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Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / Area and Resource Utilization of Group-Housed Horses in an A...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(10); 2777; doi: 10.3390/ani11102777

Area and Resource Utilization of Group-Housed Horses in an Active Stable.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze the utilization of different stable areas of a total of 52 group-housed horses as well as their preferred stable parts and the use of resources. The study was situated in a "HIT Active Stable" in Northern Germany for a period of 227 observation days. After dividing the whole farm area in a grid of 3 × 3 m, the dataset was examined with and without the pasture area. Furthermore, linear mixed models were applied. On average, horses used 53.2 ± 19 different squares per hour. The observation day ( < 0.001) and the covariate age ( < 0.001) had significant effects on the different squares visited per hour. No significant effects were found for sex ( = 0.30) and breed ( = 0.65) as only geldings and no stallions were part of the group and the distribution of the breeds was unfavorable. The random effect animal showed that the horse-individual estimates from -19.2 to 17.6 different squares visited per hour were quite large. Furthermore, it could be shown that the horses used resources such as feed stalls with a frequency of up to 0.14% more than other paddock areas without resources. Open lying halls with tarp skin were also preferred over the metal hall. The shelters were only partly popular. Use could be visualized with the help of heat maps. This study gives a good overview of the use of individual areas and resources and possible improvements.
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Publication Date: 2021-09-23 PubMed ID: 34679799PubMed Central: PMC8532945DOI: 10.3390/ani11102777Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The study aims to examine how different parts of a stable and its resources are utilized by group-housed horses. The research discovers and reports the horses’ preferred areas and the influence of certain factors such as age on the horse’s movements.

Research Design

  • The research took place in a “HIT Active Stable” located in Northern Germany. The researchers spent 227 days observing the behavior of a total of 52 group-housed horses.
  • To assess the horses’ movements, the entire farm area was divided into a grid of 3×3 meters squares. The analysis of the data collected was done both with and without consideration of the pasture area.
  • The research model incorporated linear mixed models to analyze the information collected.

Findings

  • The research found that horses, on average, used about 53.2 ± 19 different squares each hour.
  • The study also revealed a significant effect of observation day and age on the number of squares visited per hour by the horses.
  • No significant correlation was found between the horses’ sex and breed and their movement around the stable. This is perhaps because only geldings were part of the group and no stallions, and the breed distribution was not diverse.
  • The variances in individual horses’ behaviors were high, with estimates ranging from -19.2 to 17.6 different squares visited per hour.
  • The utilization of resources such as feed stalls was significantly higher than other paddock areas without such resources. Horses also preferred open lying halls with tarp skin more than the metal hall.
  • The usage of shelters varied among the horses and could be visualized with the help of heat maps.

Implications

  • This study provides valuable insights into the horse’s behavior in a group-living situation and how they utilize different stable areas and resources.
  • The research can serve as a basis for an informed decision on how to improve the housing of stabled horses, taking into consideration their individual needs, behaviors, and preferences.

Cite This Article

APA
Hildebrandt F, Büttner K, Salau J, Krieter J, Czycholl I. (2021). Area and Resource Utilization of Group-Housed Horses in an Active Stable. Animals (Basel), 11(10), 2777. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11102777

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 10
PII: 2777

Researcher Affiliations

Hildebrandt, Frederik
  • Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
Büttner, Kathrin
  • Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
  • Unit for Biomathematics and Data Processing, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Salau, Jennifer
  • Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
Krieter, Joachim
  • Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.
Czycholl, Irena
  • Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Kiel University, 24118 Kiel, Germany.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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