[Housing and use of horses in Switzerland: a representative analysis of the status quo].

The research focuses on horse keeping practices in Switzerland, providing detailed insights into their accommodation, dietary arrangements, social interactions, and usage patterns. The study culled data from questionnaires filled out by horse keepers to infer the overall status of horse management in the country.

Sample and Methodology

• The research is based on a sample of 1861 Swiss horse yards.
• 35.2% of this sample size, equating to 622 horse keepers who collectively oversee 2536 horses, ponies, and donkeys, participated in the research.
• General farm characteristics, horse-specific training, horse stock, housing conditions, social contacts among horses, feeding, ability to move freely, use of the horses, and management aspects were covered in the questionnaire.

Housing and Feeding Conditions

• The report details that a significant 83.5% of horses in Switzerland are kept individually.
• Of these individually-kept horses, 18.3% are tethered, 32.3% are kept in a loose box indoors, 28.4% in a loose box outdoors, and 4.5% in a loose box with unrestricted access to a paddock or an individual pasture.
• Only a small percentage (16.5%) of the horses were kept in group housing systems.
• Regarding pasture access, 36% of horses are given daily access, 62.8% access depending on the weather, and 1.2% don’t have access at all.
• It was significantly found that individually housed horses are less likely to be pastured compared to horses dwelling in groups.

Training and Usage

• The research found that horses were used on average for 4.5 hours per week. This duration varied depending on breed, type of use, and housing system.
• Only 50% of horse keepers were trained with respect to horses or farm animals, i.e., had formal training or licences, military service experience, were veterinarians or farmers.
• About 65.1% of horses were used for leisure while the remainder 34.9% were sport and working horses.

Implications and Recommendations

• The study concludes that despite changes in horse use over time, housing and feeding practices remain traditional, potentially leading to health and behavioural problems among the horses.
• To address these issues, the study emphasizes that horsemen and horsewomen should be better informed and educated.
• For a consistent transfer of knowledge, the role of veterinarians is seen as significantly crucial.