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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(2); 580; doi: 10.3390/ani11020580

Equine Discomfort Ethogram.

Abstract: In recent years, there has been a growing interest in and need for a comprehensive ethogram of discomfort behavior of horses, particularly for use in recognizing physical discomfort in domestically managed horses. A clear understanding of the physical discomfort behavior of horses among caretakers, trainers, and professional health care personnel is important to animal welfare and caretaker safety. This is particularly relevant to pain management for hospitalized equine patients. Various pain scale rubrics have been published, typically incorporating only a few classically cited pain behaviors that, in many cases, are specific to a particular body system, anatomic location, or disease condition. A consistent challenge in using these rubrics in practice, and especially in research, is difficulty interpreting behaviors listed in various rubrics. The objective of this equine discomfort ethogram is to describe a relatively comprehensive catalog of behaviors associated with discomfort of various degrees and sources, with the goal of improving understanding and clarity of communication regarding equine discomfort and pain. An inventory of discomfort-related behaviors observed in horses has been compiled over 35 years of equine behavior research and clinical consulting to medical and surgical services at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine's equine hospital. This research and clinical work included systematic evaluation of thousands of hours of video-recordings, including many hundreds of normal, healthy horses, as well as hospitalized patients with various complaints and/or known medical, neurologic, or orthopedic conditions. Each of 73 ethogram entries is named, defined, and accompanied by a line drawing illustration. Links to online video recorded examples are provided, illustrating each behavior in one or more hospitalized equine patients. This ethogram, unambiguously describing equine discomfort behaviors, should advance welfare of horses by improving recognition of physical discomfort, whether for pain management of hospitalized horses or in routine husbandry.
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Publication Date: 2021-02-23 PubMed ID: 33672338PubMed Central: PMC7931104DOI: 10.3390/ani11020580Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 research presents an extensive catalogue of discomfort behaviours in horses, assembled over 35 years, with the aim of improving understanding and communication regarding equine discomfort and pain.

Research Motivation and Background

  • Horses, especially those in domestic management, often experience physical discomfort, a situation that necessitates a way to effectively recognize these discomforts.
  • The welfare of the horses and the safety of caretakers is crucial, hence the need to understand the horses’ discomfort behaviours. This understanding is particularly relevant in managing pain for horses in health care facilities.
  • Published pain scale rubrics, though useful, are limited in scope as they focus on a specific body system, anatomic location, or disease condition and often pose interpretation challenges in practice and research.

Objective of the Research

  • The research seeks to present a comprehensive catalogue of behaviours related to discomfort among horses of varying degrees and sources, aiming to enhance understanding and improve communication about equine discomfort and pain.

Methodology

  • The research is based on information collected over 35 years from observations of discomfort-related behaviours in horses, in addition to clinical consultation to the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s equine hospital.
  • The researchers systematically evaluated thousands of hours of video footage in their study, capturing the behaviour of both healthy horses and afflicted ones with known medical, neurological, or orthopedic conditions.

The Equine Discomfort Ethogram

  • The ethogram lists 73 discomfort behaviours, each defined and identified with a name and a line drawing illustration for better understanding and clarity.
  • To facilitate practical comprehension, online video clips depicting each listed behaviour in one or more hospitalized horses were linked to the ethogram entries.

Conclusion and Implication of the Research

  • The research presents a detailed ethogram for equine discomfort behaviours, significantly improving our capacity to recognize physical discomfort in horses.
  • Overall, the equine discomfort ethogram will propagate the welfare of horses by improving pain management in hospitalized horses and fostering better understanding and communication in routine care.

Cite This Article

APA
Torcivia C, McDonnell S. (2021). Equine Discomfort Ethogram. Animals (Basel), 11(2), 580. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020580

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 2
PII: 580

Researcher Affiliations

Torcivia, Catherine
  • Department of Clinical Studies, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 382 W Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19382, USA.
McDonnell, Sue
  • Havemeyer Equine Behavior Lab and Clinic, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, 382 W Street Road, Kennett Square, PA 19382, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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