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
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- 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.
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
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- Association for the Welfare of Horses, 725700 Vatra Dornei, Romania.
- Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- Department of Animal Hygiene and Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- 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.
References
This article includes 60 references
- Broom DM. Indicators of poor welfare.. Br Vet J 1986 Nov-Dec;142(6):524-6.
- Hewson CJ. What is animal welfare? Common definitions and their practical consequences.. Can Vet J 2003 Jun;44(6):496-9.
- Burger D, Wedekind C, Wespi B, Imboden I, Meinecke-Tillmann S, Sieme H. The potential effects of social interactions on reproductive efficiency of stallions.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2012;32:455–457.
- Christensen JW, Zharkikh T, Ladewig J, Yasinetskaya N. Social behaviour in stallion groups (Equus przewalskii and Equus caballus) kept under natural and domestic conditions.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2002;76:11–20.
- Gehlen H, Krumbach K, Thöne-Reineke C. Keeping Stallions in Groups-Species-Appropriate or Relevant to Animal Welfare?. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 4;11(5).
- McDonnell SM. Revisiting clinical stallion sexual behavior: Applying ethology in the breeding shed.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2016;43:518–522.
- Mills DS, Clarke A. Housing, management and welfare.. In: Waran N., editor. The Welfare of Horses, Animal Welfare. Volume 1. Springer; Dordrecht, The Netherlands: 2007. pp. 77–97.
- de Oliveira RA, Aurich C. Aspects of Breeding Stallion Management with Specific Focus on Animal Welfare.. J Equine Vet Sci 2021 Dec;107:103773.
- Popescu S, Lazar EA, Borda C, Niculae M, Sandru CD, Spinu M. Welfare Quality of Breeding Horses Under Different Housing Conditions.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Mar 5;9(3).
- Sarrafchi A, Blokhuis HJ. Equine stereotypic behaviors: Causation, occurrence, and prevention.. J. Vet. Behav. 2013;8:386–394.
- Chaya L, Cowan E, McGuire B. A note on the relationship between time spent in turnout and behaviour during turnout in horses (Equus caballus). Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2006;98:155–160.
- Rivera E, Benjamin S, Nielsen BD, Shelle J, Zanella AJ. Behavioral and physiological responses of horses to initial training: The comparison between pastured versus stalled horses.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2002;78:235–252.
- Lesimple C, Poissonnet A, Hausberger M. How to keep your horse safe? An epidemiological study about management practices.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2016;181:105–114.
- Topczewska J. An attempt to assess the welfare of horses maintained in herd systems.. Arch. Anim. Breed. 2018;55:1–9.
- Henneke DR, Potter GD, Kreider JL, Yeates BF. Relationship between condition score, physical measurements and body fat percentage in mares.. Equine Vet J 1983 Oct;15(4):371-2.
- AWIN. AWIN Welfare Assessment Protocol for Horses.. 1st ed. AWIN; Berlin, Germany: 2015. pp. 51–53. Version 1.1.
- Bassler AW, Arnould C, Butterworth A, Colin L, De Jong IC, Ferrante V, Ferrari P, Haslam S, Wemelsfelder F, Blokhuis HJ. Potential risk factors associated with contact dermatitis, lameness, negative emotional state, and fear of humans in broiler chicken flocks.. Poult Sci 2013 Nov;92(11):2811-26.
- Hartmann E, Søndegaard E, Keeling LJ. Keeping horses in groups: A review.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2012;136:77–87.
- Yngvesson J, Rey Torres JC, Lindholm J, Pättiniemi A, Andersson P, Sassner H. Health and Body Conditions of Riding School Horses Housed in Groups or Kept in Conventional Tie-Stall/Box Housing.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Feb 26;9(3).
- Sanmartín Sánchez L, Blanco-Penedo I, Perea Muñoz JM, Quiñones Pérez C, Delgado JV, Vega-Pla JL. Welfare assessment at a Spanish Army equine breeding centre.. Ital. J. Anim. Sci. 2020;19:137–146.
- Freeman DE. Effect of Feed Intake on Water Consumption in Horses: Relevance to Maintenance Fluid Therapy.. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:626081.
- Swann WJ. Improving the welfare of working equine animals in developing countries.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2006;100:148–151.
- Popescu S, Diugan EA. The relationship between behavioral and other welfare indicators.. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2013;33:1–12.
- Swaim S, Hanson R, Coates JR. Decubitus ulcers in animals.. In: Parish LC, Witkowski JA, Crissey JT, editors. The Decubitus Ulcer in Clinical Practice. 1st ed. Springer; Berlin, Heidelberg, Germany: 1997. p. 217238.
- Pritchard JC, Lindberg AC, Main DC, Whay HR. Assessment of the welfare of working horses, mules and donkeys, using health and behaviour parameters.. Prev Vet Med 2005 Jul 12;69(3-4):265-83.
- Lesimple C. Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Feb 13;10(2).
- Briefer Freymond S, Briefer EF, Von Niederhäusern R, Bachmann I. Pattern of social interactions after group integration: a possibility to keep stallions in group.. PLoS One 2013;8(1):e54688.
- Josseck H, Zenker W, Geyer H. Hoof horn abnormalities in Lipizzaner horses and the effect of dietary biotin on macroscopic aspects of hoof horn quality.. Equine Vet J 1995 May;27(3):175-82.
- Siewert C, Böttcher A, Hellige M, Beyerbach M, von Rautenfeld DB, Seifert H. [Influence of exercise on horses' limb volume, measured by an optoelectronic device].. Berl Munch Tierarztl Wochenschr 2011 May-Jun;124(5-6):257-64.
- Wålinder R, Riihimäki M, Bohlin S, Hogstedt C, Nordquist T, Raine A, Pringle J, Elfman L. Installation of mechanical ventilation in a horse stable: effects on air quality and human and equine airways.. Environ Health Prev Med 2011 Jul;16(4):264-72.
- Couetil L, Cardwell JM, Leguillette R, Mazan M, Richard E, Bienzle D, Bullone M, Gerber V, Ivester K, Lavoie JP, Martin J, Moran G, Niedźwiedź A, Pusterla N, Swiderski C. Equine Asthma: Current Understanding and Future Directions.. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:450.
- McGorum BC, Ellison J, Cullen RT. Total and respirable airborne dust endotoxin concentrations in three equine management systems.. Equine Vet J 1998 Sep;30(5):430-4.
- Lesimple C, Reverchon-Billot L, Galloux P, Stomp M, Boichot L, Coste C, Henry S, Hausberger M. Free movement: A key for welfare improvement in sport horses?. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2020;225:104972.
- Due M. Le bien-être du cheval, Equine welfare: Guidelines for keeping horses; Proceedings of the Congrés de l’Association Vétérinaire Équine Francaise, AVEF; Versailles, France.. 14 October 2006; pp. 1–18.
- Popescu S, Diugan EA. The relationship between the welfare quality and stress index in working and breeding horses.. Res Vet Sci 2017 Dec;115:442-450.
- Van Dierendonck MC, Goodwin D. The importance of social relationships in horses, Chapter 2, Social contact in horses: Implications for human-horse interactions.. In: De Jonge F, van der Bos R, editors. The Human-Animal Relationship: Forever and a Day. 1st ed. Universiteit Utrecht; Utrecht, The Nederlands: 2005. pp. 65–82.
- Rørvang MV, Nielsen BL, McLean AN. Sensory Abilities of Horses and Their Importance for Equitation Science.. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:633.
- Houpt KA, Waran N. Horse welfare since 1950.. In: Salem DJ, Rowan AN, editors. The State of the Animals II: 2003. Humane Society Press; Washington, DC, USA: 2003. pp. 207–215.
- Burn CC, Dennison TL, Whay HR. Environmental and demographic risk factors for poor welfare in working horses, donkeys and mules in developing countries.. Vet J 2010 Dec;186(3):385-92.
- Popescu S, Diugan EA, Spinu M. The interrelations of good welfare indicators assessed in working horses and their relationships with the type of work.. Res Vet Sci 2014 Apr;96(2):406-14.
- Fureix C, Jego P, Sankey C, Hausberger M. How horses (Equus caballus) see the world: humans as significant "objects".. Anim Cogn 2009 Jul;12(4):643-54.
- Sankey C, Henry S, André N, Richard-Yris MA, Hausberger M. Do horses have a concept of person?. PLoS One 2011 Mar 30;6(3):e18331.
- Proops L, McComb K. Cross-modal individual recognition in domestic horses (Equus caballus) extends to familiar humans.. Proc Biol Sci 2012 Aug 22;279(1741):3131-8.
- Lansade L, Colson V, Parias C, Reigner F, Bertin A, Calandreau L. Human Face Recognition in Horses: Data in Favor of a Holistic Process.. Front Psychol 2020;11:575808.
- Lansade L, Colson V, Parias C, Trösch M, Reigner F, Calandreau L. Female horses spontaneously identify a photograph of their keeper, last seen six months previously.. Sci Rep 2020 Apr 14;10(1):6302.
- Boissy A, Manteuffel G, Jensen MB, Moe RO, Spruijt B, Keeling LJ, Winckler C, Forkman B, Dimitrov I, Langbein J, Bakken M, Veissier I, Aubert A. Assessment of positive emotions in animals to improve their welfare.. Physiol Behav 2007 Oct 22;92(3):375-97.
- McGreevy PD. Ingestive behavior.. In: McGreevy P, editor. Equine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians and Equine Scientists. 1st ed. W.B. Saunders; Philadelphia, PA, USA: 2004. pp. 189–215. Chapter 8.
- Houpt KA. Maintenance behaviours.. In: Mills D, McDonnell SM, editors. The Domestic Horse: The Evolution, Development, and Management of Its Behaviour. Cambridge University Press; New York, NY, USA: 2005. pp. 94–109.
- McGreevy PD. Locomotory behavior.. In: McGreevy P, editor. Equine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians and Equine Scientists. 1st ed. W.B. Saunders; Philadelphia, PA, USA: 2004. pp. 165–187. Chapter 7.
- Ridgeway W. The Origin and Influence of the Thoroughbred Horse.. Cambridge Biological Series Cambridge University Press; Cambridge, UK: 1905. The origin of the Lybian Horse; pp. 425–478. Chapter IV.
- Librado P, Khan N, Fages A, Kusliy MA, Suchan T, Tonasso-Calvière L, Schiavinato S, Alioglu D, Fromentier A, Perdereau A, Aury JM, Gaunitz C, Chauvey L, Seguin-Orlando A, Der Sarkissian C, Southon J, Shapiro B, Tishkin AA, Kovalev AA, Alquraishi S, Alfarhan AH, Al-Rasheid KAS, Seregély T, Klassen L, Iversen R, Bignon-Lau O, Bodu P, Olive M, Castel JC, Boudadi-Maligne M, Alvarez N, Germonpré M, Moskal-Del Hoyo M, Wilczyński J, Pospuła S, Lasota-Kuś A, Tunia K, Nowak M, Rannamäe E, Saarma U, Boeskorov G, Lōugas L, Kyselý R, Peške L, Bălășescu A, Dumitrașcu V, Dobrescu R, Gerber D, Kiss V, Szécsényi-Nagy A, Mende BG, Gallina Z, Somogyi K, Kulcsár G, Gál E, Bendrey R, Allentoft ME, Sirbu G, Dergachev V, Shephard H, Tomadini N, Grouard S, Kasparov A, Basilyan AE, Anisimov MA, Nikolskiy PA, Pavlova EY, Pitulko V, Brem G, Wallner B, Schwall C, Keller M, Kitagawa K, Bessudnov AN, Bessudnov A, Taylor W, Magail J, Gantulga JO, Bayarsaikhan J, Erdenebaatar D, Tabaldiev K, Mijiddorj E, Boldgiv B, Tsagaan T, Pruvost M, Olsen S, Makarewicz CA, Valenzuela Lamas S, Albizuri Canadell S, Nieto Espinet A, Iborra MP, Lira Garrido J, Rodríguez González E, Celestino S, Olària C, Arsuaga JL, Kotova N, Pryor A, Crabtree P, Zhumatayev R, Toleubaev A, Morgunova NL, Kuznetsova T, Lordkipanize D, Marzullo M, Prato O, Bagnasco Gianni G, Tecchiati U, Clavel B, Lepetz S, Davoudi H, Mashkour M, Berezina NY, Stockhammer PW, Krause J, Haak W, Morales-Muñiz A, Benecke N, Hofreiter M, Ludwig A, Graphodatsky AS, Peters J, Kiryushin KY, Iderkhangai TO, Bokovenko NA, Vasiliev SK, Seregin NN, Chugunov KV, Plasteeva NA, Baryshnikov GF, Petrova E, Sablin M, Ananyevskaya E, Logvin A, Shevnina I, Logvin V, Kalieva S, Loman V, Kukushkin I, Merz I, Merz V, Sakenov S, Varfolomeyev V, Usmanova E, Zaibert V, Arbuckle B, Belinskiy AB, Kalmykov A, Reinhold S, Hansen S, Yudin AI, Vybornov AA, Epimakhov A, Berezina NS, Roslyakova N, Kosintsev PA, Kuznetsov PF, Anthony D, Kroonen GJ, Kristiansen K, Wincker P, Outram A, Orlando L. The origins and spread of domestic horses from the Western Eurasian steppes.. Nature 2021 Oct;598(7882):634-640.
- Kim J, Park Y, Kim EJ, Jung H, Yoon M. Relationship between oxytocin and serotonin and the fearfulness, dominance, and trainability of horses.. J Anim Sci Technol 2021 Mar;63(2):453-460.
- Lee G, Yoon M. Association of plasma concentrations of oxytocin, vasopressin, and serotonin with docility and friendliness of horses.. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2021 Jan;74:106482.
- Minero M, Dalla Costa E, Dai F, Canali E, Barbieri S, Zanella A, Pascuzzo R, Wemelsfelder F. Using qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) to explore the emotional st.tate of horses and its association with human-animal relationship.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2018;204:53–59.
- Hintze S, Murphy E, Bachmann I, Wemelsfelder F, Würbel H. Qualitative Behaviour Assessment of horses exposed to short-term emotional treatments.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2017;196:44–51.
- Fleming PA, Clarke T, Wickham SL, Stockman CA, Barnes AL, Collins T, Miller DW. The contribution of qualitative behavioural assessment to appraisal of livestock welfare.. Anim. Prod. Sci. 2016;56:1569–1578.
- Bokkers EA, de Vries M, Antonissen ICMA, de Boer IM. Inter- and intra-observer reliability of experienced and inexperienced observers for the Qualitative Behaviour Assessment in dairy cattle.. Anim. Welf. 2012;21:307–318.
- Tuyttens FAM, de Graaf S, Heerkens JLT, Jacobs L, Nalon E, Ott S, Stadig L, van Laer E, Ampe B. Observer bias in animal behaviour research: Can we believe what we score, if we score what we believe?. Anim. Behav. 2014;90:273–280.
- Hausberger M, Lerch N, Guilbaud E, Stomp M, Grandgeorge M, Henry S, Lesimple C. On-Farm Welfare Assessment of Horses: The Risks of Putting the Cart before the Horse.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Feb 25;10(3).
- Andreasen SN, Wemelsfelder F, Sandøe P, Forkman B. The correlation of Qualitative Behavior Assessments with Welfare Quality® protocol outcomes in on-farm welfare assessment of dairy cattle.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2013;143:9–17.
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworska J, Stanley CR. The Social and Reproductive Challenges Faced by Free-Roaming Horse (Equus caballus) Stallions.. Animals (Basel) 2023 Mar 24;13(7).
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists