Daytime shelter use of individually kept horses during Swedish summer.

The research article examines the use of shelters by horses during the summer in Sweden, investigating how weather conditions and insect activity impact shelter-seeking behavior. The study also compared horse preferences for different shelter designs and explored the potential benefits of shade for horse health.

Objective of the Research

• The primary goal of the study was to investigate horses’ daytime shelter-seeking behavior in relation to varying weather conditions and insect activity during a Swedish summer.
• The secondary aim was to determine which of the two different shelter designs the horses preferred and if provision of shade can benefit horses in terms of reducing insect-defensive behavior and maintaining healthy body temperature levels.

Research Methodology

• The study involved eight Warmblood riding horses who were individually kept in paddocks over a two-week period. The horses had access to two different shelter designs: an open shelter with only a roof and a closed shelter with a roof and covered on three sides.
• Weather conditions like ambient temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed were recorded at 10-minute intervals. Insect traps were set up both inside and outside the shelters to estimate the number of flies and mosquitoes present.
• Behavioral observations were made at five-minute intervals, noting details like shelter use, defensive behavior against insects, motion, and grazing. Rectal and skin temperatures of the horses were measured at three different times during the day.
• Data was then analyzed using specialized statistical software.

Findings of the Study

• The study found that the majority of the horses preferred the closed shelter, staying inside for up to 2.5 hours continuously.
• Increased wind speed and lower numbers of flies reduced the likelihood of horses being inside the shelter.
• Horses showed lesser insect-defensive behavior like skin shivering and ear flicking when using the closed shelter, indicating less disturbance by insects.
• Short-term (30-minute) shelter use had no significant impact on the horses’ rectal and skin temperature.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that even in moderate summer weather conditions, horses tend to use shelters. The closed shelter design was found to be preferred by horses over the open one.
• Shelter use, particularly the use of a closed shelter design, can potentially reduce the frequency of insect-defensive behavior in horses. However, shelter use did not have any significant effect on the body temperature of horses within the time frame studied.