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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2022; 12(9); 1077; doi: 10.3390/ani12091077

Social Box: Influence of a New Housing System on the Social Interactions of Stallions When Driven in Pairs.

Abstract: In order to improve the housing conditions of stallions in individual boxes, we tested a so-called “social box” allowing increased physical contact between neighbouring horses. This study investigated whether housing stallions in social boxes changes the number of social interactions during carriage driving. We hypothesised that the stay in social boxes would decrease the number of unwanted social interactions between stallions when driven in pairs. Eight Franches-Montagnes breeding stallions were observed when driven in pairs with a “neutral” stallion housed in a so-called “conventional box”, strongly limiting physical contact. They were driven on a standardised route over the course of four days before, during, and after being housed in social boxes. The type and frequency of behaviours of the pairs and the interventions of the groom and the driver during the test drives were assessed live and using video recordings. Results from linear mixed-effect models show that unwanted social interactions decreased during and after the stallions were housed in the social box (p < 0.001). Stallions’ interactions also decreased over the four days (p < 0.01), suggesting a habituation to the test conditions by learning not to interact, or by subtly settling dominance. The social box tended to decrease unwanted social behaviours of stallions driven in pairs and could therefore be used as an environmental enrichment for horses.
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Publication Date: 2022-04-21 PubMed ID: 35565503PubMed Central: PMC9099530DOI: 10.3390/ani12091077Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 explores how a new housing system referred to as the “social box” may affect the social interactions of stallions when driven in pairs. The analysis indicates that using such housing can significantly reduce unwanted behaviors among stallions, suggesting potential benefits as an environmental enrichment tool.

Introduction and Hypothesis

  • The research focuses on the evaluation of a new housing system for stallions known as the “social box”. This was designed to allow increased physical contact between neighboring horses.
  • The investigation aimed to determine if using these social boxes changed the number of social interactions between stallions while carriage driving.
  • The hypothesis suggested that the use of social boxes would decrease unwanted social interactions when stallions are driven in pairs.

Methodology

  • The experiment involved eight Franches-Montagnes breeding stallions. These horses were observed when driven in pairs with a third, “neutral” horse.
  • This “neutral” horse was housed separately, in a traditional “conventional box”, which has limited physical contact opportunities.
  • All horses were driven on a standardized route across four days before, during, and after they were housed in the social boxes.
  • Behaviours and types of interactions as well as any interventions by the groom or driver during the testing drives were closely monitored, both live and via video recordings.

Results and Conclusion

  • The results indicated that unwanted social interactions reduced significantly during and after the horses were placed in the social boxes.
  • Not only interactions reduced as a result of new housing, but also in the four-day period suggesting that stallions adapted to the testing conditions by learning not to interact or subtly establishing dominance.
  • Overall, the social box seems to decrease unwanted social behaviors among stallions when driven in pairs. The study, therefore, suggests it can serve as an environmental enrichment for horses, improving their housing conditions.

Cite This Article

APA
Gmel AI, Zollinger A, Wyss C, Bachmann I, Briefer Freymond S. (2022). Social Box: Influence of a New Housing System on the Social Interactions of Stallions When Driven in Pairs. Animals (Basel), 12(9), 1077. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12091077

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 12
Issue: 9
PII: 1077

Researcher Affiliations

Gmel, Annik Imogen
  • Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Les Longs Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland.
Zollinger, Anja
  • Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Les Longs Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland.
Wyss, Christa
  • Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Les Longs Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland.
Bachmann, Iris
  • Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Les Longs Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland.
Briefer Freymond, Sabrina
  • Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm, Les Longs Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

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Citations

This article has been cited 6 times.
  1. Zollinger A, Wyss C, Bardou D, Bachmann I. Social Box: A New Housing System Increases Social Interactions among Stallions. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 20;13(8).
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  2. Stallones L, McManus P, McGreevy P. Sustainability and the Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing Industries: An Enhanced One Welfare Perspective. Animals (Basel) 2023 Jan 31;13(3).
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  3. Robertson T, Thomas E, Starbuck G, Yarnell K. Global distribution and gap analysis of equine housing research: The findings so far and where to go next. Anim Welf 2024;33:e58.
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