Racehorse welfare across a training season.

This study investigates racehorse welfare across a training season, aiming to establish valid welfare measures, understand the impact of race training, and identify risk factors for welfare. It found that the majority of the racehorses studied were in good physical health, although a minor percentage displayed signs of poor welfare like stereotypic behaviors and mouth lesions, with the training season significantly affecting certain behaviors.

Methods and Data Collection

• The research team visited 13 racehorse training yards in England at the beginning and peak of the racing season. They specifically chose these yards due to their variability.
• The study involved behavioral observations and welfare measures of 353 horses. These measures were not limited to the physical health of the horses, but extended to their environmental conditions, training, and interactions as well.
• Some of the specific measures taken included the horses’ body condition, signs of hoof neglect, nasal discharge, presence of mouth corner lesions, horse-human interactions, and social contact when stabled.
• Horse grimace scale scores, time spent resting and feeding, and stereotypic behavior were also monitored as indicators of possible stress or discomfort.

Findings

• The majority of the horses were in good physical health. An ideal body condition score was observed in 94% of the horses, and no signs of hoof neglect were found.
• Less than a quarter of the horses (22.3%) presented nasal discharge, indicating possible respiratory issues. This was, however, not associated with increased social contact when stabled.
• Mouth Corner Lesions were present in 12.9% of the horses, and were significantly more prevalent among Flat racing horses than Jump racing ones.
• About two-thirds (67.5%) of the horses exhibited positive interactions with humans. Nevertheless, 14.5% displayed stereotypic behavior (repetitive behavior indicative of stress) on at least two occasions.
• The horses’ lifestyle involved spending roughly one-third of their daytime feeding (33.7%), and another 22.6% resting while standing.

Impact of the Training Season

• The training season had significant effects on horses’ human reactivity tests and grimace scale scores, as well as time spent resting and feeding.
• Horses with windows in their stables spent more time observing their surroundings, potentially indicating a need for stimulation or interaction.

Conclusions and Implications

• This study presents a comprehensive welfare assessment protocol, suitable for industry use in monitoring and assessing racehorse welfare.
• The findings emphasize the need for continual welfare assessments and adjustments to training and care routines to enhance racehorse welfare.
• It also draws attention to the possible effects of environmental conditions, like stable design, on horse behavior and well-being.