Use of fecal glucocorticoid and salivary cortisol concentrations as a measure of well-being of New York City carriage horses.

This study analyzed whether the work of carriage horses in New York City negatively affected their well-being by measuring stress markers in their feces and saliva over three days and found no significant physiological indicators of impaired welfare.

Objective and Study Design

• The main aim of the research was to non-invasively measure stress levels in carriage horses in New York City, evaluating the impact of their work on their overall well-being.
• The study employed a prospective case-control design where the daily routines of 13 working stabled NYC carriage horses (5 mares and 8 geldings) were observed.
• A control group of 5 pastured non-working NYC carriage horses (1 mare and 4 geldings) was also included for comparison.

Procedure for Data Collection

• For three consecutive days, samples were collected from different subsets of the working carriage horses during different times of their routine:
• During rest (time 1), preparation for work (time 2), return to the stable (time 3), and one hour after work (time 4).
• These samples were used to measure fecal glucocorticoid and salivary cortisol concentrations, two physiological markers associated with stress or discomfort in animals.
• Further, the maximum temperature of the medial canthus (corner of the eye) – another potential stress indicator – was measured at each time point using infrared thermography (IRT).
• Fecal samples were also collected from the control group of pastured carriage horses to measure glucocorticoid concentrations.

Study Results

• No significant difference was found in fecal glucocorticoid concentrations between pastured and working horses, indicating similar stress levels in both groups.
• Salivary cortisol concentrations showed a significant difference in working horses between the time they returned to the stable and one hour after work.
• The temperature measured using IRT at the preparation stage (time 2) was significantly lower than that measured at the return stage (time 3).

Conclusions and Relevance

• The study concluded that there were no significant physiological responses in the NYC carriage horses observed that would suggest a negative impact on their welfare due to their work.
• This suggests that the current conditions and work routines for carriage horses in NYC may not be inherently harmful to their well-being.