Determining optimal practices for foal weaning – A protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Overview

• This research article outlines a systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol aimed at identifying the best practices for weaning foals, focusing on improving their welfare based on physiological and behavioral outcomes.
• The study will analyze existing research to determine which interventions and management strategies optimize foal health and reduce stress during artificial weaning.

Background and Significance

• Weaning is a critical and stressful period in the life of a foal (domestic horse), often managed artificially by humans.
• Stress during weaning can negatively affect the foal’s welfare, potentially causing long-lasting effects on health and behavior.
• Optimizing weaning practices offers a significant opportunity to improve early life welfare and subsequent development outcomes.
• Although many studies have investigated weaning effects on foal stress, there is no consensus on the best methods or interventions to minimize welfare issues.

Research Objectives and Questions

• The primary goal is to identify interventions and management practices during weaning that most effectively improve foal welfare.
• Key research questions include:
  • What physiological and behavioral changes do foals experience during artificial weaning?
  • Do different weaning interventions lead to distinct physiological or behavioral outcomes?
  • How do characteristics of individual studies explain the variation (heterogeneity) in foal outcomes during weaning?
  • Which interventions or combinations thereof are most effective in improving welfare during weaning?

Methods

• A comprehensive search of six databases was conducted on 24 August 2025 using search strategies based on the PICO framework (Population-Intervention-Comparator-Outcome).
• Search strings and protocol underwent PRESS review to ensure accuracy and completeness.
• Additionally, grey literature and dissertations will be searched through specialized databases, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and manual reference checking.
• Criteria for selecting articles are predefined to ensure only relevant, high-quality studies are included.
• Two independent reviewers will perform:
  • Screening at the title/abstract and full-text stages to identify eligible studies.
  • Data extraction for detailed information on interventions, outcomes, and methods.
  • Assessment of risk of bias and overall confidence in the evidence utilizing established tools (GRADE and CINeMA).
• Data synthesis will be conducted using both pairwise meta-analysis and Bayesian network meta-analysis implemented in R Statistical Software, allowing comparison of multiple interventions simultaneously.

Expected Outcomes and Impact

• This will be the first systematic review to comprehensively examine how artificial weaning interventions affect foal welfare quantitatively and qualitatively.
• Findings will provide evidence-based guidance to horse caretakers and veterinarians on optimal weaning practices, potentially reducing foal stress and improving health outcomes.
• The protocol ensures a transparent, reproducible, and thorough methodology, laying the foundation for high-quality evidence synthesis.
• As this article presents only the protocol, no empirical results have been reported yet.

Registration and Transparency

• The systematic review protocol has been preregistered on the Open Science Framework on 19 May 2025 to enhance transparency and prevent reporting bias.
• Link to registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/DJWQY