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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(14); doi: 10.3390/ani13142276

Impact of Social Buffering and Restraint on Welfare Indicators during UK Commercial Horse Slaughter.

Abstract: Current legislation in the United Kingdom stipulates that horses should not be slaughtered within sight of one another. However, abattoir personnel anecdotally report that, for semi-feral horses unused to restraint, co-slaughtering alongside a conspecific could reduce distress through social buffering and improve safety, but there is a lack of evidence to support this. CCTV footage from an English abattoir was assessed retrospectively with welfare indicators from when horses entered the kill pen until they were killed. Of 256 horses analysed, 12% (32/256) were co-slaughtered (alongside a conspecific) and 88% (224/256) individually. Co-slaughtered horses moved more in the pen, but individually slaughtered horses showed more agitated behaviour, required more encouragement to enter the kill pen, and experienced more slips or falls. Unrestrained horses (40%; 102/256) showed increased agitation, movement, and agonistic behaviour towards the operator and resisted entry to the kill pen compared to restrained horses (60%; 154/256). Positive interactions between conspecifics were seen in 94% (30/32) of co-slaughtered horses, and only 6% (1/16) showed a startled response to the first horse being shot, with a median time of 15 s between shots. This study highlights the impact that both conspecific and human interactions can have on equine welfare at slaughter. Semi-feral or unrestrained horses appear to experience increased distress compared to horses more familiar with human handling, and the presence of a conspecific at slaughter mitigated this.
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Publication Date: 2023-07-12 PubMed ID: 37508053PubMed Central: PMC10376832DOI: 10.3390/ani13142276Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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.

In this research study, the authors observe the behavior of horses during slaughter and how the presence of another horse can potentially reduce distress, a concept called “conspecific,” which is especially observed in semi-feral horses. Despite UK legal restrictions on co-slaughter, the findings suggest that it could improve the welfare of the horses at the time of slaughter.

Study Method and Population

  • The study was based on the analysis of CCTV footage from an English abattoir.
  • The period assessed ranged from when the horses entered the kill pen until they were killed.
  • The total number of horses analyzed in this study was 256. Out of these, 12%, or 32 were co-slaughtered alongside a conspecific, while 88%, or 224 of the horses were slaughtered individually.

Behavior of Co-Slaughtered Vs Individually Slaughtered Horses

  • The study found that co-slaughtered horses moved more in the pen compared to those slaughtered individually.
  • However, individually slaughtered horses displayed more signs of agitation, required more encouragement to enter the kill pen, and experienced more slips or falls.

The Impact of Restraint

  • Unrestrained horses, making up 40% of the population, showed increased agitation, movement, and antagonistic behavior towards the operator. They also resisted entry to the kill pen.
  • On the other hand, the horses that were restrained (60% of the total) displayed less distress.

Interaction Between Conspecifics

  • The study noted positive interactions between conspecifics in 94% of co-slaughtered horses, while only 6% showed a startled response to the first horse being killed.
  • The researchers observed a median time of 15 seconds between shots, indicating a possible reduced distress in the animals due to the presence of a conspecific.

Conclusion

The findings of the study emphasize the effects of conspecific and human interactions on the welfare of horses during slaughter. There is potential increased distress in semi-feral or unrestrained horses compared to those more familiar with human handling. The presence of a conspecific at slaughter seems to alleviate this distress.

Cite This Article

APA
Fletcher KA, Limon G, Padalino B, Hall GK, Chancellor N, Grist A, Gibson TJ. (2023). Impact of Social Buffering and Restraint on Welfare Indicators during UK Commercial Horse Slaughter. Animals (Basel), 13(14). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142276

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 14

Researcher Affiliations

Fletcher, Katharine A
  • Animal Welfare Science and Ethics Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
Limon, Georgina
  • Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
  • The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Woking GU24 0NF, UK.
Padalino, Barbara
  • Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Viale Giuseppe Fanin 46, 40127 Bologna, Italy.
Hall, Genevieve K
  • Animal Welfare Science and Ethics Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
Chancellor, Natalie
  • Animal Welfare Science and Ethics Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.
Grist, Andrew
  • Animal Welfare and Behaviour Group, School of Veterinary Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford BS40 5DU, UK.
Gibson, Troy J
  • Animal Welfare Science and Ethics Group, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield AL9 7TA, UK.

Grant Funding

  • 5573 / World Horse Welfare

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 3 times.
  1. Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA, Thulke HH, Tuyttens F, Winckler C, Raj M, Velarde A, Candiani D, Van der Stede Y, Michel V. Welfare of horses at slaughter. EFSA J 2025 Jan;23(1):e9178.
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  2. Nielsen SS, Alvarez J, Boklund A, Dippel S, Dorea F, Figuerola J, Herskin M, Miranda Chueca MA, Nannoni E, Nonno R, Riber A, Stahl K, Stegeman JA, Thulke HH, Tuyttens F, Winckler C, Raj M, Velarde A, Candiani D, Van der Stede Y, Michel V. Welfare of horses during killing for purposes other than slaughter. EFSA J 2025 Jan;23(1):e9195.
    doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9195pubmed: 39877302google scholar: lookup
  3. Fletcher KA, Padalino B, Felici M, Bigi D, Limon-Vega G, Grist A, Gibson TJ. Assessment of ante mortem welfare indicators and the pathophysiology of captive-bolt trauma in equids at slaughter. Anim Welf 2024;33:e65.
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