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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(21); 2981; doi: 10.3390/ani12212981

Changes in Management, Welfare, Emotional State, and Human-Related Docility in Stallions.

Abstract: Despite an increase in awareness of their essential needs, many stallions continue to be kept in conditions limiting their social interactions and movement. To supplement the studies which highlight the effects of these practices on selected aspects of equine mental and physical wellbeing, we aimed to monitor a group of 32 adult intact stallions during their transition from tethered housing with limited outdoor access to free group housing through the lens of their overall welfare, perceived emotional status, and docility toward humans. Over three visits (before the management change, two weeks, and three months after, respectively), their welfare, qualitative behavior, and docility were assessed. Analysis of the data collected showed an improvement in the stallions' overall welfare and no decrease in their docility after their group-release, with a constant correlation between these two aspects. The evaluation of their emotional states was less relevant, lacking consistency between the assessments for most of the descriptors used, warranting further research in similar conditions. Although our study covered a relatively short period of time, our results provide encouraging support for stallion owners in deciding on a similar management change for the welfare of their animals.
Publication Date: 2022-10-30 PubMed ID: 36359105PubMed Central: PMC9655772DOI: 10.3390/ani12212981Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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This research examines the impact on the welfare and behavior of stallions when their living conditions are changed from tethered housing to free group housing. The study highlights some positive impacts on their overall welfare and human-related docility, and calls for more research on this topic.

Overview of the Study

  • This study aimed to understand the changes in stallions when their living conditions were altered from restricted, tethered housing to an open, free group housing set-up.
  • A group of 32 adult stallions was observed for the study, with assessments being conducted before the change in housing, two weeks after, and three months after.
  • The areas assessed were their welfare, qualitative behavior, and docility, which refers to their calmness and compliance towards humans.

Key Findings

  • The most significant findings were an improvement in the stallions’ overall welfare and the fact that their human-related docility didn’t decrease as a result of the change in environment.
  • Another noticeable finding was the steady correlation between the stallions’ welfare and their docility. This shows that when living conditions improve, their interaction with humans isn’t negatively affected.

Emotional State Assessment

  • Evaluating the stallions’ emotional state was part of the study. However, the results in this area were not as clear or consistent as they were for the welfare and docility assessments.
  • The consistency between assessments in relation to emotional states was lacking for most of the descriptors used. This inconsistency suggests that further research in similar conditions would be beneficial to validate any potential findings.

Implications of the Study

  • The findings of this research, even over a relatively short period of time, indicate notable advantages in moving stallions from tethered housing to free group housing, specifically regarding their welfare and human-related docility.
  • These results can be encouraging support for stallion owners considering a similar management change to improve the welfare of their animals.

Cite This Article

APA
Popescu S, Lazar EA, Borda C, Blaga Petrean A, Mitrănescu E. (2022). Changes in Management, Welfare, Emotional State, and Human-Related Docility in Stallions. Animals (Basel), 12(21), 2981. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12212981

Publication

ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 21
PII: 2981

Researcher Affiliations

Popescu, Silvana
  • Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Lazar, Eva Andrea
  • Association for the Welfare of Horses, 725700 Vatra Dornei, Romania.
Borda, Cristin
  • Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Blaga Petrean, Anamaria
  • Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Mitrănescu, Elena
  • Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, 050097 Bucharest, Romania.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
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