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Physiology & behavior2015; 143; 51-57; doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.040

Domesticated horses differ in their behavioural and physiological responses to isolated and group housing.

Abstract: The predominant housing system used for domestic horses is individual stabling; however, housing that limits social interaction and requires the horse to live in semi-isolation has been reported to be a concern for equine welfare. The aim of the current study was to compare behavioural and physiological responses of domestic horses in different types of housing design that provided varying levels of social contact. Horses (n = 16) were divided equally into four groups and exposed to each of four housing treatments for a period of five days per treatment in a randomized block design. The four housing treatments used were single housed no physical contact (SHNC), single housed semi-contact (SHSC), paired housed full contact (PHFC) and group housed full contact (GHFC). During each housing treatment, adrenal activity was recorded using non-invasive faecal corticosterone metabolite analysis (fGC). Thermal images of the eye were captured and eye temperature was assessed as a non-invasive measure of the stress response. Behavioural analysis of time budget was carried out and an ease of handling score was assigned to each horse in each treatment using video footage. SHNC horses had significantly higher (p = 0.01) concentrations of fGC and were significantly (p = 0.003) more difficult to handle compared to the other housing types. GHFC horses, although not significantly different, had numerically lower concentrations of fGC and were more compliant to handling when compared to all other housing treatments. Eye temperature was significantly (p = 0.0001) lower in the group housed treatment when compared to all other treatments. These results indicate that based on physiological and behavioural measures incorporating social contact into the housing design of domestic horses could improve the standard of domestic equine welfare.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Publication Date: 2015-02-25 PubMed ID: 25725117DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.040Google 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 is primarily concerned with the behavioural and physiological impacts of different housing arrangements on domestic horses. Researchers have found that solitary housing can lead to higher stress levels and possible welfare issues for horses, whereas group housing tends to have positive effects on equine health and comportment.

Housing arrangements and study design

  • The authors studied how different types of housing affects domestic horses both physiologically and behaviorally.
  • The four housing arrangements they tested included one where horses had no physical contact with others (SHNC), another that provided limited contact (SHSC), an arrangement where pairs of horses had full contact (PHFC), and a final one where a group of horses all had full contact with each other (GHFC).
  • They analyzed the effects of each housing arrangement by keeping groups of horses in each one for a set period, then switching arrangements and repeating the tests.

Measurement tools

  • To observe physiological stress, the authors tracked adrenal activity via non-invasive collection and analysis of faecal corticosterone metabolite (fGC).
  • Thermal images of the horse’s eyes were also taken as fluctuations in eye temperature have been linked to stress responses.
  • For behavioral analysis, horses’ time budgets were studied and ease-of-handling scores were assigned based on video footage.

Key findings

  • SHNC horses exhibited significantly higher stress levels, as indicated by higher concentrations of fGC, and were more difficult to handle compared to horses in the other housing arrangements.
  • Horses in the GHFC group, on the other hand, had lower concentrations of fGC and were more compliant in handling procedures.
  • The group-housed horses also had significantly lower eye temperatures, which suggests decreased stress.
  • Although none of the findings were significant enough individually, when looked in conjunction, they clearly indicated that group housing may have a positive influence on horse welfare.

Implication of the study

  • The study results suggest that introducing social contact into the living environment of domestic horses may enhance their wellbeing.
  • This research may have important implications for how domestic horses are housed, potentially leading to modifications in common housing practices.

Cite This Article

APA
Yarnell K, Hall C, Royle C, Walker SL. (2015). Domesticated horses differ in their behavioural and physiological responses to isolated and group housing. Physiol Behav, 143, 51-57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.02.040

Publication

Physiology & behavior
ISSN: 1873-507X
NlmUniqueID: 0151504
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 143
Pages: 51-57
PII: S0031-9384(15)00114-6

Researcher Affiliations

Yarnell, Kelly
  • Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, Nottingham NG25 0QF, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Kelly.yarnell@ntu.ac.uk.
Hall, Carol
  • Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, Nottingham NG25 0QF, United Kingdom.
Royle, Chris
  • Nottingham Trent University, Brackenhurst Campus, Southwell, Nottingham NG25 0QF, United Kingdom.
Walker, Susan L
  • North of England Zoological Society, Chester Zoo, Caughall Road, Upton-by-Chester CH2 1LH, United Kingdom.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Body Temperature
  • Corticosterone / metabolism
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Feces
  • Female
  • Horses / physiology
  • Horses / psychology
  • Male
  • Motor Activity / physiology
  • Social Behavior
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Statistics, Nonparametric

Citations

This article has been cited 43 times.
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