Forced Handling Decreases Emotionality but Does Not Improve Young Horses’ Responses toward Humans and their Adaptability to Stress.

The research paper explores the impact of different handling methods on young Lusitanian horses’ response to humans and stress. The study indicates that while early forceful handling reduces fear, it does not improve the horses’ relationship with humans and adversely affects their welfare.

Background and Methodology

• The researchers expressed concern for the horse’s welfare against the backdrop of stressful or unsuitable circumstances, and unfavourable interactions with humans.
• The study’s subject consisted of young Lusitanian horses raised on a high-breed farm.
• A total of thirty-one foals, aged 3 months old ± 15 days, were divided into one of three groups: one that underwent handling sessions over three consecutive days (Int-H), another that received monthly handling sessions for three months (Month-H), and a control group that was left untouched.
• The foals’ behaviours and physiological tendencies were assessed when they were 8 months old ± 15 days during a series of behavioural tests including restraint in a stock and forced-person test.

Findings and Interpretation

• The study deduced that the foals that underwent handling sessions (both Int-H and Month-H) reacted less when isolated and restrained. They also better tolerated human interaction and veterinary procedures when compared to the control group.
• Nevertheless, despite displaying less evasive and negative behaviour towards human approach, the handled foals showed less interest in human contact and did not interact, regardless of the duration of handling.
• All animals indicated stress markers when restrained in the stock through blood analysis. There was an increase in neutrophil counts and corpuscular haemoglobin concentration mean (CHCM) levels, but no differences in the metabolic parameters such as creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), or other hematological parameters.
• The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in the handled foals was significantly higher than in the control ones, hinting towards poor welfare standards.
• The findings led researchers to imply that although early forced handling lessens the fearfulness in new environments, it fails to enhance the horses’ interaction with humans and in fact, brings down their welfare standards.