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Frontiers in veterinary science2025; 12; 1572051; doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1572051

Exploring the impact of housing routine on lying behavior in horses measured with triaxial accelerometer.

Abstract: Methods to assess the positive behavior of horses in relation to their environment can be used to provide information to enhance animal welfare. One of the most important experiences that can be observed in mammals is sleep, a universal behavior relevant for the welfare of all species. To achieve paradoxical sleep, horses must lie down in lateral recumbency for a sufficient time, but they only do so when feeling safe and comfortable. Recently, technological tools like accelerometers have opened the possibility of non-invasive continuous monitoring of lying behavior, thus implementing the way we assess equine behavior in relation to their management and environment. Unassigned: The aim of this study was to investigate whether a sudden change in housing routine affects lying behavior in horses. In 10 riding school horses, lying behavior was continuously monitored using triaxial accelerometers for two separate 5-day periods, each under a different housing routine (i.e., ordinary: in a paddock in small groups; modified: in single boxes). Unassigned: The results show no statistical differences in the total daily duration of lying behavior between ordinary (25.19 ± 21.81 min) and modified (23.16 ± 20.05 min) housing routines. However, in the ordinary housing routine, when horses were kept outdoors in groups of varying sizes, larger groups exhibited synchronized lying behavior, with longer lying bouts, while smaller groups lay down more frequently throughout the day. Unassigned: The results show that sudden change in housing routine does not have a significant effect on lying behavior, while group size appears to be an important factor for behavioral synchronization. However, the small sample size, the single location, and mixed-age and sex population may have influenced the findings. Accelerometers were shown to be beneficial for monitoring natural behaviors such as lying and thus inferring information about equine behavior in relation to daily routine management.
Copyright © 2025 Gobbo, Maccario, Zupan Šemrov, Bovo, Atallah, Minero and Dalla Costa.
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Publication Date: 2025-05-12 PubMed ID: 40420950PubMed Central: PMC12104677DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1572051Google 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.

This research aimed to understand how changes in housing routines affect lying behavior in horses, using a triaxial accelerometer to monitor the behavior. The study revealed that such alterations do not significantly impact the equine lying behavior, but the size of horse groups does affect the duration and frequency of lying bouts.

Objective of the Study

  • The study was designed to investigate if any sudden changes in the housing routines can lead to alterations in the lying behavior of horses. The use of triaxial accelerometers allowed the researchers to continuously monitor the behavior of ten riding school horses under different living arrangements – normal living conditions outdoors in small groups and modified living conditions, i.e., in individual boxes.

Methods Used

  • Researchers selected ten horses from a riding school and monitored their lying behavior for two 5-day periods, each under different living conditions.
  • Lying behavior was recorded using triaxial accelerometers, a device that can track motion in three dimensions. By using this technology, the research team could get a better understanding of the horse’s movements, including when they lay down to rest or sleep.

Key Findings

  • The results of the study indicate that a sudden change in housing routines had no significant effect on the total daily duration of lying behavior.
  • However, when horses were kept outdoors in groups (standard housing condition), the size of the group had an impact on their behavior. Larger groups exhibited synchronized lying behavior and had lengthier lying bouts, while smaller groups lay down more frequently throughout the day.

Limitations and Conclusion

  • One limitation of this study is the small sample size, which could have influenced the findings. Other potential sources of bias include the single location and the mixed-age and gender distribution of the horse population.
  • Despite these limitations, the study demonstrates that triaxial accelerometers can be used effectively to monitor equine behavior. Such technology can be helpful in studying the impact of daily routine changes on horses’ natural behavior and in turn, contribute to improved animal welfare measures.

Cite This Article

APA
Gobbo E, Maccario C, Zupan Šemrov M, Bovo M, Atallah E, Minero M, Dalla Costa E. (2025). Exploring the impact of housing routine on lying behavior in horses measured with triaxial accelerometer. Front Vet Sci, 12, 1572051. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2025.1572051

Publication

Frontiers in veterinary science
ISSN: 2297-1769
NlmUniqueID: 101666658
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Pages: 1572051
PII: 1572051

Researcher Affiliations

Gobbo, Elena
  • Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Domžale, Slovenia.
Maccario, Chiara
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Zupan Šemrov, Manja
  • Department of Animal Science, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Domžale, Slovenia.
Bovo, Marco
  • Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
Atallah, Elie
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Minero, Michela
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.
Dalla Costa, Emanuela
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Lodi, Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

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