FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Animals (Basel) / How Useful Are Existing Protocols in the Quick Assessment of...
Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 14(1); 8; doi: 10.3390/ani14010008

How Useful Are Existing Protocols in the Quick Assessment of the Welfare of Semi-Feral Horses? Pilot Study on Konik Polski Horses Living in the Forest Sanctuary.

Abstract: Scientifically validated and standardised methods for the evaluation of the welfare of free-living horses are urgently needed by both the owners and managers of these populations and those responsible for implementing national welfare legislation. The aim of the study was to test the feasibility and usefulness of two welfare protocols that could be applied to semi-feral populations: a prototype of welfare assessment template (WAT) for Carneddau semi-feral ponies and the IFCE/INRAE Horse Welfare Protocol. Additionally, the body condition scale designed by Henneke (BCS-H) was employed. The study took place in July/August 2022 and April 2023 to evaluate the welfare of a pilot population of nineteen semi-feral Konik polski horses. The horses scored high or satisfactory under indicators across both protocols; only body condition scores were significantly lower in early spring (BCS-WAT: 1.11 ± 0.57; BCS-H: 3.84 ± 1.17) than in the summer (BCS-WAT: 1.58 ± 0.61; BCS-H: 5.63 ± 1.01). Our study confirmed the feasibility of utilising most of the WAT and IFCE/INRAE welfare indicators in semi-feral horses. Some adaptations, such as considering validation of scales, positive welfare indicators and animals' free-choice of conditions, have been suggested for future in-field application.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2023-12-19 PubMed ID: 38200740PubMed Central: PMC10778358DOI: 10.3390/ani14010008Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

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.

This research study sought to test the efficacy of two welfare assessment protocols for semi-feral horses, focussing specifically on the Konik Polski breed in a forest sanctuary setup. The findings included satisfactory results, though the horses’ body conditions dipped in spring compared to summer, necessitating further adaptations for the welfare indicators.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

  • This study was driven by the need for scientifically validated and standardised methods for evaluating the welfare of free-living, or semi-feral, horses. The stakeholders for such a protocol would include not only the owners and managers of semi-feral horse populations, but also the authorities responsible for implementing national welfare legislation.
  • In order to assess the current situation and pave the way for stronger, more targeted assessment, the study tested two welfare protocols on a pilot population of nineteen semi-feral Konik Polski horses living in a forest sanctuary. A prototype of a Welfare Assessment Template (WAT) for Carneddau semi-feral ponies and the IFCE/INRAE Horse Welfare Protocol were used.
  • The body condition of the horses was also evaluated using the Henneke Body Condition Scale (BCS-H).

Findings of the Study

  • The study was conducted in July/August 2022 and April 2023. The horses scored well or satisfactorily under inline with the indicators set by both protocols.
  • However, it was observed that the horses’ body conditions were significantly lower in early spring than in the summer. This was measured using the BCS-WAT and BCS-H scores. In particular, the lower body condition scores in spring compared to summer suggest seasonal effects on horse welfare.
  • This indicated a need to factor in seasonal variations when evaluating the welfare of semi-feral horses.

Conclusions and Future Recommendations

  • The study confirmed the potential of using most of the indicators from the WAT and IFCE/INRAE welfare protocols to assess the welfare of semi-feral horses.
  • However, it was suggested that some adaptations would be beneficial to improve the effectiveness of these protocols, especially considering validation of scales, positive welfare indicators, and the fact that these animals can choose their own conditions in a semi-feral setup.
  • These adaptations are recommended for future applications of these welfare assessments in the field.

Cite This Article

APA
Górecka-Bruzda A, Siemieniuch M, Lansade L, Stanley CR. (2023). How Useful Are Existing Protocols in the Quick Assessment of the Welfare of Semi-Feral Horses? Pilot Study on Konik Polski Horses Living in the Forest Sanctuary. Animals (Basel), 14(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14010008

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
PII: 8

Researcher Affiliations

Górecka-Bruzda, Aleksandra
  • Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Magdalenka, Poland.
Siemieniuch, Marta
  • The Research Station of the Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Popielno, 12-222 Ruciane-Nida, Poland.
Lansade, Léa
  • Unité Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Français du Cheval et d'Equitation, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
Stanley, Christina R
  • Animal Behaviour & Welfare Research Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester CH1 4B, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

This article includes 45 references
  1. Horseman SV, Buller H, Mullan S, Knowles TG, Barr AR, Whay HR. Equine welfare in England and Wales: Exploration of stakeholders’ understanding. J. Appl. Anim. Welf. Sci. 2017;20:9–23.
    doi: 10.1080/10888705.2016.1197776pubmed: 27414640google scholar: lookup
  2. Dalla Costa E, Dai F, Lebelt D, Scholz P, Barbieri S, Canali E, Zanella AJ, Minero M. Welfare assessment of horses: The AWIN approach. Anim. Welf. 2016;25:481–488.
    doi: 10.7120/09627286.25.4.481google scholar: lookup
  3. . Welfare Monitoring System—Assessment Protocol for Horses—Version 2.0. Wageningen UR Livestock Research; Lelystad, The Netherlands.
  4. Raw Z, Rodrigues JB, Rickards K, Ryding J, Norris SL, Judge A, Kubasiewicz LM, Watson TL, Little H, Hart B. Equid assessment, research and scoping (EARS): The development and implementation of a new equid welfare assessment and monitoring tool. Animals 2020;10:297.
    doi: 10.3390/ani10020297pmc: PMC7070371pubmed: 32069910google scholar: lookup
  5. Sommerville R, Brown AF, Upjohn M. A standardised equine-based welfare assessment tool used for six years in low and middle income countries. PLoS ONE 2018;13:e0192354.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192354pmc: PMC5821349pubmed: 29466391google scholar: lookup
  6. Kubasiewicz LM, Rodriguez JB, Norris SL, Watson TL, Rickards K, Bell N, Judge A, Raw Z, Burden FA. The welfare aggregation and guidance (WAG) tool: A new method to summarize global welfare assessment data for equids. Animals 2020;10:546.
    doi: 10.3390/ani10040546pmc: PMC7222376pubmed: 32218133google scholar: lookup
  7. Viksten SM, Visser EK, Nyman S, Blokhuis HJ. Developing a horse welfare assessment protocol. Anim. Welf. 2017;26:59–65.
    doi: 10.7120/09627286.26.1.059google scholar: lookup
  8. Briant C, Ruet A, Orszag A. Cheval Bien-Être, un Nouveau Protocole et Une Application pour Évaluer le Bien-Être des Chevaux. 2023.
  9. Harvey AM, Beausoleil NJ, Ramp D, Mellor DJ. A ten-stage protocol for assessing the welfare of individual non-captive wild animals: Free-roaming horses (Equus ferus caballus) as an example. Animals 2020;10:148.
    doi: 10.3390/ani10010148pmc: PMC7022444pubmed: 31963232google scholar: lookup
  10. Harvey AM, Morton JM, Mellor DJ, Russell V, Chapple RS, Ramp D. Use of Remote Camera Traps to Evaluate Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Individual Free-Roaming Wild Horses. Animals 2021;11:2101.
    doi: 10.3390/ani11072101pmc: PMC8300222pubmed: 34359229google scholar: lookup
  11. Harley JJ, Stack JD, Braid H, McLennan KM, Stanley CR. Evaluation of the Feasibility, Reliability, and Repeatability of Welfare Indicators in Free-Roaming Horses: A Pilot Study. Animals 2021;11:1981.
    doi: 10.3390/ani11071981pmc: PMC8300213pubmed: 34359108google scholar: lookup
  12. Boyd L, Keiper R. Behavioural ecology of feral horses. The Domestic Horse: The Origins, Development and Management of Its Behaviour Cambridge University Press; Cambridge, UK: 2005. pp. 55–82.
  13. Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworski Z, Jaworska J, Siemieniuch M. Welfare of free-roaming horses: 70 years of experience with Konik Polski breeding in Poland. Animals 2020;10:1094.
    doi: 10.3390/ani10061094pmc: PMC7341202pubmed: 32599935google scholar: lookup
  14. Harvey AM, Beausoleil NJ, Ramp D, Mellor DJ. Mental Experiences in Wild Animals: Scientifically Validating Measurable Welfare Indicators in Free-Roaming Horses. Animals 2023;13:1507.
    doi: 10.3390/ani13091507pmc: PMC10177449pubmed: 37174544google scholar: lookup
  15. Duncan IJH. Poultry welfare: Science or subjectivity?. Br. Poult. Sci. 2002;43:643–652.
    doi: 10.1080/0007166021000025109pubmed: 12555888google scholar: lookup
  16. Cornelissen P. Large Herbivores as a Driving Force of Woodland-Grassland Cycles: The Mutual Interactions between the Population Dynamics of Large Herbivores and Vegetation Development in a Eutrophic Wetland. Ph.D. Thesis. Wageningen University; Wageningen, The Netherlands: Jan 10, 2017.
  17. Hampson BA, Ramsey G, Macintosh AMH, Mills PC, De Laat MA, Pollitt CC. Morphometry and abnormalities of the feet of Kaimanawa feral horses in New Zealand. Austr. Vet. J. 2010;88:124–131.
    doi: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2010.00554.xpubmed: 20402699google scholar: lookup
  18. Hampson BA, De Laat MA, Beausac C, Rovel T, Pollitt CC. Histopathological examination of chronic laminitis in Kaimanawa feral horses of New Zealand. N. Z. Vet. J. 2012;60:285–289.
    doi: 10.1080/00480169.2012.682271pubmed: 22621688google scholar: lookup
  19. Fraser AF. Kinetic behaviour. The Behaviour of the Horse CAB International; Wallingford, UK: 1992. pp. 92–93.
  20. Grogan EH, McDonnell SM. Injuries and blemishes in a semi-feral herd of ponies. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2005;25:26–30.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2004.12.006google scholar: lookup
  21. Christensen JW, Andersen AG, Skovbo KN, Skovgård H. Shelter use by horses during summer in relation to weather conditions and horsefly (Tabanidae) prevalence. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2022;253:105676.
    doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105676google scholar: lookup
  22. Rubenstein DI, Hohmann ME. Parasites and social behavior of island feral horses. Oikos 1989;55:312–320.
    doi: 10.2307/3565589google scholar: lookup
  23. Wood ELD, Matthews JB, Stephenson S, Slote M, Nussey DH. Variation in fecal egg counts in horses managed for conservation purposes: Individual egg shedding consistency, age effects and seasonal variation. Parasitology 2013;140:115–128.
    doi: 10.1017/S003118201200128Xpubmed: 22894917google scholar: lookup
  24. Jenkins E, Backwell AL, Bellaw J, Colpitts J, Liboiron A, McRuer D, Medill S, Parker S, Shury T, Smith M. Not playing by the rules: Unusual patterns in the epidemiology of parasites in a natural population of feral horses (Equus caballus) on Sable Island, Canada. Int. J. Parasitol. Parasites Wildl. 2020;11:183–190.
    doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.02.002pmc: PMC7033351pubmed: 32095427google scholar: lookup
  25. Lema FJ, Ribeiro S, Palacios V. Observations of wolves hunting free-ranging horses in NW Iberia. Carniv. Damage Prev. 2022;24:1–10.
  26. Krueger K, Gruentjens T, Hempel E. Wolf contact in horses at permanent pasture in Germany. PLoS ONE 2023;18:e0289767.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289767pmc: PMC10414631pubmed: 37561797google scholar: lookup
  27. Taggart JB. Management of feral horses at the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve. Nat. Areas J. 2008;28:187–195.
    doi: 10.3375/0885-8608(2008)28[187:MOFHAT]2.0.CO;2google scholar: lookup
  28. Heitor F, Vicente L. Dominance relationships and patterns of aggression in a bachelor group of Sorraia horses (Equus caballus). J. Ethol. 2010;28:35–44.
    doi: 10.1007/s10164-009-0152-1google scholar: lookup
  29. Moinardeau C, Mesleard F, Ramone H, Dutoit T. Grazing in temporary paddocks with hardy breed horses (Konik polski) improved species-rich grasslands restoration in artificial embankments of the Rhône river (Southern France). Glob. Ecol. Conserv. 2021;31:e01874.
    doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01874google scholar: lookup
  30. Gamborg C, Gremmen B, Christiansen SB, Sandoe P. De-Domestication: Ethics at the intersection of landscape restoration and animal welfare. Environ. Values 2010;19:57–78.
    doi: 10.3197/096327110X485383google scholar: lookup
  31. . Council Directive 98/58/EC. 1998.
  32. Dai F, Dalla Costa E, Minero M, Briant C. Does housing system affect horse welfare? The AWIN welfare assessment protocol applied to horses kept in an outdoor group-housing system: The “parcours”. Anim. Welf. 2023;32:e22.
    doi: 10.1017/awf.2023.9google scholar: lookup
  33. Fureix C, Jego P, Henry S, Lansade L, Hausberger M. Towards an ethological animal model of depression? A study on horses. PLoS ONE 2012;7:e39280.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039280pmc: PMC3386251pubmed: 22761752google scholar: lookup
  34. Lesimple C, Poissonnet A, Hausberger M. How to keep your horse safe? An epidemiological study about management practices. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2016;181:105–114.
    doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.04.015google scholar: lookup
  35. Henneke DR, Potter GD, Kreider JL, Yeates BF. Relationship between condition score, physical measurements and body fat percentage in mares. Equine Vet. J. 1983;15:371–372.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1983.tb01826.xpubmed: 6641685google scholar: lookup
  36. Dyson SJ, Murray R, Schramme MC. Lameness associated with foot pain: Results of magnetic resonance imaging in 199 horses (January 2001–December 2003) and response to treatment. Equine Vet. J. 2005;37:113–121.
    doi: 10.2746/0425164054223804pubmed: 15779622google scholar: lookup
  37. Langlois B. Inter-breed variation in the horse with regard to cold adaptation: A review. Livest. Prod. Sci. 1994;40:1–7.
    doi: 10.1016/0301-6226(94)90260-7google scholar: lookup
  38. Mejdell CM, Bøe KE. Responses to climatic variables of horses housed outdoors under Nordic winter conditions. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 2005;85:307–308.
    doi: 10.4141/A04-066google scholar: lookup
  39. Sigurjónsdóttir H, Haraldsson H. Significance of group composition for the welfare of pastured horses. Animals 2019;9:14.
    doi: 10.3390/ani9010014pmc: PMC6356279pubmed: 30621272google scholar: lookup
  40. Søndergaard E, Halekoh U. Young horses’ reactions to humans in relation to handling and social environment. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 2003;84:265–280.
    doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2003.08.011google scholar: lookup
  41. De Oliveira RA, Aurich C. Aspects of Breeding Stallion Management with Specific Focus on Animal Welfare. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2021;107:103773.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103773pubmed: 34802626google scholar: lookup
  42. Cooper JJ, Mason GJ. The identification of abnormal behaviour and behavioural problems in stabled horses and their relationship to horse welfare: A comparative review. Equine Vet. J. 1998;30:5–9.
    doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1998.tb05136.xpubmed: 10484995google scholar: lookup
  43. Stanley CR, Mettke-Hofmann C, Hager R, Shultz S. Social stability in semiferal ponies: Networks show interannual stability alongside seasonal flexibility. Anim. Behav. 2018;136:175–184.
    doi: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.04.013google scholar: lookup
  44. Brinkmann L, Gerken M, Riek A. Adaptation strategies to seasonal changes in environmental conditions of a domesticated horse breed, the Shetland pony (Equus ferus caballus). J. Exp. Biol. 2012;215:1061–1068.
    doi: 10.1242/jeb.064832pubmed: 22399650google scholar: lookup
  45. Scasta JD, Thacker E, Hennig JD, Hoopes K. Dehydration and Mortality of Feral Horses and Burros: A Systematic Review of Reported Deaths. Hum. Wildl. Interact. 2022;16:9.
    doi: 10.26077/v8qe-4h13google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.