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Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)2023; 32; e22; doi: 10.1017/awf.2023.9

Does housing system affect horse welfare? The AWIN welfare assessment protocol applied to horses kept in an outdoor group-housing system: The ‘parcours’.

Abstract: Outdoor group housing is generally reported as being beneficial to the welfare of horses compared to single boxes, being considered to show greater similarities with the living conditions of feral horses, allowing full expression of behaviours such as grazing, social interactions and free movement. However, concerns persist regarding the ability to maintain a good nutritional state and the possibility of acquiring injury. No data reporting a comprehensive assessment of welfare for horses in outdoor group-housing systems are currently available. The present study aimed at applying a scientifically valid welfare assessment protocol to group-housed outdoor horses in 'parcours', a particular management system used in the south of France. 'Parcours' are semi-natural areas, grazed by domestic herbivores located in lowland, mountain, or marsh. One hundred and seventy-one horses older than a year pertaining to six farms and kept on 'parcours' were evaluated by a trained veterinarian using a modified version of the second level Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) welfare assessment protocol for horses. No major welfare issues were detected. Horses in 'parcours' displayed few abnormal behaviours, they could move freely for most of the day and interact with conspecifics, maintaining a healthy state of nutrition and a good relationship with humans. The main welfare concerns were related to the presence of superficial integument alterations such as alopecia, difficulty in reaching quality controlled water sources and a lack of shelter. As the number of facilities involved in this study is relatively limited, further harmonised data collection should aim to enlarge the sample size and allow comparison with different outdoor group-housing conditions.
© The Author(s) 2023.
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Publication Date: 2023-02-27 PubMed ID: 38487418PubMed Central: PMC10936357DOI: 10.1017/awf.2023.9Google 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 explores how outdoor group housing, specifically ‘parcours’ style housing in southern France, affects the wellbeing of horses. It concludes that no significant welfare issues were found with this system, though some minor concerns were identified.

Study Objective and Methodology

  • The primary goal of the research was to ascertain how ‘parcours’ style housing for horses, a system commonly used in southern France, affects the overall welfare of these animals.
  • This method involves housing horses in semi-natural outdoor environments, allowing them to graze freely and interact openly with each other.
  • The research team analyzed the welfare of the horses using a revised version of the Animal Welfare Indicators (AWIN) welfare assessment protocol for horses.
  • The study evaluated 171 horses over the age of one year, all belonging to six different farms and kept on ‘parcours’.

Key Findings

  • The research discovered that horses living in ‘parcours’ conditions generally exhibited few abnormal behaviors and could freely move and interact with other horses for the majority of the day.
  • Additionally, these horses demonstrated a robust state of nutrition and maintained positive relations with humans.
  • No major welfare issues were identified during the study.

Potential Concerns

  • Despite the generally positive results, the study identified certain weaknesses in the ‘parcours’ housing system.
  • Some of the horses displayed superficial skin alterations like alopecia, and there was concern about the consistency of quality-controlled water and the adequacy of shelter.

Future Recommendations

  • The report suggests that while the ‘parcours’ model shows promise, more widespread research is needed to solidify the findings and compare this system with other outdoor group housing methods.
  • The researchers recommend broader data collection from additional facilities to increase the sample size and to allow for better comparisons.

Cite This Article

APA
Dai F, Dalla Costa E, Minero M, Briant C. (2023). Does housing system affect horse welfare? The AWIN welfare assessment protocol applied to horses kept in an outdoor group-housing system: The ‘parcours’. Anim Welf, 32, e22. https://doi.org/10.1017/awf.2023.9

Publication

Animal welfare (South Mimms, England)
ISSN: 2054-1538
NlmUniqueID: 9214272
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 32
Pages: e22
PII: e22

Researcher Affiliations

Dai, Francesca
  • Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, e Scienze Animali, via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Dalla Costa, Emanuela
  • Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, e Scienze Animali, via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Minero, Michela
  • Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, e Scienze Animali, via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Briant, Christine
  • PRC, INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, University of Tours, Nouzilly, France.

Conflict of Interest Statement

None.

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