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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(9); 621; doi: 10.3390/ani9090621

Housing Horses in Individual Boxes Is a Challenge with Regard to Welfare.

Abstract: Horses are mainly housed in individual boxes. This housing system is reported to be highly detrimental with regard to welfare and could trigger the expression of four behavioural indicators of a compromised welfare state: stereotypies, aggressiveness toward humans, unresponsiveness to the environment, and stress-related behaviours. The aim of this study was to identify housing and management factors that could alleviate the detrimental effects of individual boxes on welfare. A total of 187 horses were observed over 50 days by scan sampling. The impact of 12 factors was investigated on the expression of the four behavioural indicators in three different analyses. The results show that the majority of factors tested did not influence the expression of the behavioural indicators. Only three (straw bedding, a window opening onto the external environment, and a reduced quantity of concentrated feed) would have beneficial, although limited, effects. Furthermore, the longer the horses spent in individual boxes, the more likely they were to express unresponsiveness to the environment. To preserve the welfare of horses, it seems necessary to allow free exercise, interactions with conspecifics, and fibre consumption as often as possible, to ensure the satisfaction of the species' behavioural and physiological needs.
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Publication Date: 2019-08-28 PubMed ID: 31466327PubMed Central: PMC6770668DOI: 10.3390/ani9090621Google 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 article discusses the impact of individually housing horses in boxes on their welfare, exploring the mitigating ability of certain housing and management factors. The study suggests only a few housing factors, such as straw bedding, an external environment window, and a reduced quantity of concentrated feed, can partially alleviate the negative consequences of individual boxes.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

  • The researchers aimed to identify how specific housing and management factors can reduce the welfare issues associated with individually boxing horses. This was motivated by reports of horses expressing behavioral indicators of a compromised welfare state, such as stereotypies, aggressiveness towards humans, unresponsiveness to the environment, and stress-related behaviors.
  • In the study, a total of 187 horses were observed over a 50-day period using a method called scan sampling. This method involves intermittently observing and recording behavior at specified times.
  • The researchers investigated the impact of 12 housing and management factors on the four behavioral indicators via three different analyses.

Findings of the Study

  • The study findings show that most of the observed factors had no significant influence on the indicators of compromised welfare.
  • Only three factors—straw bedding, a window opening onto the outside environment, and a lesser quantity of concentrated feed—proved to have moderate beneficial effects. These results suggest moderate improvements in the welfare of horses housed individually in boxes when these conditions were met.
  • Horses that stayed longer in individual boxes showed more signs of an unresponsive behavior towards their environment, indicating an increasing lack of interaction with surroundings over time.

Implications and Recommendations

  • The study concludes that to better protect the welfare of horses, it is crucial to allow them as much free exercise as possible, sufficient interactions with other horses, and regular fiber consumption.
  • The provision of these factors can help ensure the behavioral and physiological needs of horses are met, apparently alleviating the negative effects associated with housing them individually in boxes.

Cite This Article

APA
Ruet A, Lemarchand J, Parias C, Mach N, Moisan MP, Foury A, Briant C, Lansade L. (2019). Housing Horses in Individual Boxes Is a Challenge with Regard to Welfare. Animals (Basel), 9(9), 621. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9090621

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 9
PII: 621

Researcher Affiliations

Ruet, Alice
  • INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, CNRS, UMR 7247, 37380 Nouzilly, Université François Rabelais, 37041 Tours, IFCE, 49411 Saumur, France. alice.ruet@sfr.fr.
Lemarchand, Julie
  • INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, CNRS, UMR 7247, 37380 Nouzilly, Université François Rabelais, 37041 Tours, IFCE, 49411 Saumur, France.
Parias, Céline
  • INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, CNRS, UMR 7247, 37380 Nouzilly, Université François Rabelais, 37041 Tours, IFCE, 49411 Saumur, France.
Mach, Núria
  • INRA, UMR 1313 Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas, AgroParisTech, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, Université Paris-Saclay, 91190 Saint-Aubin, France.
Moisan, Marie-Pierre
  • INRA, UMR 1286 NutriNeurO, 33076 Bordeaux, Université Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France.
Foury, Aline
  • INRA, UMR 1286 NutriNeurO, 33076 Bordeaux, Université Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France.
Briant, Christine
  • INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, CNRS, UMR 7247, 37380 Nouzilly, Université François Rabelais, 37041 Tours, IFCE, 49411 Saumur, France.
Lansade, Léa
  • INRA, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, CNRS, UMR 7247, 37380 Nouzilly, Université François Rabelais, 37041 Tours, IFCE, 49411 Saumur, France.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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