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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(3); 73; doi: 10.3390/ani9030073

Health and Body Conditions of Riding School Horses Housed in Groups or Kept in Conventional Tie-Stall/Box Housing.

Abstract: We compared welfare measures of horses among Swedish riding schools (RS) during winter where horses were kept either in group housing ( = 8) or in tie-stalls/boxes ( = 8), Health data for six previous months were obtained for all horses at each RS from their records. Ten horses per RS were examined, with the exception of one where only 8 horses were examined. Health conditions and body condition score (BCS) using the Henneke scale were recorded and management factors were quantified (health check routines, feeding, housing-related risk factors, time outside). RS-recorded health data (for 327 horses in total) revealed that lameness was the most common issue in both systems. Respiratory problems and colic were significantly more common in tie-stall/box horses. The percentage of horses with respiratory problems (mean ± SEM) was 5.8 ± 1.4 in tie-stall/box systems and 1.1 ± 0.8 in group housing (F = 8.65, = 0.01). The percentage with colic was 2.38 ± 0.62 in tie-stall/box systems and 0.38 ± 0.26 in group housing (F = 8.62, = 0.01). Clinical examination of 158 horses revealed 207 conditions in these horses, the most common being minor skin injuries in areas affected by tack (i.e., saddle and bridle, including bit). Such injuries tended to be more prevalent in horses housed in tie-stalls/boxes (1.8 ± 0.6) than in group housing (0.5 ± 0.3) (F=3.14, = 0.01). BCS was similar between systems (tie-stall/box 6.2 ± 0.1, group 6.3 ± 0.1), but the average BCS exceeded the level that is considered optimal (BCS 4⁻6). In conclusion, we found that Swedish RS horses are generally in good health, particularly when group-housed. However, 25%⁻32% were overweight. Riding schools would thus benefit from having an independent feeding expert performing regular body condition scoring of all horses and advising on feeding regimens.
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Publication Date: 2019-02-26 PubMed ID: 30813613PubMed Central: PMC6466050DOI: 10.3390/ani9030073Google 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 article is about a study conducted in Swedish riding schools to understand if housing horses in groups versus tie-stalls/boxes impacts their health and body conditions.

Research Purpose & Methodology

  • The goal of this research was to examine the welfare measures of horses in different housing systems in Swedish riding schools. The researchers compared health data from horses housed in tie-stalls or boxes versus horses housed in group environments.
  • Health records over six months were analyzed for all horses in the riding schools. The schools were divided into two categories – 8 of them housed horses in groups, and the remaining 8 used tie-stalls/boxes for housing. Ten horses were examined per riding school except one where only 8 horses were examined.
  • Various health conditions and the body condition score (BCS), using the Henneke scale, were recorded. The Henneke scale is a numerical scale used to evaluate the amount of fat on a horse’s body.
  • Riding school-housed horses were also examined with regard to aspects such as health check routines, feeding, housing-related risk factors, and time spent outside.

Research Findings

  • Upon examination of health records, researchers found that lameness was the most common condition for horses in both types of housing systems.
  • However, respiratory problems and incidences of colic (a severe, often fluctuating pain in the abdomen that is caused by the spasm or obstruction of any of the hollow viscera such as the intestines) were found to be significantly more common in horses housed in tie-stalls or boxes.
  • The researchers also found that minor skin injuries in areas used by tack (saddle and bridle, including bit) were more prevalent in horses living in tie-stalls/boxes.

Implications of the Study

  • The scores for body condition were similar regardless of the housing system, but the researchers note that the average score of 6.2 to 6.3 exceeded the optimal level of 4-6 on the Henneke scale, indicating that some horses were overweight.
  • Riding schools could benefit from employing a feeding expert to regularly assess all horses and advise on feeding regimens. This could subsequently help in improving their overall body condition score and health conditions.

Conclusion

  • In conclusion, the study indicated that Swedish riding school horses are generally in good health, especially when housed in groups. Horses in group housing were less likely to encounter respiratory issues, colic and skin injuries compared to those housed in tie-stalls or boxes. However, the overweight issue must be addressed in both kinds of housing systems to maintain the overall health of the horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Yngvesson J, Rey Torres JC, Lindholm J, Pättiniemi A, Andersson P, Sassner H. (2019). Health and Body Conditions of Riding School Horses Housed in Groups or Kept in Conventional Tie-Stall/Box Housing. Animals (Basel), 9(3), 73. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030073

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 3
PII: 73

Researcher Affiliations

Yngvesson, Jenny
  • Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden. jenny.yngvesson@slu.se.
Rey Torres, Juan Carlos
  • Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden. jcreytorres@gmail.com.
Lindholm, Jasmine
  • Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden. jasmine.lindholm@hotmail.com.
Pättiniemi, Annika
  • Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden. annika.pattiniemi@live.se.
Andersson, Petra
  • Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, P.O.B. 100, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden. petra.andersson@filosofi.gu.se.
Sassner, Hanna
  • Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden. hanna.sassner@slu.se.

Grant Funding

  • H-15-47-078 / Stiftelsen hu00e4stforskning

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
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  3. Johnson ACB, Biddle AS. A Standard Scale to Measure Equine Keeper Status and the Effect of Metabolic Tendency on Gut Microbiome Structure.. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 1;11(7).
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  5. Bergmann IM. Naturalness and the Legitimacy of Thoroughbred Racing: A Photo-Elicitation Study with Industry and Animal Advocacy Informants.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Aug 26;10(9).
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