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.
Volding DM, Flores-Ahlschwede P, Cramer MJ, Landrock KK, Sayre KC, Welsh TH, Bordin AI, Piccione J, Cohen ND.To determine the effects of transfusion of Rhodococcus equi hyperimmune plasma (REHIP) on serum electrolyte and protein concentrations in neonatal foals. Unassigned: A prospective observational study of 355 privately owned Thoroughbred foals from 13 farms in New York and cross-sectional study of REHIP samples. Blood was collected immediately before and after transfusion of either 1 or 2 L of REHIP to foals, and serum samples were separated and frozen until tested for concentrations of sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl), total protein (TP), albumin, and globulins. Samples (n = 90) of REH...
Lundmark Hedman F, Ewerlöf IR, Frössling J, Berg C.The presence of a trustworthy and effective animal welfare control system is important both for animal welfare and for public and consumer trust. The inspectors' main task, regardless of whether they are official inspectors or private auditors, is to check for and enforce compliance with any relevant regulations. The aim of this study was to investigate how official animal welfare inspectors and private animal welfare auditors in Sweden perceive their inspection work and to explore any differences in the perception of being an inspector between these two groups. An electronic questionnaire was...
Aragona F, Rizzo M, Arrigo F, Arfuso F, Fazio F, Giudice E, Pugliatti P, Piccione G, Giannetto C.Among physiological parameters, total locomotor activity (TLA) and heart rate (HR) are used as physiological indicators in animal welfare evaluations. The present study aimed to simultaneously record for 24 h the TLA and HR of ten clinically healthy horses housed in conventional individual boxes subjected to a natural photoperiod and temperature. An actigraphy-based data logger was placed on the headstall, and an equine HR monitor was placed around the chest to monitor TLA and HR, respectively. Activity was monitored with 5 min sampling intervals and HR with 5 s intervals. To make the data poi...
Annan R, Trigg L, Allen K, Hockenhull J, Valenchon M, Mullan S.Racehorse welfare continues to be a focus of stakeholders both within and outside of the industry, and there is a need for evidence-based animal welfare data. Objective: To gather data on racehorse welfare through a combination of animal-based observations and information about management practices, and to ascertain the feasibility of trained industry assessors carrying out a racehorse welfare assessment. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: Sixteen trained industry assessors conducted individual observations of 737 racehorses in 21 Flat racing (F), 27 National Hunt (NH) and 26 Dual-purpose (D) ...
May A, Hanche-Olsen S, Goehring LS, Matiasek K, Jäderlund KH, Zablotski Y, Gröndahl G.Acquired equine polyneuropathy in Nordic horses (AEP) is the most prevalent equine polyneuropathy in Norway, Sweden, and Finland and is characterised by pelvic limb knuckling due to metatarsophalangeal extension dysfunction. Objective: To evaluate the function of descending motor pathways in AEP using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Methods: An analytical, observational cohort design. Methods: Clinical findings and TMS results of 20 horses from an AEP outbreak in Sweden were evaluated at 5-month intervals. Latency time (LT) in milliseconds (ms) between coil discharge and onset of musc...
de Chiara M, Montano C, De Matteis A, Guidi L, Buono F, Auletta L, Del Prete C, Pasolini MP.Subjective evaluation of gait by official endurance veterinarians (OEVs) is used to determine 'fitness-to-compete' in horses participating in endurance competitions. Objective gait analysis systems could aid in quick and verifiable judgements. Objective: To assess the agreement between objective analysis of head and pelvis vertical movement asymmetry performed with a markerless artificial intelligence motion tracking system (AI-MTS) and subjective lameness assessment performed by an accredited FEI OEV to judge horse gaits. Methods: Cross-sectional. Methods: During three endurance competitions,...
Alberghina D, Tombolani C, Quintavalla F.Evaluating the body temperature of horses () is essential for monitoring their health. Rectal thermometry is the most common method for determining the temperatures of adult horses and foals. However, this method requires restraining the animals for several seconds, and it poses potential risks to both horses and humans. This study compared infrared and rectal thermometry in 126 horses, evaluating age and measurement site influences on body temperature. Horses were divided into three groups: foals (4-12 months), Shetland ponies (8-12 months), and adult horses (2-30 years). Rectal, ocular...
Martins NA, Fonseca BPA, Silvatti AP, Valente FL, Soares NL, Simonato SP, Rosa LP, Andrade MO, Barcelos KMDC.The Mangalarga Marchador (MM) breed naturally performs four-beat gaits known as "Marcha". Kinematic analysis can provide insights for optimizing training and competition performance in this breed while potentially mitigating welfare concerns associated with extreme head and neck positions (HNPs) applied without an adequate understanding of their impacts. We examined how different HNPs affect the MM horse's Marcha Batida gait. Four HNPs were evaluated: HPN1-loose reins, HPN2-the competition standard for MM, HPN3-an extremely elevated head and neck, and HPN4-a slightly behind-the-vertical positi...
Quinn CT.Catheterisation of the urinary bladder is a common procedure during perioperative care of horses. Benefits of urinary catheters include a reduction in the risk of recovery-associated slip hazards as a consequence of voided urine and the measurement of urine output during anaesthesia. However, there is little information regarding the risks associated with this procedure. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken in horses admitted to a university teaching hospital for surgery during which a urinary catheter was placed perioperatively. Data were retrieved from clinical records including signa...
Franzen V, Reisbeck D, Leibl Y, Schoster A, May A.While there is agreement that horses experience pain during the actual headshaking attacks, there is still a lack of research about the time between the individual episodes in this species. Objective: To evaluate the signs of pain in horses with TMHS at rest in the absence of common triggering factors. Methods: Twenty TMHS horses (not head shaking at the time of pain assessment), 20 horses with colic, and 20 clinically healthy horses. Methods: Descriptive study assessing pain in TMHS horses during the absence of clinical signs using the Horse Grimace scale (HGS). To grade the pain shown with T...
Allano M, Arsenault J, Archambault M, Fairbrother JH, Sauvé F.Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of nosocomial infections, including in veterinary settings. Objective: To investigate the prevalence, risk factors for Staphylococcus aureus (SA) and MRSA colonization, and the duration of MRSA colonization. Methods: Elective cases admitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital were recruited (228 horses). Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over 3 years. Nasal swabs were collected at admission and cultured for SA. Methicillin-resistant isolates were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time-...
Torres Borda L, Auer U, Jenner F.Horses confined to enclosures with limited opportunities for spatial avoidance and escape experience heightened social stress and conflict. While forced proximity can pose welfare risks, voluntary social proximity is considered a positive indicator of well-being. To investigate the effects of space availability on spatiotemporal dynamics, social network structure and agonistic interactions, this study used ultra-wideband sensors to continuously (1 Hz) measure interindividual distances in 34 horses across three groups under paddock and field conditions. Interindividual distances increased in l...
Bennet ED, Parkin TDH.The Equine Injury Database (EID) is a census-level record of Thoroughbred racing in North America, currently recording 95.6% of all race starts in 2023, along with partial training and veterinary histories of each horse. Objective: To identify horse-, race- and track-level risk factors associated with race-related fatal musculoskeletal injury (MSI) of Thoroughbred racehorses in North America. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: The study cohort included all race starts made by horses born after 31 December 2006, at tracks that fully report to the EID and consisted of 3,851,659 race s...
van der Merwe LM, Schliewert EC.Colic is a common equine emergency requiring medical or surgical intervention. These interventions can be costly, making outcomes data and prognostic indicators essential for guiding referral and treatment decisions. Objective: To determine survival rates to hospital discharge and evaluate prognostic indicators in equine colic cases treated at a referral hospital (Onderstepoort Veterinary Academic Hospital [OVAH], South Africa). Methods: This retrospective observational cohort study analysed records from horses with colic that were presented to the OVAH from January 2019 to August 2021. Data i...
Choi Y, Parkin T.Superficial digital flexor (SDF) tendinopathy is one of the most common musculoskeletal diseases in Thoroughbreds and a major cause of retirement from racing among racehorses in South Korea. However, there are no previous epidemiological studies on SDF tendinopathy-related risk factors for racehorses in South Korea. The interventions derived from such a study could reduce the occurrence of SDF tendinopathy and, therefore, extend horses' racing careers. Objective: To identify the risk factors associated with SDF tendinopathy for Thoroughbreds in South Korea. Methods: Retrospective case-control ...
Cameron L, Challinor M, Armstrong S, Kennedy A, Hollister S, Fletcher K.Horses evolved to live in herds, continuously moving and foraging. Domestic horses often have limited social contact and movement, with high calorific intake, contributing to obesity. "Track grazing" is an increasingly popular management system, but evidence of its impact on weight management, behaviour, and welfare is limited. Horses (n = 19) resident at HorseWorld (UK) were observed July to October 2023, monitoring bodyweight (kg), Body Conditions Score (BCS), hoof health, behaviour, and welfare indicators. Horses on track grazing systems lost significantly more bodyweight (kg) (F(1,15) = 8....
Krueger K, Roll A, Beyer AJ, Föll A, Bernau M, Farmer K.When animals observe human signals, they may learn from them. Such learning from humans has been reported for intentional communication between humans with animals, but animals might also learn socially by observing unintentional information transfer when eavesdropping on humans-human encounters. In this study, 12 of 17 horses significantly changed their preference for a feeding location after observing approval in a human-human interaction there, and horses kept in social housing adapted in a higher percentage of trials to human-human demonstrations than those in individual housing. This indi...
Cygańska AK, Giżewska B, Zdunek K.BACKGROUND Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) significantly reduces quality of life. During horseback riding, the movement of the horse's back affects the tension of the pelvic floor muscles. This study aimed to compare reported symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction in women with past, current, and no history of horse show jumping. MATERIAL AND METHODS We examined 160 women (age 23.69±3.96 years). The cohort group consisted of 74 women training currently and training in the past, and a control group of 86 women not practicing horseback riding. The study used the original questionnaire and the Aust...
Roccaro M, Rinnovati R, Stucchi L, La Rocca F, Cascio G, Peli A.Doping in racehorses is a threat to horse welfare and the integrity of the sport. Despite its relevance, the literature on the prevalence of anti-doping violations worldwide is limited. Objective: To analyse anti-doping violations in racehorses in Italy. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Data on horse races, anti-doping testing, and confirmed violations between 2014 and 2022 were collected and analysed. Positivity rates, most common drug classes and parent drugs, and differences between trotting and galloping horses were investigated. Results: During the considered 9-year ti...
Jastrzębska E, Górecka-Bruzda A, Ogłuszka M, Lipka MS, Pawłowska A.This pilot study investigated the effects of massage therapy on stress indicators in recreational horses, focusing on salivary cortisol levels, heart rate and conflict behaviors. Five recreational horses were analyzed under two experimental conditions: without and with massage treatments before riding sessions. Saliva samples were collected at four specific intervals in each condition to measure cortisol concentrations using an ELISA test. Observations of behavioral indicators and heart-rate monitoring complemented the physiological data. The results revealed that massage significantly reduced...
Wells A, Hiney KM, Brady CM, Anderson KP.The horse industry's growing focus on improving horse welfare stems from stakeholders' desires, increasing public scrutiny, and potential threats to its Social License to Operate. Correctly assessing equine affective states is crucial for enhancing horse welfare. However, horse owners often struggle with this assessment, especially those with limited consistent access to horses. To address this gap, RAiSE (Recognizing Affective State in Equine) was developed as an educational tool aimed at improving horse industry participants' ability to recognize these states. After development of the educat...
Matinpour M, Zettner N, Neumann K, Bäumer L, Burkovski A.Horses have close interactions with humans and are important as working animals and livestock. In contrast to smaller companion animals like cats and dogs, there is only little information available about their skin microbiome. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the culturable cutaneous microbiome of healthy horses. Samples were taken from 14 horses from Southern Germany which were randomly enrolled in this study. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was used as a method to detect the culturable microorganisms of ...
Loublier C, Costa M, Taminiau B, Lecoq L, Daube G, Amory H, Cesarini C.Research on fecal microbiota changes during hospitalization of horses with colic is emerging. Objective: Describe changes of the fecal microbiota during hospitalization of horses with colic caused by inflammatory (INFL), simple (SIMPLE), and strangulated (STR) obstructions, and investigate associations with survival. Methods: Twenty-three horses with colic: 9 in INFL, 5 in STR, and 9 in SIMPLE groups. Seventeen horses survived, and 6 were euthanized. Methods: Prospective observational study. Fecal samples were collected on admission (D1), on days 3 (D3) and 5 (D5). Bacterial taxonomy profiling...
May A, Riley CB, Scharre A, Zablotski Y, Padalino B.Equine road transport is stressful and associated with an increased risk of behavioral problems, injuries, respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases. This cross-sectional survey-based study aimed to describe transport-related practices and the perception of behavioral and health issues in Germany. The survey targeted horse owners (amateurs and professionals) and obtained demographic details, the participant's experience, frequency and duration of transportation, and behavioral and health problems related to equine transportation. Associations among behavioral and health problems and transport ...
Naydani CJ, Coombs T.Obesity and its comorbidities (e.g. laminitis) are identified as major welfare issues among domestic equids in the United Kingdom (UK) and abroad. Weight-management typically focuses on restricting consumption (e.g. limiting pasture grazing), often facilitated through stabling. This leads to social isolation, prompting other welfare issues. Increased exercise may be a preferable solution for equine obesity, if viable. The aims of this study were to explore horse (Equus caballus) owner perceptions regarding the importance of exercise, and to investigate how exercise provision related to welfare...
Visser EK, Jens AL, Nieuwe Weme LE, Spaapen AA, Maarleveld KN, Enzerink KH, Tromp PN, Haven-Pross SC.Equine-Assisted Services (EAS) offer significant benefits for individuals with intellectual and/or physical disabilities. However, ensuring the welfare of the horses involved remains a key ethical concern. The objective of this study was to assess the affective states of horses involved in EAS while also establishing behavioural thresholds for indicators of positive or negative affective states. A total of 98 horses were observed over a two-month period, accumulating data about horse behaviour and session characteristics from 830 EAS sessions. Horses participating in coaching programs averaged...
Gillen A, Archer D, Ireland J, Rocchigiani G.Strangulating lipomata are the most common cause of small intestinal strangulating obstruction. Evaluation of histological features of pathological and non-pathological lipomata, and the histological properties of omental and retroperitoneal fat have not been described. Objective: To characterise histological features of equine abdominal lipomata, omental and retroperitoneal adipose tissue, and associations between them. Methods: Prospective observational anatomic (gross and histological). Methods: Horses undergoing emergency laparotomy for management of abdominal pain in a single hospital wer...
Rochais C, Akoka E, Amiot Girard S, Grandgeorge M, Henry S.Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have become increasingly popular, with horses being one of the most commonly used species. While the effects of equine-assisted interventions (EAIs) have been widely studied in humans, research focusing on animals involved in such work is limited. Understanding how animals perceive their world is ethically important because their perception reflects the valence of their underlying mood. We investigated the cognitive judgement bias (pessimistic vs. optimistic) and perception of humans (negative vs. positive) in horses from three different facilities, divided...
Lundblad J, Rhodin M, Hernlund E, Bjarnestig H, Hidén Rudander S, Haubro Andersen P.Facial expressions in prey animals such as equines can convey information regarding their internal state and are therefore often used as cues for welfare and pain evaluation. The state of pain is commonly compared to a neutral state with little consideration given to other experiences that could affect the animal, although this situation is rare outside of experimental contexts. To evaluate the effect of managerial contexts on facial expressions from a nociceptive input, conspecific isolation and sedation with known physiological effects were compared to compound states of nociception. Using a...
Feighelstein M, Ricci-Bonot C, Hasan H, Weinberg H, Rettig T, Segal M, Distelfeld T, Shimshoni I, Mills DS, Zamansky A.[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0302893.].
Lanning BA, Baier ME, Ivey-Hatz J, Krenek N, Tubbs JD.Quality of life assessments were used in this study to determine the behavioral changes of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who participated in equine assisted activities. Behavioral changes of children with ASD participating in 9 weeks of equines assisted activities (EAA) (N = 10) were compared to behavioral changes of children who participated in a non-equine intervention (N = 8). Parents noted significant improvements in their child's physical, emotional and social functioning following the first 6 weeks of EAA. The children participating in the non-equine program also...
Depecker M, Richard EA, Pitel PH, Fortier G, Leleu C, Couroucé-Malblanc A.The aim of this study was to determine whether the lung side being sampled would significantly influence bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytological profiles and subsequent diagnosis in Standardbred racehorses. One hundred and thirty-eight French Trotters in active training and racing were included in a prospective observational study. BAL was performed using videoendoscopy in both right and left lungs during summer meetings in 2011 (64 horses) and 2012 (74 horses). Cytological data performed 24h later from right and left lungs were compared and specifically used to classify horses as affected wi...
Wathan J, McComb K.Sensitivity to the attentional states of others has adaptive advantages, and in social animals, attending to others is important for predator detection, as well as a pre-requisite for normal social functioning and more complex socio-cognitive abilities. Despite widespread interest in how social species perceive attention in others, studies of non-human animals have been inconclusive about the detailed cues involved. Previous work has focused on head and eye direction, overlooking the fact that many mammals have obvious and mobile ears that could act as a visual cue to attention. Here we report...
Ang L, Vinderola G, Endo A, Kantanen J, Jingfeng C, Binetti A, Burns P, Qingmiao S, Suying D, Zujiang Y, Rios-Covian D, Mantziari A, Beasley S....Domesticated horses live under different conditions compared with their extinct wild ancestors. While housed, medicated and kept on a restricted source of feed, the microbiota of domesticated horses is hypothesized to be altered. We assessed the fecal microbiome of 57 domestic and feral horses from different locations on three continents, observing geographical differences. A higher abundance of eukaryota (p < 0.05) and viruses (p < 0.05) and lower of archaea (p < 0.05) were found in feral animals when compared with domestic ones. The abundance of genes coding for microbe-...
Cozzi A, Sighieri C, Gazzano A, Nicol CJ, Baragli P.Gregarious animals living in permanent social groups experience intra-group competition. Conflicts over resources can escalate into costly aggression and, in some conditions, non-dispersive forms of conflict resolution may be favoured. Post-conflict friendly reunions, hence reconciliation, have been described in a variety of species. The aim of this study was to explore, for the first time, the occurrence of reconciliation in a group of domestic horses (Equus caballus) and learn more about strategies used to maintain group cohesion. The behaviour of seven horses living as permanent group in an...
Cooper JJ, McDonald L, Mills DS.Stabled horses commonly perform stereotypic patterns of weaving, where the horse shifts its weight from side to side often swinging its head. Ten warm-blood types, of which five were known to reliably weave, were housed in similar 12x12 ft wooden loose boxes in a single stable block surrounding a courtyard. Each horse was exposed to each of five stable designs. These were: the conventional front top-half of the door open only with a view of the stable courtyard (F); front half-door open and a similar half-door open at the back of the stable with a view to the surrounding fields (FB); back open...
Coldman AJ, Elwood JM, Gallagher RP.The relationship of testicular seminoma with several factors was explored using a case-control study. Previously recognized associations with cryptorchidism and infantile inguinal hernia were confirmed and relationships were also found with cycling and horse-riding. These findings represent the first relationships of testicular cancer with well-defined postnatal risk factors.
Lesimple C, Fureix C, De Margerie E, Sénèque E, Menguy H, Hausberger M.Postures have long been used and proved useful to describe animals' behaviours and emotional states, but remains difficult to assess objectively in field conditions. A recent study performed on horses using geometric morphometrics revealed important postural differences between 2 horse populations differing in management conditions (leisure horses living in social groups used for occasional "relaxed" riding/riding school horses living in individual boxes used in daily riding lessons with more constraining techniques). It was suggested that these postural differences may reflect chronic effects...
Torcivia C, McDonnell S.Horses have evolved to show little indication of discomfort or disability when in the presence of potential predators, including humans. This natural characteristic complicates the recognition of pain in equine patients. It has been our clinical impression that, whenever a person is present, horses tend to "perk up" and ongoing discomfort behavior (DB) more or less ceases. The objective of this study was to quantitatively evaluate and describe this effect. For each of 20 orthopedic surgical patients, continuous 24-h video was reviewed to record all occurrences of DB during a caretaker visit (3...
Rhodin M, Roepstorff L, French A, Keegan KG, Pfau T, Egenvall A.Lungeing is commonly used as part of standard lameness examinations in horses. Knowledge of how lungeing influences motion symmetry in sound horses is needed. Objective: The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the symmetry of vertical head and pelvic motion during lungeing in a large number of horses with symmetric motion during straight line evaluation. Methods: Cross-sectional prospective study. Methods: A pool of 201 riding horses, all functioning well and considered sound by their owners, were evaluated in trot on a straight line and during lungeing to the left and right. From th...
Busscher JF, van Duijkeren E, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM.Two hundred healthy horses housed at 23 different farms and one clinic and 42 persons in close contact with these horses were screened for the presence of methicillin resistant staphylococci. Samples were taken from the nose and the pastern of the horses and from the nose and throat of the humans and incubated in selective media. Isolates were identified by standard techniques and their susceptibilities were tested using an agar diffusion method. Methicillin-resistant strains were tested for the presence of the mecA gene by PCR. In 45 horses (22.5%) and 15 humans (35.7%) mecA positive staphylo...
Krueger K, Farmer K, Heinze J.Social learning is said to meet the demands of complex environments in which individuals compete over resources and cooperate to share resources. Horses (Equus caballus) were thought to lack social learning skills because they feed on homogenously distributed resources with few reasons for conflict. However, the horse's social environment is complex, which raises the possibility that its capacity for social transfer of feeding behaviour has been underestimated. We conducted a social learning experiment using 30 socially kept horses of different ages. Five horses, one from each group, were chos...
Hintze S, Smith S, Patt A, Bachmann I, Würbel H.Finding valid indicators of emotional states is one of the biggest challenges in animal welfare science. Here, we investigated in horses whether variation in the expression of eye wrinkles caused by contraction of the inner eyebrow raiser reflects emotional valence. By confronting horses with positive and negative conditions, we aimed to induce positive and negative emotional states, hypothesising that positive emotions would reduce whereas negative emotions would increase eye wrinkle expression. Sixteen horses were individually exposed in a balanced order to two positive (grooming, food antic...
Singer ER, Barnes J, Saxby F, Murray JK.Two related studies on injuries sustained by event horses during competition and during training are reported. During the cross-country phase of competition, the most common injuries were lacerations and abrasions to the carpus and stifle. Superficial digital flexor tendonitis and exertional rhabdomyolysis were significantly more common during Cours Complete Internationale (CCI) competitions compared to one-day event (ODE) competitions. The difference in injury types at ODEs and CCI competitions probably relates to the increased athletic demands of the CCI and the closer veterinary observation...
Reix CE, Burn CC, Pritchard JC, Barr AR, Whay HR.Lameness is prevalent in working donkeys and has major welfare implications; however, a detailed study of the associated clinical signs is lacking. Objective: To describe the range and prevalence of clinical signs and conformation associated with lameness in working draught donkeys. Methods: Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. Methods: Data were collected from 102 working draught donkeys in Pakistan. A lameness assessment adapted for working donkeys was used to record clinical signs of lameness, gait, limb conformation and pain responses in the feet, limbs and spine using observ...
Le Scolan N, Hausberger M, Wolff A.Individual behavioural reactions of adult horses in a variety of experimental tests were compared with ratings by riding teachers. The tests were made in a non working situation, with the animals being released in an arena, a box (arena test, new object test, learning tests) or handled (new object/handling situation). The traits rated by teachers were fearfulness, nervousness, gregariousness and learning abilities at work (ridden or handled). Despite a great homogeneity in the reactions exhibited by the horses in the different situations, large individual differences were present. Correlations...
Trösch M, Cuzol F, Parias C, Calandreau L, Nowak R, Lansade L.Over the last few years, an increasing number of studies have aimed to gain more insight into the field of animal emotions. In particular, it is of interest to determine whether animals can cross-modally categorize the emotions of others. For domestic animals that share a close relationship with humans, we might wonder whether this cross-modal recognition of emotions extends to humans, as well. In this study, we tested whether horses could recognize human emotions and attribute the emotional valence of visual (facial expression) and vocal (non-verbal vocalization) stimuli to the same perceptua...
Betteridge KJ, Eaglesome MD, Mitchell D, Flood PF, Beriault R.Forty nine embryos, twenty unfertilized eggs and five other fresh eggs of 'doubtful' status have been recovered from 58 pony mares in 122 flushes up to 22 days after ovulation. The fresh egg or embryo recovery rate was 78% with surgical methods (or at slaughter) and 40-60% with non-surgical methods of recovery. The fertilization rate was about 70%. It has been confirmed that horse embryos normally enter the uterus as blastocysts 5-6 days after ovulation. Three features of early embryo morphology have become clearer upon comparison with unfertilized eggs of similar ages; early embryos are often...
Christie JL, Hewson CJ, Riley CB, McNiven MA, Dohoo IR, Bate LA.In North America, there are few representative data about the effects of management practices on equine welfare. In a randomized survey of 312 nonracing horses in Prince Edward Island (response rate 68.4%), owners completed a pretested questionnaire and a veterinarian examined each horse. Regression analyses identified factors affecting 2 welfare markers: body condition score (BCS) and stereotypic behavior. Horses' BCSs were high (mean 5.7, on a 9-point scale) and were associated with sex (males had lower BCSs than females; P < 0.001) and examination date (P = 0.052). Prevalences of crib bi...
Tan H, Wilson AM.Manoeuverability is a key requirement for successful terrestrial locomotion, especially on variable terrain, and is a deciding factor in predator-prey interaction. Compared with straight-line running, bend running requires additional leg force to generate centripetal acceleration. In humans, this results in a reduction in maximum speed during bend running and a published model assuming maximum limb force as a constraint accurately predicts how much a sprinter must slow down on a bend given his maximum straight-line speed. In contrast, greyhounds do not slow down or change stride parameters dur...
Landman MA, de Blaauw JA, van Weeren PR, Hofland LJ.A population of 805 horses (70 per cent dressage, 20 per cent show jumpers and 10 per cent trotters) with orthopaedic problems was examined for signs of lameness and back problems, irrespective of their original complaints. In the horses with a back problem the prevalence of lameness was 74 per cent, and back problems were diagnosed in 32 per cent of the lame horses. These percentages were significantly higher than those recorded in a control population of 399 horses, of which 20 per cent were lame and 12 per cent had back problems. In the group of horses with orthopaedic problems there was a ...
Copas VE, Durham AE.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is a common endocrinopathy, frequently diagnosed via plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations. Seasonal variation in plasma ACTH concentrations has been described in normal horses prompting caution in diagnosing PPID at certain times of the year. The aims of this study were to determine appropriate reference intervals for equine plasma ACTH throughout the year; and to examine the circannual variation of plasma ACTH concentrations in PPID cases. Objective: Plasma ACTH can be used as a test for PPID throughout the year with the use of ...
Wylie CE, Ireland JL, Collins SN, Verheyen KL, Newton JR.The objectives of this study were to describe the demographic characteristics and management practices undertaken by owners of horses/ponies within GB and assess seasonal and geographical variations in management practices. A cross-sectional study was conducted, surveying a random sample of veterinary-registered owners in GB, using a self-administered postal questionnaire. A total of 797 useable responses were received. Only 4.0% of animals were stabled 24h/day, this proportion being greater in winter compared to other seasons (p<0.001). Shavings (45.7%) and straw (35.3%) were the most freq...
Lavoie JP, Cesarini C, Lavoie-Lamoureux A, Moran K, Lutz S, Picandet V, Jean D, Marcoux M.There is limited information relating bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology and cytokine messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in racehorses with inflammatory airway disease (IAD). HYPOTHESIS AND OBJECTIVE: We hypothesize that cytokine expression in BAL cells would correlate with cytology. Thus, we evaluated the mRNA expression of selected cytokines in BAL cells in racehorses with exercise intolerance and lower airway inflammation. Methods: Thirty-one client-owned Standardbred racehorses with exercise intolerance. Methods: Prospective, observational study. Cells were obtained by BAL, an...
Broster CE, Burn CC, Barr AR, Whay HR.Lameness is highly prevalent in working horses, but published reports on the associated pathological abnormalities are lacking. With over 42 million horses in developing countries and the majority used for work, lameness has major welfare implications. Objective: To describe the range and prevalence of pathological abnormalities associated with lameness in working horses. Methods: A standard lameness assessment was adapted for field use in working equids. Data on pathological abnormalities and pain responses in the feet, limbs and spine were collected through observation, palpation, manipulati...
Ireland JL, McGowan CM.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is caused by an age-related degenerative disease of dopaminergic neurones. Despite its importance in equine practice, available information regarding its epidemiology is limited. This systematic review aimed to assess published literature to evaluate available evidence regarding the clinical presentation, prevalence and risk factors for PPID in horses and ponies. Electronic database searches were undertaken using a range of terms, and English language publications published prior to August 2016 were included. Both authors independently reviewed scre...
Moss PS, Wan A, Whitlock MR.To describe the demographics and nature of injuries occurring on or around horses, to examine the nature of protective clothing in relation to these injuries, and to compare our data with previously published work in this area. Methods: Patients were identified using the term "sports injury-horse riding" from the departmental database for one calendar year from February 2000. Data were collected regarding demographics, injuries, protective clothing, and outcome. The data were then analysed and compared with the previously published literature. Results: 260 patients' records were analysed. The ...
McGreevy PD, French NP, Nicol CJ.The behaviour of horses competing in different disciplines was studied and the relationship between the time they spent out of the stable and the prevalence of abnormal behaviour was examined. The owners of dressage, eventing and endurance horses were sent a questionnaire and a total of 1101 responses were received, giving data on 1750 horses. The behaviours studied were wood-chewing, weaving, crib-biting/wind-sucking and box-walking. The reported percentage prevalences of abnormal behaviour for the dressage, eventing and endurance horses were 32.5, 30.8 and 19.5, respectively. The relationshi...
Ringhofer M, Yamamoto S.Some domestic animals are thought to be skilled at social communication with humans due to the process of domestication. Horses, being in close relationship with humans, similar to dogs, might be skilled at communication with humans. Previous studies have indicated that they are sensitive to bodily signals and the attentional state of humans; however, there are few studies that investigate communication with humans and responses to the knowledge state of humans. Our first question was whether and how horses send signals to their potentially helpful but ignorant caretakers in a problem-solving ...
Hewetson M, Christley RM, Hunt ID, Voute LC.The objectives of this study were to assess the reliability of a numerical rating scale (NRS) and a verbal rating scale (VRS) for the assessment of lameness in horses and to determine whether they can be used interchangeably. Sixteen independent observers graded the severity of lameness in 20 videotaped horses, and the agreement between and within observers, correlation and bias were determined for each scale. The observers agreed with each other in 56 per cent of the observations with the NRS and in 60 per cent of the observations with the VRS, and the associated Kendall coefficient of concor...
