FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
;

Monitoring acute equine visceral pain with the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP): A validation study.

Abstract: This study presents the validation of two recently described pain scales, the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP), in horses with acute colic. A follow-up cohort study of 46 adult horses (n = 23 with acute colic; n = 23 healthy control horses) was performed for validation and refinement of the constructed scales. Both pain scales showed statistically significant differences between horses with colic and healthy control horses, and between horses with colic that could be treated conservatively and those that required surgical treatment or were euthanased. Sensitivity and specificity were good for both EQUUS-COMPASS (87% and 71%, respectively) and EQUUS-FAP (77% and 100%, respectively) and were not substantially influenced by applying weighting factors to the individual parameters.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: PubMed ID: 27687948
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

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 is focused on validating two pain assessment scales — the EQUUS-COMPASS and EQUUS-FAP — in evaluating acute visceral pain in horses, particularly those suffering from colic. Both scales showed significant differences in their results between healthy and colic-affected horses, as well as within the colic group based on treatment method, demonstrating good sensitivity and specificity.

Study Aim and Methodology

  • This study aimed to validate the EQUUS-COMPASS and EQUUS-FAP, two pain assessment scales for horses.
  • The validation process considered their application to horses dealing with acute bouts of colic, a common equine condition characterized by severe abdominal discomfort.
  • 46 adult horses participated in the study, equally divided among acute colic cases and healthy control subjects.

EQUUS-COMPASS and EQUUS-FAP

  • As novel tools, the EQUUS-COMPASS and EQUUS-FAP seek to provide robust and accurate assessments of pain in horses.
  • EQUUS-COMPASS calculates its results based on a composite of different pain parameters, while EQUUS-FAP focuses particularly on facial expressions indicative of pain.

Validation Results

  • Both EQUUS-COMPASS and EQUUS-FAP were able to distinguish between healthy horses and those suffering from colic. The difference between these groups was statistically significant, providing confidence in the reliability of these scales.
  • Similarly, these scales could differentiate among colic-afflicted horses based on their treatment protocol. Whether the horses could be treated conservatively or required surgery or euthanasia influenced the scales’ readings, further underlining their sensitivity to varying pain levels.

Sensitivity and Specificity

  • Sensitivity and specificity measure a test’s ability to correctly identify positives and negatives respectively.
  • The EQUUS-COMPASS scored 87% for sensitivity and 71% for specificity, indicating more false positives (healthy horses identified as having colic).
  • Conversely, the EQUUS-FAP displayed 77% sensitivity and an excellent 100% specificity, making it especially reliable in eliminating false positives.
  • Interestingly, the application of weighting factors to individual parameters did not significantly alter these scores, hinting at the robust nature of both scales.

Conclusion

  • Both EQUUS-COMPASS and EQUUS-FAP have proven their worth as valid, reliable tools for evaluating equine acute visceral pain.
  • Their accurate differentiation between healthy and colic-affected horses, as well as within the range of colic severity, shows promise for their usage in the field of equine care and treatment.

Cite This Article

APA
(). Monitoring acute equine visceral pain with the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-FAP): A validation study. .

Publication

Researcher Affiliations

Citations

This article has been cited 22 times.
  1. Maldonado Moreno N, Alves Moreira J, Araujo De Oliveira L, Sanches Gontijo A, Castilho Baldi ML, Rocha Wenceslau R, Beier SL. Analgesic and Gastrointestinal Effects of Methadone in Horses Undergoing Orchiectomy. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 11;15(16).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15162358pubmed: 40867687google scholar: lookup
  2. Uldahl M, Mellor DJ. Regulatory Integrity and Welfare in Horse Sport: A Constructively Critical Perspective. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 30;15(13).
    doi: 10.3390/ani15131934pubmed: 40646833google scholar: lookup
  3. Mota-Rojas D, Whittaker AL, Coria-Avila GA, Martínez-Burnes J, Mora-Medina P, Domínguez-Oliva A, Hernández-Avalos I, Olmos-Hernández A, Verduzco-Mendoza A, Casas-Alvarado A, Grandin T. How facial expressions reveal acute pain in domestic animals with facial pain scales as a diagnostic tool. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1546719.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1546719pubmed: 40104548google scholar: lookup
  4. Sousa LN, Winter IC, Varela DD, Luvison EZ, Guzmán JFC, Machado AMV, Figueiredo RDV, Pena GT, Dos Santos ACS, Faleiros RR, Carvalho AM. Lidocaine's Ineffectiveness in Mitigating Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Pain and Peristaltic Effects in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2024 Nov 2;14(21).
    doi: 10.3390/ani14213147pubmed: 39518869google scholar: lookup
  5. Chiavaccini L, Gupta A, Anclade N, Chiavaccini G, De Gennaro C, Johnson AN, Portela DA, Romano M, Vettorato E, Luethy D. Automated acute pain prediction in domestic goats using deep learning-based models on video-recordings. Sci Rep 2024 Nov 7;14(1):27104.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78494-0pubmed: 39511381google scholar: lookup
  6. Chiavaccini L, Gupta A, Chiavaccini G. From facial expressions to algorithms: a narrative review of animal pain recognition technologies. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1436795.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1436795pubmed: 39086767google scholar: lookup
  7. Ask K, Rhodin M, Rashid-Engström M, Hernlund E, Andersen PH. Changes in the equine facial repertoire during different orthopedic pain intensities. Sci Rep 2024 Jan 2;14(1):129.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-50383-ypubmed: 38167926google scholar: lookup
  8. Reed RA, Krikorian AM, Reynolds RM, Holmes BT, Branning MM, Lemons MB, Barletta M, Quandt JE, Burns CC, Dantino SC, Sakai DM. Post-anesthetic CPS and EQUUS-FAP scores in surgical and non-surgical equine patients: an observational study. Front Pain Res (Lausanne) 2023;4:1217034.
    doi: 10.3389/fpain.2023.1217034pubmed: 37502312google scholar: lookup
  9. Ferlini Agne G, May BE, Lovett A, Simon O, Steel C, Santos L, Guedes do Carmo L, Barbosa B, Werner LC, Daros RR, Somogyi AA, Sykes B, Franklin S. Horse Grimace Scale Does Not Detect Pain in Horses with Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 12;13(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13101623pubmed: 37238054google scholar: lookup
  10. Mercer MA, Davis JL, McKenzie HC. The Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutic Evaluation of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in Adult Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 May 10;13(10).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13101597pubmed: 37238029google scholar: lookup
  11. Golzari K, Kong Y, Reed SA, Posada-Quintero HF. Sympathetic Arousal Detection in Horses Using Electrodermal Activity. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 7;13(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani13020229pubmed: 36670768google scholar: lookup
  12. Ask K, Andersen PH, Tamminen LM, Rhodin M, Hernlund E. Performance of four equine pain scales and their association to movement asymmetry in horses with induced orthopedic pain. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:938022.
    doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.938022pubmed: 36032285google scholar: lookup
  13. Contreras-Aguilar MD, Rubio CP, González-Arostegui LG, Martín-Cuervo M, Cerón JJ, Ayala I, Henriksen IH, Jacobsen S, Hansen S. Changes in Oxidative Status Biomarkers in Saliva and Serum in the Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome and Colic of Intestinal Aetiology: A Pilot Study. Animals (Basel) 2022 Mar 7;12(5).
    doi: 10.3390/ani12050667pubmed: 35268236google scholar: lookup
  14. Andersen PH, Broomé S, Rashid M, Lundblad J, Ask K, Li Z, Hernlund E, Rhodin M, Kjellström H. Towards Machine Recognition of Facial Expressions of Pain in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jun 1;11(6).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11061643pubmed: 34206077google scholar: lookup
  15. Trindade PHE, Taffarel MO, Luna SPL. Spontaneous Behaviors of Post-Orchiectomy Pain in Horses Regardless of the Effects of Time of Day, Anesthesia, and Analgesia. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 31;11(6).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11061629pubmed: 34072875google scholar: lookup
  16. de Oliveira AR, Gozalo-Marcilla M, Ringer SK, Schauvliege S, Fonseca MW, Esteves Trindade PH, Prospero Puoli Filho JN, Luna SPL. Development and validation of the facial scale (FaceSed) to evaluate sedation in horses. PLoS One 2021;16(6):e0251909.
    doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251909pubmed: 34061878google scholar: lookup
  17. Torcivia C, McDonnell S. Equine Discomfort Ethogram. Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 23;11(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani11020580pubmed: 33672338google scholar: lookup
  18. Maskato Y, Dugdale AHA, Singer ER, Kelmer G, Sutton GA. Prospective Feasibility and Revalidation of the Equine Acute Abdominal Pain Scale (EAAPS) in Clinical Cases of Colic in Horses. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 29;10(12).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10122242pubmed: 33260428google scholar: lookup
  19. Ask K, Rhodin M, Tamminen LM, Hernlund E, Haubro Andersen P. Identification of Body Behaviors and Facial Expressions Associated with Induced Orthopedic Pain in Four Equine Pain Scales. Animals (Basel) 2020 Nov 19;10(11).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10112155pubmed: 33228117google scholar: lookup
  20. Mellor DJ. Mouth Pain in Horses: Physiological Foundations, Behavioural Indices, Welfare Implications, and a Suggested Solution. Animals (Basel) 2020 Mar 29;10(4).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10040572pubmed: 32235343google scholar: lookup
  21. van Dierendonck MC, Burden FA, Rickards K, van Loon JPAM. Monitoring Acute Pain in Donkeys with the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Donkeys Composite Pain Assessment (EQUUS-DONKEY-COMPASS) and the Equine Utrecht University Scale for Donkey Facial Assessment of Pain (EQUUS-DONKEY-FAP). Animals (Basel) 2020 Feb 22;10(2).
    doi: 10.3390/ani10020354pubmed: 32098391google scholar: lookup
  22. Contreras-Aguilar MD, Escribano D, Martín-Cuervo M, Tecles F, Cerón JJ. Salivary alpha-amylase activity and cortisol in horses with acute abdominal disease: a pilot study. BMC Vet Res 2018 May 10;14(1):156.
    doi: 10.1186/s12917-018-1482-4pubmed: 29747642google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,658 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.