD, Spinu M.This paper investigates the effect of different housing conditions on the welfare quality of breeding horses. Using a welfare protocol that included health and behavioral parameters, 330 stallions (kept in tie-stall housing) and 365 broodmares (kept in extensive, mostly free housing) were assessed. The horses were categorized into four welfare categories ("not classified", "acceptable", "enhanced" and "excellent"), according to an individual welfare score calculated for each horse. The prevalence of stallions with dyspnea, tendon and joint swellings, abnormal gait and abnormal hoof horn qualit...
Spargo KE, Rubio-Martinez LM, Wheeler DP, Fletcher L, Carstens A.The incidence and types of catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries in Thoroughbreds that resulted in euthanasia on selected racetracks in South Africa between 1998 and 2012 were investigated by an observational retrospective investigation. Data from the National Horseracing Authority of Southern Africa for these racetracks were used to calculate incidence rates in Thoroughbreds (n = 114) that sustained catastrophic musculoskeletal injuries during racing that required immediate euthanasia, based on the diagnosis made by the on-site veterinarian as well as on fetlock radiographs and dissections o...
Hartmann E, Christensen JW, Keeling LJ.The intensity with which a horse responds to separation from its group and subsequently to being alone is relevant for both horse and handler safety. Identification of training methods that may reduce responses to separation would be useful in practice. Objective: To investigate whether the initial presence of a familiar companion horse modifies responses to separation from the group, lowers stress levels (as measured by heart rate) and increases training efficiency. Objective: Habituation to separation proceeds more quickly if the horse is first trained with a companion, and heart rate is low...
Püschel V, Michaelsen U, Giensch M, Lockemann U, Meenen NM, Hessler C.To reduce the number of equine-related injuries, knowledge about causes of accidents is of great importance. In the present study the causes of equine-related accidents were evaluated by a questionnaire survey. Based on our results options for prevention of equine-related accidents were formulated. Methods: The working-group "safer riding, Hamburg" and the "German riding association (FN)" created a questionnaire to evaluate causes of equine-related accidents. This questionnaire was published in the print media "Cavallo" and "St. Georg" as well as on the online portal www.hamburger-ag-reitersic...
Leclere M, Bédard C, Cortes-Dubly ML, Lavoie JP.As inflammation and coagulation are intertwined processes, the efficiency of blood coagulation of heaves-affected horses and controls were compared in an observational case-control study, using thrombelastography. In experiment 1 (Exacerbation, six heaves, five controls), horses were housed indoors and fed hay. Thrombelastography, functional fibrinogen, platelet count, hematology, and antithrombin were measured. In experiment 2 (Remission, eight heaves, 11 controls), horses were housed in a low-dust environment for at least a month when thrombelastography was performed. Heaves-affected horses ...
Ringhofer M, Trösch M, Lansade L, Yamamoto S.When interacting with humans, domesticated species may respond to communicative gestures, such as pointing. However, it is currently unknown, except for in dogs, if species comprehend the communicative nature of such cues. Here, we investigated whether horses could follow the pointing of a human informant by evaluating the credibility of the information about the food-hiding place provided by the pointing of two informants. Using an object-choice task, we manipulated the attentional state of the two informants during food-hiding events and differentiated their knowledge about the location of t...
Shields E, Seiden-Long I, Massie S, Leguillette R.A "high-sensitivity" cardiac troponin-T (hscTnT) assay recently has been validated for use in horses and is a specific biomarker of myocardial damage. Postexercise release kinetics of cTnT utilizing the hscTnT assay have yet to be established in horses. Objective: To determine: (1) cTnT release kinetics in racing Thoroughbreds after a high-intensity 5/8th mile Chuckwagon race; (2) the effects of age on pre- and postrace cTnT concentrations; and (3) sampling guidelines for clinicians evaluating horses presenting after exercise. Methods: Samples were obtained from 38 Thoroughbred geldings aged 5...
Spier SJ, Berger Pusterla J, Villarroel A, Pusterla N.Behavioural reactions to selected handling procedures were compared between conditioned, or imprint-trained, and untrained foals raised on the same farm. Nineteen randomly chosen healthy foals were imprint trained at birth and 24 h later (Group A). Twenty-one similar foals that were not imprint-trained served as age-matched controls (Group B). Training began within 10 min of birth and consisted of touch desensitization by gentle rubbing. Each tactile stimulus was repeated 30-50 times over 45-60 min, until the foal no longer resisted the procedure and appeared relaxed. The procedure was then re...
Engell-Sørensen K, Pall A, Damgaard C, Holmstrup M.We investigated the prevalence of equine tapeworms, Anoplocephala spp., in Danish horses during a seven-year period assessed by coprological analysis. The data material included >11,000 observations distributed over the period 2009-2015, and four major geographic regions in Denmark representing sandy soils and clayey moraine soils, respectively. This allowed us to test for possible differences between regions (or soil types) and seasons. For a sub-set of the data (about 1200 observations) age of horses was also known, and it was shown that prevalence was highest in the age group 1-5years and t...
Kobluk CN, Ducharme NG, Lumsden JH, Pascoe PJ, Livesey MA, Hurtig M, Horney FD, Arighi M.From May 1, 1983 to April 1, 1985, 142 operations were performed on horses with signs of acute abdominal pain (colic), using a ventral midline incision. Seventy-eight horses lived for at least 15 days after surgery or had acute dehiscence and were included in the study. Seventy horses had surgery once, and 8 horses had surgery 2 or more times. Six-month follow-up evaluation was obtained for 66 horses that had 1 surgery and for 6 horses that had multiple surgeries. Incisional complications included drainage (including infection), acute dehiscence, hernia, and suture sinus formation. The effects...
Korosue K, Murase H, Sato F, Ishimaru M, Endo Y, Nambo Y.The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in body temperature before parturition using a wireless temperature monitoring device (WTMD) and to evaluate the usefulness of body temperature measurements using a digital rectal thermometer (DRT) and a microchip transponder thermometry device (MTTD) for predicting parturition in mares. The body temperatures using a WTMD at 0 hr and -1 hr were significantly different from those at the same time on Days 1-5 (P<0.01). The temperature differences between the morning of Day 0 and at -3 hr, -2 hr, -1 hr and 0 hr using the DRT and MTTD showed ...
Gallagher LM, Crane J, Fitzharris P, Bates MN.To confirm that working with horses is an occupational respiratory hazard and observed associations are not attributable to confounding. Methods: A postal survey of the respiratory health of 659 horse trainers and a comparison group of 506 vegetable growers was conducted. Data were analysed using logistic regression. Results: Relative to vegetable growers, horse trainers reported higher rates of chronic bronchitis [odds ratio (OR) = 6.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2-21.4] and organic dust toxic syndrome/farmers' lung (ODTS/FL) (OR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.8-6.8). Grinding oats, spreading hay, and...
Swanberg J, Clouser JM, Gan W, Flunker JC, Westneat S, Browning SR.This study investigated the prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and work-related factors associated with elevated MSD among Latino thoroughbred farm workers. Participants (N = 225) were recruited using a community-based purposive sampling approach to participate in in-person interviews. Of these workers, 85% experienced MSD. MSD was divided into tertiles; the upper tertile was defined as elevated. Multivariable Poisson regression revealed associations between any elevated MSD and longer tenure on horse farms, longer work hours, and poor safety climate. Elevated neck/b...
Aleman M, Spriet M, Williams DC, Nieto JE.Auditory loss is a common deficit in horses with temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (THO), however, recovery of function is unknown. Objective: To investigate neurologic function with emphasis in audition in horses with THO after treatment. To describe anatomical alterations of the petrous temporal bone that might result in auditory loss. Methods: Twenty-four horses with a clinical diagnosis of THO. Methods: Prospective study. A brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) study was done as part of the criteria for inclusion in horses with a clinical diagnosis of THO from the years of 2005 to 2014. Ph...
Pleasant RS, Moll HD, Ley WB, Lessard P, Warnick LD.To determine if intra-articular anesthesia of the distal interphalangeal joint could alleviate lameness associated with the navicular bursa in horses. Methods: Experimental investigation. Methods: Six clinically normal horses. Methods: Lameness was induced in each horse by injecting either the left or right front navicular bursa with 5 mg of amphotericin-B. Forty-eight hours later each horse was videotaped walking and trotting before, and 5, 30, and 60 minutes after injecting the distal interphalangeal joint of the treated limb with 5 mL of 2% mepivacaine hydrochloride. All video recordings we...
Bernátková A, Oyunsaikhan G, Šimek J, Komárková M, Bobek M, Ceacero F.Reintroduction is a common technique for re-establishing threatened species. However, the adaptation to novel habitats with distinct conditions poses a risk of failure. Weather conditions affect the behaviour of animals, and thus, their adaptation to new conditions and survival. Reintroduced Przewalski's horses living in Mongolia's continental arid climate with extreme temperature and precipitation variability, serve as an ideal model species for studying the behavioural response of selected groups to these harsh conditions. Methods: The research was conducted in The Great Gobi B Strictly Prot...
Pratt S, Bowen I, Hallowell G, Shipman E, Redpath A.Equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) is a common condition causing signs of gastric pain although lesions are highly variable in their appearance. The only definitive method to diagnose EGGD ante-mortem is gastroscopy. The current recommended method for describing these lesions is the European College of Equine Internal Medicine (ECEIM) guidelines; however, repeatability between users is variable. This study aimed to validate the reliability of lesion descriptions using ECEIM consensus guidelines, using four blinded equine internal medicine diplomates. Ninety-two horses with EGGD with pre- ...
Rørvang MV, Nielsen TB, Christensen JW.Animals can acquire new behavior through both individual and social learning. Several studies have investigated horses' ability to utilize inter-species (human demonstrator) social learning with conflicting results. In this study, we repeat a previous study, which found that horses had the ability to learn from observing humans performing an instrumental task, but we include a control for stimulus enhancement. One human demonstrator and thirty horses were included, and the horses were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: (A) full human demonstration, (B) partial human demonstration, a...
Felici M, Nanni Costa L, Zappaterra M, Bozzo G, Di Pinto P, Minero M, Padalino B.During horse transportation, the journey conditions are considered a welfare risk. This study aimed to document journeys, journey conditions, and welfare status of handled horses on arrival at two different slaughterhouses in Northern and Southern Italy, to find possible associations between journey conditions and welfare problems. The welfare status of 613 draft-breed and light-breed horses from 32 different journeys was evaluated on arrival at the slaughterhouses with a standardized protocol, using animal-based (ABMs) and environmental-based (EBMs) measures. The drivers’ skills and vehicle...
Munsters CC, Visser EK, van den Broek J, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Mounted police horses have to cope with challenging, unpredictable situations when on duty and it is essential to gain insight into how these horses handle stress to warrant their welfare. The aim of the study was to evaluate physiological and behavioral responses of 12 (six experienced and six inexperienced) police horses during police training. Horses were evaluated during four test settings at three time points over a 7-week period: outdoor track test, street track test, indoor arena test and smoke machine test. Heart rate (HR; beats/min), HR variability (HRV; root means square of successiv...
Andres SA, Bushau-Sprinkle AM, Brier ME, Seger YR.To investigate the risk reduction and benefit of wearing body protection/safety vests in equestrian sports. Methods: A comparison of equestrians wearing body protective vests and those not wearing vests was performed using incident report data of 718 participants in the United States Pony Clubs during 2011-2017. Data obtained included age, gender, certification level of member, type of activity, description of incident, description of injuries, what protective equipment was worn and other possible contributing factors. Results: While wearing body protective vests when riding on the flat or for...
Bernauer K, Kollross H, Schuetz A, Farmer K, Krueger K.A previous study demonstrated that horses can learn socially from observing humans, but could not draw any conclusions about the social learning mechanisms. Here we develop this by showing horses four different human action sequences as demonstrations of how to press a button to open a feed box. We tested 68 horses aged between 3 and 12 years. 63 horses passed the habituation phase and were assigned either to the group Hand Demo (N = 13) for which a kneeling person used a hand to press the button, Head Demo (N = 13) for which a kneeling person used the head, Mixed Demo (N = 12) fo...
Janczarek I, Wilk I, Pietrzak S, Liss M, Tkaczyk S.The aim of this study was to determine the taste preferences of horses in relation to their breed and sex. Forty-eight adult purebred Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, Polish Konik, and Polish cold-blooded horses-stallions and mares in equal numbers-were examined in the study. During the experiment, five types of industrially processed feeds based on oats and natural dried products commonly regarded as horse treats (i.e., sour and sweet apples, carrots, sugar beet molasses, and barley with salt) were given to horses in buckets on three consecutive days. The behavior of the horses during the experiment ...
Raspa F, Roggero A, Palestrini C, Marten Canavesio M, Bergero D, Valle E.The effects of specific feeding positions upon the horse's shape variations of the back and neck postures as well as the variations of the mandibular angle have never been objectively studied. For this reason, geometric morphometrics was applied. Six horses, aged 14 ± 8 years (mean ± standard deviation, SD), were video-recorded while using three different feeding positions: on the ground-control position (CP); neck held 15 ± 3° below withers height with low hay net position (LP); neck held 15 ± 3° above withers height with high hay net position (HP). Data were analyzed using principal co...
Spence KL, O'Sullivan TL, Poljak Z, Greer AL.The objective of this study was to describe the demographics and movement patterns of a sample of horses in Ontario, Canada. A convenience sample of 222 owners completed an initial questionnaire to provide demographic information for 570 horses. These horses were enrolled in a longitudinal study to document their movements from May to November 2015 using a monthly questionnaire. The median age of the participating horses was 11 years (IQR: 8 to 16 years). The primary discipline of participating horses included competitive disciplines (63.3%), leisure (33.3%), and racing (3.2%). During the 7-mo...
Ursini T, Shaw K, Levine D, Richards J, Adair HS.Thoracolumbar pain has been identified in both human and equine patients. Rehabilitation and conditioning programs have focused specifically on improving trunk and abdominal muscle function (1-5). Equine exercise programs routinely incorporate ground poles and training devices for the similar goals of increasing spinal and core stability and strength (6-8). The multifidus muscle has been an area of focus due to atrophy associated with disease (9). To date, there have been no reports on the activity of the multifidus muscle in horses in relation to therapeutic exercises. Our objectives were to ...
Oosterlinck M, Royaux E, Back W, Pille F.Thus far, pressure-plate analysis has been limited to measurements on a hard surface, whereas equine athletes routinely perform on a deformable substrate. Objective: To explore pressure-plate analysis on arena footing. Methods: Nonrandomised crossover study using noninvasive techniques. Methods: Five sound, unshod ponies were walked and trotted over a pressure plate in 2 different conditions. In the first session, the plate was covered with only a 5 mm rubber mat, and in the second session, with an additional 50 mm layer of sand and synthetic fibres. Limb loading and timing variables (peak...
Tallon R, Hewetson M.Equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) is recognised as a separate entity to equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) and it is recommended that lesions are graded differently. Currently, no validated scoring system exists for EGGD. Objective: To determine inter-observer reliability of two previously described grading systems for EGGD and to assess if agreement improved with gastroscopy experience, specialist training or familiarity with the descriptive system. Methods: Cross-sectional survey. Methods: A link to an electronic questionnaire containing 20 images of glandular lesions was circulate...
Herbst AC, Johnson MG, Gammons H, Reedy SE, Urschel KL, Harris PA, Adams AA.Loss of skeletal muscle mass likely compromises performance and welfare in horses and thus routine monitoring would be valuable. Currently available methods to assess muscle mass require expert knowledge and are often expensive. To provide a simple method, a muscle atrophy scoring system (MASS) was created and tested by three evaluators (raters) in 38 horses of varying age, breed, and health status. Inter-rater agreement on atrophy scores was in the good-to-excellent range for ratings of the neck (ICC = 0.62), back (ICC = 0.62) and hind (ICC = 0.76) regions but was poor for the abdominal...
Brown JA, Hinchcliff KW, Jackson MA, Dredge AF, O'Callaghan RA, McCaffrey JR, Slocombe RF, Clarke AF.Little information is available regarding the prevalence of abnormalities of the upper airway and their association with performance in the general population of Thoroughbred racehorses. Objective: To describe the prevalence of selected abnormalities of the upper airway and their association with performance in Thoroughbred racehorses in Australia. Objective: That abnormalities of the upper airway of Thoroughbred racehorses are associated with poor race performance. Methods: Rhinolaryngoscopy was performed after racing and presence and characteristics of abnormalities of the larynx and pharynx...
Gross I, Hadar A, Bala M, Hashavya S.Horse riding has become increasingly popular in recent years and is a common activity among children. As a result, pediatric horse-related injuries are frequently encountered in emergency departments. Objective: To examine the characteristics of horse-related injuries in the pediatric population. Methods: We collected and analyzed the data on all pediatric horse-related injuries presented to a tertiary hospital, level one trauma center, during the years 2006-2016. Results: A total of 53 children with horse-related injuries were documented. Forty-two patients were male (79%) and their mean age ...
Clouser JM, Swanberg JE, Bundy H.Although farm management may understand agriculture's risks, they may not provide personal protective equipment (PPE). This study describes thoroughbred farm management's risk perceptions, provision of PPE, and factors that influence its provision. Methods: Thirty-five representatives from 26 farms participated in a 1-4hr semi-structured interview covering perceived risks associated with horse work and perspectives and provision of PPE. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, entered into ATLAS.ti, and analyzed by three coders. Results: Management cited horse-related tasks as most dangero...
