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Equine veterinary journal2026; doi: 10.1002/evj.70192

Management factors associated with abnormal behaviours in rural Chilean working horses.

Abstract: Working horses remain essential for rural livelihoods in Chile and across Latin America. However, housing and management conditions in these systems are poorly characterised, underscoring the need for standardised welfare assessments to generate evidence and guide targeted improvements. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of abnormal behaviours in rural working horses and to examine associations with management and housing related factors. Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. Methods: Seventy-seven working horses from a rural area of the Papudo commune (Valparaíso Region, Chile) were assessed using the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol. Associations between abnormal behaviours and management or housing variables were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models. Results: Most horses had good body condition (68.83%, n = 53) and a low prevalence of health problems (5.19%, n = 4); however, hoof-related disorders were common (41.56%, n = 32). Housing conditions were frequently inadequate (77.92%, n = 60), with 53.25% (n = 41) of horses housed on insufficient bedding  and 59.74% (n = 51) kept on dirty bedding. Only 20.78% (n = 16) of horses performed daily exercise. Overall, 29.87% (n = 23) exhibited abnormal behaviours, most commonly wood chewing (12.99%), crib-biting (10.39%), and windsucking (6.49%). Absent or inadequate bedding was associated with markedly increased odds of abnormal behaviours (OR = 5.31, 95% CI [1.14, 24.85], p = 0.034), whereas longer daily exercise duration was protective (OR = 0.626, 95% CI [0.44, 0.88], p = 0.007). Conclusions: Single rural area of Chile and sample size. Several management variables (e.g., daily time out of the stall) relied on the owner report. Conclusions: A substantial proportion of rural working horses displayed abnormal behaviours. Suboptimal bedding provision and limited time out of the stall were the main modifiable factors associated with these behaviours, highlighting practical opportunities for welfare improvement.
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Publication Date: 2026-05-25 PubMed ID: 42185851DOI: 10.1002/evj.70192Google 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.

Overview

  • This study investigated abnormal behaviors in rural working horses in Chile and identified key management and housing factors linked to these behaviors.
  • The research aimed to pinpoint practical changes that could improve horse welfare by assessing housing, bedding, exercise, and health conditions.

Introduction and Context

  • Working horses play a vital role in supporting rural livelihoods in Chile and broadly across Latin America.
  • Despite their importance, little detailed information exists regarding their housing and care conditions in rural environments.
  • This knowledge gap poses a challenge for developing standardized welfare assessments and evidence-based improvements.

Study Objective

  • To estimate how common abnormal behaviors are among rural working horses in the Papudo commune of Chile.
  • To explore how these abnormal behaviors correlate with various management and housing conditions.

Methods

  • A cross-sectional observational study design was used.
  • Seventy-seven working horses from the rural Papudo area were assessed.
  • Data collection used the Animal Welfare Indicators protocol, a standardized method to record physical health, behavior, and environmental conditions.
  • Multivariable logistic regression models analyzed the relationships between abnormal behaviors and variables like bedding quality, exercise duration, and health status.

Key Findings

  • Physical health:
  • Housing conditions:
    • Housing was often inadequate, with nearly 78% of horses kept in suboptimal conditions.
    • Over half of the horses had insufficient bedding (about 53%), and nearly 60% had dirty bedding environments.
  • Exercise:
    • Only about 21% of horses received daily exercise outside their stalls.
  • Abnormal behaviors:
    • Approximately 30% of horses displayed abnormal behaviors.
    • The most frequent behaviors were wood chewing (13%), crib-biting (10%), and windsucking (6.5%).

Associations Between Management Factors and Behavior

  • Horses with absent or inadequate bedding were over five times more likely to exhibit abnormal behaviors (Odds Ratio 5.31).
  • Longer daily exercise duration was significantly protective, decreasing abnormal behavior odds (Odds Ratio 0.626 per unit increase in exercise time).

Conclusions and Implications

  • The study highlights that a significant portion of working horses in rural Chile exhibit abnormal behaviors signaling welfare concerns.
  • Modifiable management factors, especially bedding quality and opportunities for exercise, are strongly linked to these behaviors.
  • Practical welfare improvements, such as providing sufficient clean bedding and increasing daily exercise time, could reduce these abnormal behaviors.
  • Improvements would have beneficial impacts on horse welfare and thus potentially improve the livelihoods of rural communities relying on these animals.

Limitations

  • The study was limited to a single rural area and a relatively small sample size of 77 horses, which may affect generalizability.
  • Some management data relied on owner reports, which might introduce reporting bias or inaccuracies.

Overall Summary

  • This research provides important baseline data on welfare challenges for rural working horses in Chile.
  • It identifies clear, actionable factors that can be targeted by owners, veterinarians, and animal welfare organizations to enhance horse well-being.
  • Addressing bedding adequacy and increasing daily exercise stand out as priority interventions to reduce abnormal, potentially stress-related, behaviors.

Cite This Article

APA
Moraga Ramírez G, Ugaz C, de la Cruz-Cruz LA, Larrondo C. (2026). Management factors associated with abnormal behaviours in rural Chilean working horses. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1002/evj.70192

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Moraga Ramírez, Giovanni
  • Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile.
  • Programa de Magíster en Bienestar Animal y Etología Aplicada, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago, Chile.
Ugaz, Cristian
  • Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Melipilla, Chile.
de la Cruz-Cruz, Luis A
  • Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana-Xochimilco, Ciudad de México, México.
Larrondo, Cristian
  • Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Viña del Mar, Chile.

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