A Preliminary Study Investigating the Influence of Auditory Stimulation on the Occurrence of Nocturnal Equine Sleep-Related Behavior in Stabled Horses.
Abstract: The physical environment is known to influence nocturnal behavioral time budgets of the stabled horse, but less evidence exists to suggest how this might be affected by including additional sensory stimuli. This study aimed to establish the impact of novel auditory stimuli on the frequency of equine sleep-related behavior. Seven horses stabled for 24 hours per day on the same yard receiving the same daily management routine were observed from 2030 to 0630 over nine nights. Frequency of nocturnal behavior was recorded using focal intermittent sampling against a predetermined ethogram and an infrared CCTV camera system. Data were recorded under the following conditions: without music for two nights (phase A1), exposure to music for five nights (Beethoven's ninth Symphony) played at an average of 62.3 decibels (phases B1 [nights 3-4] and B2 [nights 6-7]), and two further nonconsecutive nights (phase A2) when music was no longer played. A general linear model was used to determine differences in the frequency of parametric behavioral data with a significantly higher occurrence of "ingestion" (F [3,18] = 7.910, P = .001) during phases in B compared with A, and a significant decrease in the occurrence of "other" behavior (F [3,18] = 10.25, P = .000) comparing phase A1 with all other phases. The Wilcoxon signed rank test highlighted significant differences in the frequency of "lateral recumbency" between specific phases (P < .05). The addition of music appears to have a significant effect on the equine nocturnal time budget that might be beneficial from an equine sleep perspective.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2019-07-10 PubMed ID: 31732116DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.07.003Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research article explores the impact of auditory stimuli, specifically music, on the sleep-related behaviors of horses kept in stables. The study identifies changes in behaviors like ingestion and lateral recumbency, revealing that music seems to have a positive influence on equine sleep.
Research Design and Methodology
- The study was conducted on seven horses kept in the same yard and shared the same daily management routine. These horses were watched over a period of nine nights.
- An infrared CCTV camera system and a predetermined ethogram were tools utilized in this study for recording the behavioral patterns of these horses during the night, specifically between 2030 to 0630.
- The impact of auditory stimuli was tested by alternating periods with and without music. Initially, the horses went two nights without music (Phase A1), followed by exposure to Beethoven’s ninth Symphony music for five nights (Phases B1 and B2), and then returning to silent nights once again for two non-consecutive nights (Phase A2).
Data Analysis and Findings
- Behavioral data analysis was conducted using a general linear model to scrutinize for any significant differences in frequency patterns.
- The study witnessed a significant increase in the frequency of “ingestion” behaviors during periods of exposure to music (Phases B). Simultaneously, there was also a noticeable decrease in the occurrence of “other” behaviors when Phase A1 was compared to all other phases.
- The study used the Wilcoxon signed rank test to indicate significant variations in the frequency of “lateral recumbency” (a sleeping position in horses) between different phases.
Conclusion and Implications
- The study concludes that introducing music to the stabled environment significantly impacts the nocturnal behavior of horses, potentially benefiting equine sleep. Thus, music might be a useful tool for improving the well-being of stabled horses, particularly from a sleep perspective.
Cite This Article
APA
Hartman N, Greening LM.
(2019).
A Preliminary Study Investigating the Influence of Auditory Stimulation on the Occurrence of Nocturnal Equine Sleep-Related Behavior in Stabled Horses.
J Equine Vet Sci, 82, 102782.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2019.07.003 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Equine Science Department, Hartpury University, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK.
- Equine Science Department, Hartpury University, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, UK. Electronic address: linda.greening@hartpury.ac.uk.
MeSH Terms
- Acoustic Stimulation / veterinary
- Animals
- Environment
- Horses
- Music
- Sleep
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Bradshaw-Wiley E, Randle H. The Effect of Stabling Routines on Potential Behavioural Indicators of Affective State in Horses and Their Use in Assessing Quality of Life.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 15;13(6).
- Greening L, McBride S. A Review of Equine Sleep: Implications for Equine Welfare.. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:916737.
- Kelemen Z, Grimm H, Long M, Auer U, Jenner F. Recumbency as an Equine Welfare Indicator in Geriatric Horses and Horses with Chronic Orthopaedic Disease.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Nov 8;11(11).
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