Investigation of the impact of seasonal climate conditions on feed intake and body weight in horses.
Abstract: This study aimed to examine the impact of climatic conditions on feed intake, body weight, and rectal temperature in horses residing in the hot Summer Mediterranean climate zone. Eight gelding Italian Saddle horses, with an average body weight of 427.78 ± 54.55 kg and aged between 10 and 13 years, participated in the research. All horses were individually housed in a paddock (800 m/horse), and fed ad libitum. Food intake, body weight, and rectal temperature were recorded every 10 days at four 30-day collection periods in the year: January, April, July, and October. The formula adapted from Thom (Weatherwise, 12,57-61, 1959) was used to calculate the temperature-humidity index (THI). The total and daily average feeding intake was computed based on the recorded temperature and humidity for each season. No statistical difference among seasons and data points in the total and daily average feeding ingestion, body weight and rectal temperature were recorded. This study demonstrates that horses kept in paddocks and provided ad libitum access to uniformly high-quality hay exhibit consistent feed intake, body weight, and rectal temperature across different seasons, with minimal inter- and intra-subject variability in the hot Mediterranean summer climate.
© 2025. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to International Society of Biometeorology.
Publication Date: 2025-02-26 PubMed ID: 40009160DOI: 10.1007/s00484-025-02881-zGoogle 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.
- 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.
The research article details a study aimed at understanding how seasonal weather changes affect the food intake, body weight, and rectal temperature of Italian Saddle horses living in the hot summer Mediterranean climate.
Objective of the Study
- The main objective of this study was to understand the influence of seasonal climatic conditions on the feed intake, body weight, and rectal temperature of horses, with a particular focus on those dwelling in the hot summer Mediterranean climatic zone.
Study Setup and Methodology
- The study included eight Italian Saddle geldings aged between 10 and 13 years. These horses each weighed an average of 427.78 ± 54.55 kg.
- Each horse was housed individually in an 800 m/horse paddock and was provided with food ad libitum.
- Feeding intake, body weight, and rectal temperature measurements were taken every 10 days over four 30-day periods in January, April, July, and October to cover all seasons.
- The researchers calculated the Temperature-Humidity Index (THI) using Thom’s formula, which helps determine how the combined factors of temperature and humidity affect horses.
- Total and average daily feeding intake was computed in relation to the recorded temperature and humidity for each season.
Results and Findings
- No statistical differences were found in total and average daily feeding intake, body weight, or rectal temperature among seasons and individual data points.
- The study found that horses kept in paddocks and provided consistent access to high-quality hay exhibited consistent feed intake, body weight, and rectal temperature across different seasons.
- Minimal variability was observed both between horses (inter-subject) and within the same horse across time (intra-subject)
in the hot Mediterranean summer climate.
In conclusion, the study highlights that horses, specifically Italian Saddle geldings, showed consistent food intake, body weight, and rectal temperature irrespective of the seasonal changes in the hot summer Mediterranean climate. The findings suggest that these horses show incredible resilience and consistency under these conditions.
Cite This Article
APA
Giannetto C, Aragona F, Fazio F, Piccione G, Giudice E, Arfuso F, Zumbo A.
(2025).
Investigation of the impact of seasonal climate conditions on feed intake and body weight in horses.
Int J Biometeorol.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-025-02881-z Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci n 13, 98168, Messina, Italy. clgiannetto@unime.it.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci n 13, 98168, Messina, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci n 13, 98168, Messina, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci n 13, 98168, Messina, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci n 13, 98168, Messina, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci n 13, 98168, Messina, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Via Palatucci n 13, 98168, Messina, Italy.
Conflict of Interest Statement
Declarations. Animal ethics: All housing conditions and welfare management were in accordance with the standard recommended in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and Directive 86/609 CEE. Consent to participate: Written informed consent has been obtained from the owners to publish this paper. Competing interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
This article includes 26 references
- Aragona F, Arfuso F, Rizzo M. Using infrared thermography for the evaluation of road transport thermal homeostasis in athletic horse. J Equine Vet Sci 138:105102.
- Arnold W, Ruf T, Kuntz R. Seasonal adjustment of energy budget in a large wild mammal, the Przewalski horse (Equus ferus przewalskii). II. Energy expenditure. J Exp Biol 209:4566–4573.
- Berger A, Scheibe KM, Eichhorn K, Scheibe A, Streich J. Diurnal and Ultradian rhythms of behaviour in a mare group of Przewalski horse (Equus ferus przewalskii), measured through one year under semi-reserve conditions. Appl Anim Behav Sci 64:1–17.
- Bertolucci C, Giannetto C, Fazio F, Piccione G. Seasonal variations in daily rhythms of activity in athletic horses. Animal 2:1055–1060.
- Christensen JW, Zharkikh T, Ladewig J, Yasinetskaya N. Social behaviour in stallion group (Equus Przewalskii and Equus caballus) kept under natural and domestic conditions. Appl Anim Behav Sci 76:11–20.
- Deniz Ö, Aragona F, Murphy BA. Climate change impact on blood haemogram in the horse: a three-year preliminary study. Front Vet Sci 11.
- Edouard N, Fleurance G, Martin-Rosset W, Duncan P, Dulphy JP, Grange S, Baumont R, Dubroeucq H, Perez-Barberia FJ, Gordon IJ. Voluntary intake and digestibility in horses: effect of forage quality with emphasis on individual variability. Animal 10:1526–1533.
- Fraser AF. Ethology of farm animals. .
- Giannetto C, Fazio F, Alberghina D, Panzera M, Piccione G. Meal size and feeding management strategies influence the daily rhythm of total locomotor activity in horses (equus caballus). Biol Rhythm Res 46:537–543.
- Giannetto C, Fazio F, Assenza A, Alberghina D, Panzera M, Piccione G. Intrasubject and intersubject variabilities in the daily rhythm of total locomotor activity in horses. J Vet Behav 12:42–48.
- Giannetto C, Giudice E, Acri G, Fazio F, Piccione G. Interspecies comparison of daily total locomotor activity monitoring in different management conditions. J Vet Behav 23:97–100.
- Giannetto C, Aragona F, Arfuso F. Diurnal variation in rectal and cutaneous temperatures of horses housed under different management conditions. Int J Biometeorol 66:1601–1611.
- Giles SL, Rands SA, Nicols CJ, Harris PA. Obesity prevalence and associated risk factors in outdoor living domestic horses and ponies. Peer J 2:e299.
- Goodwin D. Horse behaviour: evolution, domestication and feralisation. .
- Harewood EJ, Mcgowan CM. Behavioral and physiological responses to stabling in Naive horses. J Equine Vet Sci 25(4).
- Hartmann E, Hopkins RJ, Blomgren E, Ventrop M, Brömssen C, DahlbornK. Daytime shelter use of individually kept horsesduring Swedish summer. J Anim Sci 93:802–810.
- Houpt K. Ingestive behavior. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 6:319–337.
- Houpt K, Houpt TR, Johnson JL, Erb HN, Yean SC. The effect of exercise deprivation on the behaviour and physiology of straight stall confined pregnant mares. Anim Welf 10:257–267.
- Llonch P, Mainau E, Ipharraguerre IR, Bargo F, Tedó G, Blanch M, Manteca X. Chicken or the egg: the reciprocal association between feeding behavior and animal welfare and their impact on productivity in dairy cows. Front Vet Sci 5:305.
- Mader TL, Davis MS, Brown-Brandl T. Environmental factorsinfluencing heat stress in feedlot cattle. Am Soc AnimSci 88:714–9.
- McCormack AD, Bruce JM. The horse in winter– shelter and feeding. Farm Building Progress 210 105:10–13.
- Minero M, Canali E. Welfare issues of horses: an overview and practical recommendations. Ital J Anim Sci 8:219–230.
- Rashamol VP, Sejian V, Bagath M, Krishman G, Archana PR, Bhatta R. Physiological adaptability of livestock to heat stress: an updated review. J Anim Behav Biometeriol 6:62–71.
- Stachurska A, Różańska-Boczula M, Wnuk-Pawlak E. The difference in the locomotor activity of horses during solitary and paired release. Pferdeheilkunde Equine Med 37:50–55.
- Thom EC. The Discomfort Index. Weatherwise 12(2), 57–61.
- Wagner EL, Tyler PJ. A comparison of weight Estimation methods in adult horses. J Equine Veterinary Sci 31:706–710.
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
