Hospitalisation and Disease Severity Alter the Resting Pattern of Horses.

This research study observed the resting habits of hospitalised horses with varying degrees of joint damage, and found that both hospitalisation and the severity of the joint damage interfered with these habits.

Objective of the Study

• The study aimed to observe and report on how being hospitalised and having varying degrees of joint damage can impact a horse’s resting and lying behaviour.
• The researchers hypothesized that both hospitalisation and the severity of joint damage can disrupt normal rest and recumbency (lying down) patterns in horses.

Methods Employed

• The researchers conducted an observational study on 8 adult horses hospitalised and diagnosed with different degrees of osteoarthritis in their metacarpophalangeal joint, a joint in the forelimb.
• The study made use of camera monitoring to record and evaluate the horses’ rest times over the first 5 days of hospitalisation.

Key Findings

• The researchers observed greater durations of both lateral recumbency (lying on their side) after the fourth day of hospitalisation and sternal recumbency (lying on their belly) after three days of hospitalisation.
• Comparisons on the fifth day of hospitalisation showed differences in lying and resting behaviours among horses with varying degrees of osteoarthritis. Horses with mild osteoarthritis spent more time resting, thus reducing strain on the affected limb. In contrast, horses with severe osteoarthritis struggled to transition from standing to lying down, indicated by less frequent and shorter durations of recumbency.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that both hospitalisation and disease severity can indeed disrupt normal resting patterns in horses; hospitalisation generally led to increased recumbency durations. However, the severity of disease showed a contrasting effect; horses with milder forms of osteoarthritis displayed increased lying time, potentially benefiting the recovery of the affected limb, while those with more severe osteoarthritis showed decreased lying time, suggesting difficulties with joint flexion and potential partial sleep deprivation.