Equine welfare encompasses the physical and psychological well-being of horses, focusing on their health, comfort, and overall quality of life. This area of study addresses various aspects, including nutrition, housing, behavior, and management practices, aiming to ensure that horses are kept in environments that meet their physiological and behavioral needs. Research in equine welfare examines factors such as stress indicators, pain assessment, and the impact of human interactions on horse behavior and health. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the assessment, improvement, and implications of welfare practices in equine management.
Uellendahl A, Schramel JP, Tichy A, Peham C.The aim of this study was to determine whether horses exhibiting unilateral hindlimb lameness unload (rest) the lame limb more than the contralateral limb. The resting/unloading of the hindlimbs and the time spent lying down were measured using accelerometers. Ten non-lame horses and 20 lame horses were recruited for participation and monitored for 11 h overnight with accelerometers (MSR145, sampling rate: 1 Hz, and measuring range: ±15 g) attached to the lateral metatarsal and metacarpal regions of each limb. Metatarsal and metacarpal orientation were used to determine whether the limb was u...
Farmer Long J, Duberstein J, Costin K, Callaway T, Abrams A, Wassel B, Toal K, Duberstein K.Pasture tracks are a modern equine housing trend often implemented as a weight control strategy due to the belief that they promote movement, though this is not proven experimentally. To test movement of horses housed in pasture tracks as compared to conventional pasture housing, two experiments were performed using a track (0.2ha, 3.5m in width, 561 m total distance) created around the perimeter of a 2.0 ha pasture. In experiment 1, eight horses were paired and rotated between three treatment locations: track (T), small 2 ha pasture housed within the track (SP), and a larger 20 ha pasture on ...
Merridale-Punter MS, Wodajo AL, Elias B, Bakos AM, Zewdu H, Tesfaye R, Hailegebreal G, Sori T, El-Hage CM, Wiethoelter AK, Hitchens PL.Working equids support the livelihoods of millions of low-income households worldwide and face several welfare challenges. Although equipment-related wounds are common, little is known about specific risk factors. This cross-sectional study surveyed equids used for cart-work in three Ethiopian towns. Number, size, severity and location of wounds were recorded for each animal, as well as work equipment characteristics and indicators of equipment fit and assembly. Questionnaires were conducted with each cart-driver focusing on equipment practices and attitudes. Logistic regression models were ge...
Pineau V, Ter Woort F, Julien F, Vernant M, Lambey S, Hébert C, Hanne-Poujade S, Westergren V, van Erck-Westergren E.Gastric disease is highly prevalent in sport horses and may lead to poor performance, cause behavioral changes and impact welfare. Objective: Assess whether diet affects gastric disease and pain expression during riding, and whether it has an impact on physiological and locomotor variables during an exercise test, including jumps. Methods: Nine healthy show-jumping Warmbloods trained at the same stable. Methods: Prospective observational cohort study. The horses receiving a pelleted diet, high in sugar and starch (>30%), were examined at T0 and after 12 weeks (T12) of changing to a cooked, m...
Božić Jovanović V, Trailović R, Vićić I, Grković N, Radaković M, Karabasil N, Kaić A, Čobanović N.The aim of this study was to determine the effects of loading density and gender on blood welfare indicators, carcass bruises and horsemeat quality. Data were collected from twelve transports of 89 slaughter horses originating from the same collection centre. The transportation of slaughter horses at high loading densities (>200 kg/m), especially stallions, resulted in increased levels of lactate ( = 0.021), glucose ( < 0.0001), ceruloplasmin ( < 0.0001) and AOPP ( < 0.0001), but lower GSH levels ( 200 kg/m) during transport had lower levels of the aforementioned blood metabolites....
Blum S, Gisler J, Dalla Costa E, Montavon S, Spadavecchia C.Study objective was to evaluate whether the application of a lip twitch could be proposed as conditioning stimulus in the context of a novel Conditioned Pain Modulation (CPM) assessment paradigm for use in horses. The study was a prospective, experimental, randomized trial. Twelve healthy horses were evaluated in two experimental sessions. The lip twitch was used as the conditioning stimulus in both sessions; electrical stimulation was used as the test stimulus in one session, while mechanical and thermal stimulations were used in the other. Differences between thresholds recorded before and d...
Barrera G, Albiach-Serrano A, Guillén-Salazar F.Studies have shown that horses are sensitive to human attentional cues. Also, there is some evidence that they might be able to infer the knowledge state of a human and communicate intentionally with us. However, this ability is not fully characterized and certain behaviors, like gaze, asymmetric ears position or vocalizations, which could work as attention-getting behaviors, have been scarcely studied in this context. The aim of the present study was to assess whether horses' gaze toward a person, asymmetric ears position and vocalizations are subject to audience effects and adjust to human a...
Wonghanchao T, Huangsaksri O, Sanigavatee K, Poochipakorn C, Chanprame S, Wongkosoljit S, Chotiyothin W, Rattanayanon N, Kiawwan R, Chanda M.Animal welfare is of great concern in equestrian sports and has been evaluated in athletic horses competing at different levels. However, the impact of consecutive days of jumping competition and the extent of resultant stress responses remains unclear. To address this point, the present study compared the changes in stress response via heart rate variability (HRV) in horses participating in two national jumping events on consecutive days. Unassigned: The study involved six experienced horses equipped with heart rate monitoring devices. HRV variables were measured before, during, and after jum...
Hall C, Kay R.Quality of life is dependent upon the extent to which behavioural needs are met, and the balance between pleasant and unpleasant lifetime experiences. In Part II of this systematic review, articles (n = 109) relating to horse-human interactions were reviewed to identify behavioural evidence of their positive or negative impact on the horse. The number of articles (n = 22) relating to the recognition of pain in horses, indicated the importance of identifying health issues, which are also likely to increase the aversiveness of interactions. These and articles relating to emotional reactivity tes...
Hall C, Kay R.The welfare of horses involved in sport and leisure activities has come under increasing scrutiny, both from within the equine sector and from the public. A systematic review of scientific evidence was conducted to derive observable, evidence-based behavioural measures of positive or negative affective state and factors relating to quality of life in the domestic horse (Equus caballus). Two separate searches (including the terms 'emotion/affect', or 'stress') were conducted, with 179 articles being retained. In Part I of this two-part review (companion paper published simultaneously), articles...
Seck M, Carder G, Wathan J, Randau M, Fletcher K, Proops L.The role that working equids play in both rural and urban communities in low and middle-income countries is invaluable. They contribute to daily tasks such as carrying food, water and people, support income generation, and are of social and cultural importance. Despite their importance, global standards of working equid welfare are low. Many variables can impact the welfare status of animals under human care, but often specific factors are explored in isolation. Factors can include, but are not limited to an owner's socioeconomic status and their attitudes and beliefs towards animals. In this ...
Mustefa A, Engdawork A, Sinke S.Ethiopian horses are multipurpose horses that have socioeconomic significance for smallholder farmers. However, studies regarding their husbandry practices have received little attention. Thus, the current study was conducted to assess the horse husbandry practices in the southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires from a total of 196 randomly selected respondents. The general linear model and frequency procedures of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS 9.0) were used to analyze the quantitative and qualitative data, while indices were calculated using Micros...
Biau S, Pycik E, Boichot L, Berg LC, Ruet A.Health and performance of vaulting horses cantering with reins might be affected by rein tensions. The primary aim of this present study was to measure rein and lunge line tensions in international-level vaulting horses with several types of reins adjusted in accordance with the requirements of the FEI Vaulting Rules and study the effect of reins types on it. The secondary aim was to evaluate behavioural signs of discomfort under the same conditions and study the effect of reins types on it. The relationship between tensions and behavioural signs of discomfort was then explored. Thirty-nine in...
Bazzano M, Marchegiani A, La Gualana F, Petriti B, Petrucelli M, Accorroni L, Laus F.Many horses exhibit stereotypies, especially when living in human controlled environments that may prevent horses from satisfying natural needs in terms of feeding, drinking, moving, and socializing. In human medicine, obsessive compulsive disorder and other severe psychiatric disturbances are associated with stereotypic behaviors; salivary biomarkers evaluation is considered a reliable tool for diagnosis of common mental health disorders because saliva collection easy to obtain and noninvasive. In this study, we hypothesized that salivary cortisol concentrations, in addition to alpha-amylase ...
Takahashi Y, Niwa H, Ebisuda Y, Mukai K, Yoshida T, Raidal S, Padalino B, Ohmura H.Protection of horse welfare during transport is crucial. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of head and neck restraint on behavior and airway bacteria. Unassigned: In a randomized crossover study, six healthy Thoroughbreds were transported by road for 22 h in an individual bay with tight head restraint (50 cm short-rope) or loose head restraint (95 cm long-rope). Behavioral parameters relating to head position, eating, and stress were monitored during transportation. Tracheal wash samples were obtained 6 days before and immediately after transport for bacterial culture a...
König von Borstel U, Kienapfel K, McLean A, Wilkins C, McGreevy P.The article reports a meta-analysis of 58 peer-reviewed studies investigating on dorsoventral hyperflexion of the neck in horses, a practice under substantial public and scientific scrutiny for the past two decades. The following databases were last searched on 28.05.2023: CAB, Google Scholar, Web of Science, NAL/Agricola, PubMed and ScienceDirect. After evaluating the conclusions of each study, we performed statistical analyses to establish a consensus on welfare and performance (performance marks, kinematics and musculoskeletal) outcomes in horses performing with a hyperflexed head and neck ...
Jovanović V, Vučinić M, Voslarova E, Nenadović K.In Serbia, at present, there is very little information about the welfare of horses. The aim of this study was to identify the main welfare issues likely to be encountered in five different categories of horses (Western riding horses, riding school horses, leisure horses, jumping horses, and endurance horses) kept in stabled housing systems. A total of 50 horses were evaluated using the Animal Welfare Indicator (AWIN) welfare assessment protocol for horses. Identified welfare issues in horses were inadequate box dimensions (52%, 26/50), insufficient quantity of bedding material (34%, 17/50), d...
Arifianto D, Esfandiari A, Wibawan IWT, Amrozi A, Maharani M, Darsono D, Setiadi H, Setiyono A.Horses used for antisera production are repeatedly hyperimmunized to produce high levels of specific antibodies. This prolonged process can lead to various health issues, including amyloidosis, which involves the accumulation of amyloid proteins in organs and tissues, potentially causing organ dysfunction and failure. These horses are often retired when they no longer produce adequate antibody levels. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of prolonged antisera production on the health of retired horses by examining their blood biochemistry and serum amyloid A (SAA) levels, which are indicato...
The increasing interest in the study of spontaneous (SY) and contagious yawning (CY) was so far focused on several taxa, especially primates. Here, we focused on SY and CY in horses, a suitable species due to their complex social dynamics that has been largely overlooked in research on these phenomena. By analyzing videos of 48 horses on pasture, we identified 2 yawning morphologies: Covered ( ) and Uncovered Teeth ( ). Using EquiFACS, we quantitatively demonstrated that and differ in terms of muscle recruitment. Moreover, we provide the first evidence for the presence of CY by comparing 2...
McDonald S, Harley JJ, Hockenhull J.Free-ranging native Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies have not only held strong cultural and environmental significance for thousands of years within their respective national parks, but their environmental benefits and naturally selected characteristics have also been acknowledged and harnessed for conservation grazing and rewilding programmes. Despite a wealth of literature regarding the welfare of sports, leisure and working horses, there is little information concerning the welfare of free-ranging and extensively grazing ponies. The present study compared the welfare of native Exmoor and Dartmoor...
In recent decades, the integration of horses (Equus ferus) in European rewilding initiatives has gained widespread popularity due to their potential for regulating vegetation and restoring natural ecosystems. However, employing horses in conservation efforts presents important challenges, which we here explore and discuss. These challenges encompass the lack of consensus on key terms inherent to conservation and rewilding, the entrenched culture and strong emotions associated with horses, low genetic diversity and high susceptibility to hereditary diseases in animals under human selection, as ...
Zimmermann B, Castro ANC, Lendez PA, Carrica Illia M, Carrica Illia MP, Teyseyre AR, Toloza JM, Ghezzi MD, Mota-Rojas D.An emotion is defined as the affective response to a stimulus that leads to specific bodily changes, enabling individuals to react to positive or negative environmental conditions. In the absence of speech, emotions in animals are primarily studied by observing expressive components, such as facial expressions. This review aims to analyze the available literature on the influence of environmental stimuli on measurable behaviors in horses, describing the anatomical components involved in perception at the central nervous system level and the efferent pathways that trigger facial muscle contract...
Kirton R, Sandford I, Raffan E, Hallsworth S, Burman OHP, Morgan R.Equine obesity is a growing concern. Much of the current management advice centres on dietary restrictions, including the removal or limitation of grazing. Little is known about the impact of these approaches on the welfare of the horse. Objective: This study investigates the effect of two commonly used grazing systems advocated for the control of weight-the 'strip-grazing' and the 'track' systems-on the behaviour and welfare of outdoor-living ponies. Methods: A within-subject cross-over experimental design with four groups of pasture-kept ponies experiencing each system for 4 weeks in a ran...
Le Breton A, Lewis N.Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are performed worldwide in the equine industry to produce genetically valuable foals. Among them, ovum pick up (OPU) combined with intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) can now be more efficient than embryo transfer (ET) under optimal conditions. However, OPU is not a benign procedure for the mare and the process is costly. Improved efficiency is therefore in the interest of everyone, maximizing mare welfare and optimizing economics for the client. One of the key factors of success is the antral follicle count (AFC) at the time of OPU and subsequent...
Laleye BOFV, Seye M, Chiavaccini L.Limited knowledge exists on recognition and treatment of equine abdominal pain in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed at finding indicators for recognizing abdominal pain, evaluating responses to clinical and behavioral changes, and assessing the impact of timely referral on colic outcomes in a suburban region of Senegal. The final goal was to identify factors that may be leveraged to improve the outcome of horses presented for abdominal pain in Senegal. Unassigned: Retrospective, observational cohort study. Unassigned: Data from 26 foals and 40 adult horses referred for acute a...
Kim LD, Kreitner K, Scott DM, Seabaugh K, Duncan CG, Magzamen S.Limited research exists on impacts of air pollution on non-human mammals, particularly animal athletes such as Thoroughbred racehorses. Athletes have a greater risk of exposure as heightened exertion and increased airflow carry more pollutants deeper into the respiratory tract. Objective: To provide insights into the impact of ambient air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM), on race speed. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: Data were obtained from The Jockey Club Information Systems, covering 31 407 winning races by Thoroughbred horses in California spannin...
Grandgeorge M, Lerch N, Delarue A, Hausberger M.Equine-assisted intervention (EAI) studies deal with clients, whereas very few studies focused on the effects on animals. EAI equids are also submitted to management, which influences their welfare. Management and working conditions depend on human decisions and perception. We gathered information through a survey about facilities managers' strategies (n = 51) and obtained direct information on management and working practices and their consequences on equids' welfare through an observational study (n = eight facilities, 174 equids). Differences in managers' perceptions of good management prac...
Kreuzer L, Naber A, Zink R, Millesi E, Palme R, Hediger K, Glenk LM.Research on equine-assisted therapy (EAT) has primarily been centered on human health. Relatively few studies have addressed the impact of EAT on horses. This study sought to monitor four experienced therapy horses' cardiovascular and glucocorticoid activity over the course of standardized EAT sessions designed to support women with intellectual disability. In the control condition, horses completed the EAT protocol solely with the therapist, thereby resembling a training session. Descriptive data analysis revealed higher levels of heart rate during an experimental EAT session and increased sa...
Pritchard JC, Burn CC, Barr AR, Whay HR.Dehydration is a serious welfare concern in horses working in developing countries. Identification of a valid and practical indicator of dehydration would enable more rapid treatment and prevention. Objective: To examine changes in bodyweight, clinical and blood parameters during rehydration of working horses, identify a 'gold standard' criterion for dehydration and use this to validate a standardised skin tent test, drinking behaviour and mucous membrane dryness as potential field indicators. Methods: Fifty horses with a positive skin tent test, working in environmental temperatures of 30-44 ...
Fureix C, Benhajali H, Henry S, Bruchet A, Prunier A, Ezzaouia M, Coste C, Hausberger M, Palme R, Jego P.Stereotypic behaviours, i.e. repetitive behaviours induced by frustration, repeated attempts to cope and/or brain dysfunction, are intriguing as they occur in a variety of domestic and captive species without any clear adaptive function. Among the different hypotheses, the coping hypothesis predicts that stereotypic behaviours provide a way for animals in unfavourable environmental conditions to adjust. As such, they are expected to have a lower physiological stress level (glucocorticoids) than non-stereotypic animals. Attempts to link stereotypic behaviours with glucocorticoids however have y...
Padalino B, Raidal SL, Hall E, Knight P, Celi P, Jeffcott L, Muscatello G.Transportation can affect equine health and is a potential source of economic loss to the industry. Objective: To identify journey (duration, vehicle, commercial or noncommercial) and horse (sex, age, breed, use, amateur or professional status) characteristics associated with the development of transport-related health problems in horses. Methods: Cross-sectional online survey. Methods: An online survey was conducted targeting amateur and professional participants in the Australian equine industry; eligible respondents were required to organise horse movements at least monthly. Respondents pro...
Rochais C, Henry S, Fureix C, Hausberger M.Some captive/domestic animals respond to confinement by becoming inactive and unresponsive to external stimuli. Human inactivity is one of the behavioural markers of clinical depression, a mental disorder diagnosed by the co-occurrence of symptoms including deficit in selective attention. Some riding horses display 'withdrawn' states of inactivity and low responsiveness to stimuli that resemble the reduced engagement with their environment of some depressed patients. We hypothesized that 'withdrawn' horses experience a depressive-like state and evaluated their level of attention by confronting...
Fenner K, Caspar G, Hyde M, Henshall C, Dhand N, Probyn-Rapsey F, Dashper K, McLean A, McGreevy P.We propose that the anthropomorphic application of gender stereotypes to animals influences human-animal interactions and human expectations, often with negative consequences for female animals. An online survey was conducted to explore riders' perceptions of horse temperament and suitability for ridden work, based on horse sex. The questionnaire asked respondents to allocate three hypothetical horses (a mare, gelding and stallion) to four riders compromising a woman, man, girl and boy. Riders were described as equally capable of riding each horse and each horse was described as suitable for a...
McGorum BC, Ellison J, Cullen RT.The concentrations of total and respirable airborne endotoxin in the breathing zone of a pony in 3 different management systems, on 8 occasions, are reported. Airborne endotoxin concentrations in all 3 systems were lower than those reported for many other agricultural environments. However, total airborne endotoxin concentrations in many of the conventional stables exceeded those which can induce pulmonary inflammation and bronchial hyper-responsiveness in normal human subjects, and exceeded those which can induce bronchoconstriction in humans with pre-existing pulmonary inflammation. Therefor...
York A, Matusiewicz J, Padalino B.This review aims to provide practical outcomes on how to minimise the incidence of transport-related problem behaviours (TRPBs) in horses. TRPBs are unwanted behaviours occurring during different phases of transport, most commonly, a reluctance to load and scrambling during travelling. TRPBs can result in injuries to horses and horse handlers, horse trailer accidents, disruption of time schedules, inability to attend competitions, and poor performance following travel. Therefore, TRPBs are recognised as both a horse-related risk to humans and a human-related risk to horses. From the literature...
Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworski Z, Jaworska J, Siemieniuch M.To prevent abuse and to assure the welfare of domestic horses, attempts to assess welfare in a standardized way have been made. Welfare-assessment tools often refer to the physical and social environments of feral domestic horses as examples of welfare-friendly conditions for horses. However, free-roaming horses are often exposed to conditions or states that may be regarded as welfare threats or abuse. The aim of this review was to present cases of welfare compromises as well as natural ways to restore high standards of welfare to Konik polski horses (Koniks) living in semiferal conditions in ...
Lee KE, Kim JG, Lee H, Kim BS.This study aimed to investigate whether breed, sex, and age affected temperament differently (more or less neophobic) in mature horses during a novel object test. The study included Jeju crossbred (n = 12, age = 9.42 ± 4.57 y), Thoroughbred (n = 15, age = 10.73 ± 3.09 y), and Warmblood horses (n = 12, age = 13.08 ± 3.55 y) with the females (n = 22, age = 11.36 ± 4.24 y) and geldings (n = 17, age = 10.65 ± 3.66 y). Jeju crossbreds (Jeju horse × Thoroughbred) are valuable considering their popular usage in Korea, but limited studies have explored temperament of Jeju crossbred horses. A tra...
Dai F, Dalla Costa A, Bonfanti L, Caucci C, Di Martino G, Lucarelli R, Padalino B, Minero M.The present work aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a self-loading training using positive reinforcement on stress-related behaviors shown by meat horses during loading procedures into a truck. Thirty-two meat horses ( = 18; = 14; 6 month-old) were included in the study. All horses had limited interactions with the farmer and were not used to be restrained nor lead by halter. Horses were divided in two groups: Control Group (C; = 14) and Training Group (T; = 18). T horses were trained to self-load: in order to teach the horses to enter into the truck, a targeting training technique throughou...
Greening L, McBride S.Sleep is a significant biological requirement for all living mammals due to its restorative properties and its cognitive role in memory consolidation. Sleep is ubiquitous amongst all mammals but sleep profiles differ between species dependent upon a range of biological and environmental factors. Given the functional importance of sleep, it is important to understand these differences in order to ensure good physical and psychological wellbeing for domesticated animals. This review focuses specifically on the domestic horse and aims to consolidate current information on equine sleep, in relatio...
Chaplin SJ, Gretgrix L.Housing conditions for horses impose various levels of confinement, which may compromise welfare. Lying behaviour and activity can be used as welfare indicators for domestic animals and rebound behaviour suggests a build-up of motivation resulting from deprivation. The objective of this study was to determine if activity and lying behaviour of horses are affected by housing conditions and to investigate the occurrence of rebound behaviour after release from confinement. Eight horses were subjected, in pairs, to each of four experimental treatments; paddock (P), fully stabled (FS), partly stabl...
Czycholl I, Klingbeil P, Krieter J.Objective tools for the assessment of animal welfare are needed. The present study analyzed the interobserver reliability of the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) welfare assessment protocol for horses to further enhance knowledge concerning reliability. Therefore, two trained observers conducted 18 assessments on farm at the same time and on the same animals. The results were compared at individual level by calculation of Cohen's kappa (κ), weighted kappa (κ), and prevalence-adjusted, bias-adjusted kappa (PABAK). Spearman rank correlation coefficient (RS), intraclass correlation coefficient ...
Navas de Solis C.Arrhythmias are common in equine athletes during and immediately after exercise. Many of these rhythm variations are not clinically relevant. In horses, a link between different exercising arrhythmias and poor performance or between exercising arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) is strongly suspected but not fully understood or proven. SCD during races or competitions is rare, but has catastrophic consequences for the safety of the human partner and public perceptions of welfare during equestrian sports. This review summarises current knowledge of equine exercise arrhythmias and their i...
Flood J, Stewart AJ.Effective pain management in horses can be a challenge despite the understanding that appropriate analgesia improves animal welfare and increases treatment success. The administration of NSAID drugs, particularly phenylbutazone and flunixin, are common practice in equine veterinary patients. Known for their analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, NSAIDs are used for the treatment of a variety of conditions in horses, from gastrointestinal to orthopedic pain. Despite extensive usage, NSAIDs have a narrow margin of safety and the body of literature documenting the efficacy and side effects o...
Scopa C, Palagi E, Sighieri C, Baragli P.To manage a stressful stimulus animals react both behaviorally and physiologically to restore the homeostasis. In stable horses, a stressful stimulus can be represented by social separation, riding discomfort or the presence of novel objects in their environment. Although Heart Rate Variability is a common indicator of stress levels in horses, the behavioral mechanisms concurrently occurring under stressful conditions are still unknown. The sudden inflation of a balloon was administered to 33 horses. Video-recording of self-directed behaviors (snore, vacuum chewing, snort, head/body shaking) a...
Hausberger M, Stomp M, Sankey C, Brajon S, Lunel C, Henry S.Research in cognitive psychology has repeatedly shown how much cognition and emotions are mutually related to one another. Psychological disorders are associated with cognitive (attention, memory and judgment) biases and chronic pain may affect attention, learning or memory. Laboratory studies have provided useful insights about the processes involved but observations about spontaneous animal models, living in different stress/welfare conditions may help understand further how cognition and welfare are interrelated in the « real world ». Domestic horses constitute such a model as they live i...
Ruet A, Lemarchand J, Parias C, Mach N, Moisan MP, Foury A, Briant C, Lansade L.Horses are mainly housed in individual boxes. This housing system is reported to be highly detrimental with regard to welfare and could trigger the expression of four behavioural indicators of a compromised welfare state: stereotypies, aggressiveness toward humans, unresponsiveness to the environment, and stress-related behaviours. The aim of this study was to identify housing and management factors that could alleviate the detrimental effects of individual boxes on welfare. A total of 187 horses were observed over 50 days by scan sampling. The impact of 12 factors was investigated on the expr...
Evans D, McGreevy P.Concerns have been expressed concerning animal-welfare issues associated with whip use during Thoroughbred races. However, there have been no studies of relationships between performance and use of whips in Thoroughbred racing. Our aim was to describe whip use and the horses' performance during races, and to investigate associations between whip use and racing performance. Under the Australian Racing Board (ARB) rules, only horses that are in contention can be whipped, so we expected that whippings would be associated with superior performance, and those superior performances would be explaine...
Sullivan S, Hinchcliff K.Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is an important disease of horses that perform high-intensity athletic activity. EIPH is an ongoing concern for the racing industry because of its high prevalence; potential impact on performance; welfare concerns; and use of prophylactic medications, such as furosemide, on race day. During the last 10 years, significant progress has been made in understanding the pathogenesis and risk factors for EIPH and the impact of the disease on performance and career. This article summarizes the most recent advances in EIPH.
Grandgeorge M, Hausberger M.Humans have a long history of relationship with domestic animals and nowadays pets often act as "social substitutes" through bonding. There is some evidence that pet presence at home may induce well being in people and the development of social skills in children. Animal assisted therapies aim at developing these skills in patients on the basis of human animal interactions. Experimental data obtained on animal models suggest that this is indeed a promising line. There is however a lack of clear scientific data that would help defines what the most appropriate procedures or species may be. Impr...
Nagy A, Dyson SJ, Murray JK.The popularity of competitive endurance riding is growing worldwide and this has led to considerable changes in the discipline (e.g., fitter and faster horses and different types of injuries), which create challenges to all involved in the sport, including veterinarians. During endurance competitions, horses are closely monitored by veterinarians throughout the ride, with the aim of removing from the competition animals whose welfare appears to be endangered. This close monitoring provides veterinarians with an insight into problems during competitions. However, there is a relatively small amo...
Jaqueth AL, Iwaniuk ME, Burk AO.It has been estimated in the United States and abroad that 20%-51% of the equine population suffers from over-conditioning or obesity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of over-conditioning in the equine population in Maryland, to characterize weight control measures used, and to ascertain how control measures impact the operation. Over-conditioning was defined as a body condition score of 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. All licensed horse operators in Maryland were invited to participate in an online survey. A total of 93 farm operators completed the survey with 238 ponies...
Heleski CR, McGreevy PD, Kaiser LJ, Lavagnino M, Tans E, Bello N, Clayton HM.Unsteady hand position can cause discomfort to the horse, potentially leading to conflict behaviours (CB) such as head tossing or tail lashing. Some instructors feel that martingales or elastic rein inserts can reduce discomfort caused by inexperienced and unsteady hands. Others consider these devices to be inappropriate 'crutches'. Four horses and nine riders were tested under three conditions in random order: plain reins, adjustable training martingales (TM), and elasticised rein inserts (RI). Rein-tension data (7s) and behavioural data (30s) were collected in each direction. Rein-tension da...
Kang H, Zsoldos RR, Sole-Guitart A, Narayan E, Cawdell-Smith AJ, Gaughan JB.Healthy adult horses can balance accumulation and dissipation of body heat to maintain their body temperature between 37.5 and 38.5 °C, when they are in their thermoneutral zone (5 to 25 °C). However, under some circumstances, such as following strenuous exercise under hot, or hot and humid conditions, the accumulation of body heat exceeds dissipation and horses can suffer from heat stress. Prolonged or severe heat stress can lead to anhidrosis, heat stroke, or brain damage in the horse. To ameliorate the negative effects of high heat load in the body, early detection of heat stress and im...
Raspa F, Dinardo FR, Vervuert I, Bergero D, Bottero MT, Pattono D, Dalmasso A, Vinassa M, Valvassori E, Bruno E, De Palo P, Valle E.Horses reared for meat production are fed high amounts of cereal grains in comparison with horses raised for other purposes. Such feeding practice may lead to risk of poor welfare consequences. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two feeding practices on selected metabolic parameters and production aspects. Nineteen Bardigiano horses, 14.3 ± 0.7 months of age, were randomly assigned to two groups-one fed with high amounts of cereal grains (HCG; n = 9; 43% hay plus 57% cereal grain-based pelleted feed) vs. one fed with high amounts of fibre (HFG; n = 10; 70% hay plus...
Graham R, McManus P.Changing social values and new technologies have contributed to increasing media attention and debate about the acceptable use of animals in sport. This paper focuses on the use of the whip in thoroughbred horse racing. Those who defend its use argue it is a necessary tool needed for safety, correction and encouragement, and that it does not cause the horse any pain. For those who oppose its use, it is an instrument of cruelty. Media framing is employed to unpack the discourses played out in print and social media in the UK (2011) and Australia (2009) during key periods of the whip debate foll...
Grandin T, McGee K, Lanier JL.To assess the prevalence of severe welfare problems in horses that arrive at slaughter plants and to identify horses that were unfit for travel. Methods: Prevalence survey. Methods: 1,008 horses. Methods: Horses arriving at 2 slaughter plants were observed. The following were rated severe welfare problems in horses: body condition scores of 1 or 2 (emaciated) of 9; recumbency (down) or the inability to walk; fractured limbs or other foot or limb problems that extremely impaired mobility; severe wounds, such as deep cuts, extensive lacerations, abrasions on the head or back, eye injuries, negle...
Christensen JW, Zharkikh TL, Antoine A, Malmkvist J.During riding, horses are frequently exposed to pressure from the rider, e.g. through the bit and reins, but few studies have investigated at which point rein tension becomes uncomfortable for the horse. Objective: To investigate how much rein tension young inexperienced horses are willing to accept in order to obtain a food reward; whether the tension acceptance changes during 3 consecutive test days; and whether rein tension correlates with the expression of conflict behaviour and heart rate. Objective: Pressure-naïve horses will apply only little rein tension in the first voluntary trial, ...
Stull CL.Nine trailer loads of horses (n = 306) transported to slaughter facilities with distances ranging 596 to 2,496 km were studied to characterize the type of horses used in commercial markets and the physiological responses and number of injuries due to transportation under summer environmental conditions. Slaughter horse candidates were middle-aged (11.4+/-.4 yr), possessed moderately fleshy body condition, weighed 432+/-3.3 kg, and were of Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred breeding. The mean weight loss during commercial transport was 4%. The percentage of injured horses was greater (P < .05) fo...
