Responses of horses to trailer design, duration, and floor area during commercial transportation to slaughter.

This research study examined the effects of different types of trailer designs, travel duration, and floor space on horses being transported for slaughter. The study considered factors such as the horses’ physiological responses, injury rates, and weight loss during travel, as well as the characteristics of the horses used.

Research Overview

• This study was conducted on nine trailer loads of horses (306 in total) that were being transported to slaughter facilities. The distances covered in these journeys ranged from 596km to 2,496km.
• The horses being studied were primarily middle-aged (an average of 11.4 years), with moderately fleshy bodies, weighed around 432kg each, were of Quarter Horse or Thoroughbred breeds.
• One of the key findings was that the mean weight loss during these journeys was 4%.

Injuries and Stress Responses

• The research found a higher percentage of injured horses in two-tiered “pot-belly” trailers (29.2%) compared to straight-deck trailers (8.0%).
• Interestly, cortisol levels, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratios, and rectal temperature – all indicators of stress in horses – were higher following transport in straight-deck trailers as compared to “pot-belly” trailers.

The Impact of Travel Duration

• As the duration of the journey increased from just under 6 hours to 30 hours, the main physiological issues that arose in the horses were muscle fatigue (indicated by lactate concentration) and dehydration (indicated by hematocrit and total protein concentration).
• The percentage of injured horses decreased in trailers that offered greater floor space per horse. However, most other physiological responses were reduced when horses were provided with more floor area.

Negative Physiological Responses

• Other physiological responses to transportation that were less prevalent in horses provided with a greater floor area involved the white blood cell count, total protein concentration, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio.
• This suggests that horses having more personal space during transportation may help reduce negative physiological responses and thus improve overall welfare during transport.

Summary

• This research amplifies the understanding of how transport conditions such as trailer design, journey duration, and available floor space can drastically impact the well-being of horses during transportation. The results of this study provide valuable insights for improving transportation conditions for horses in the future.