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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2019; 9(3); doi: 10.3390/ani9030081

Welfare Quality of Breeding Horses Under Different Housing Conditions.

Abstract: This paper investigates the effect of different housing conditions on the welfare quality of breeding horses. Using a welfare protocol that included health and behavioral parameters, 330 stallions (kept in tie-stall housing) and 365 broodmares (kept in extensive, mostly free housing) were assessed. The horses were categorized into four welfare categories ("not classified", "acceptable", "enhanced" and "excellent"), according to an individual welfare score calculated for each horse. The prevalence of stallions with dyspnea, tendon and joint swellings, abnormal gait and abnormal hoof horn quality was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that of the broodmares. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was found in the human-related behavioral response of the two categories of breeding horses. The median individual welfare scores were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the broodmares than in the breeding stallions. The mares had "enhanced" and "excellent" welfare, while the stallions had "acceptable" and "enhanced" welfare. The results revealed differences in the horses' welfare quality for the different housing conditions. Accordingly, it can be concluded that positive changes in housing management, such as free housing with the use of boxes, could improve the welfare quality of breeding stallions.
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Publication Date: 2019-03-05 PubMed ID: 30841611PubMed Central: PMC6466213DOI: 10.3390/ani9030081Google 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 study examines how variations in housing conditions affect the wellbeing of breeding horses. The study finds that mares, allowed to roam more freely, display better welfare scores than stallions kept in restraint, suggesting that improvements in housing management, namely free-roaming provisions, could enhance the welfare quality of breeding stallions.

Research Methodology

  • The investigation used a welfare protocol, encompassing both health and behavioral parameters, to assess welfare.
  • The sample consisted of 330 stallions, kept under tie-stall housing, and 365 broodmares, which were mostly allowed extensive, free housing conditions.

Assessment and Classification of Welfare Quality

  • Each horse was evaluated using the aforementioned welfare protocol, following which an individual welfare score was calculated.
  • Basing on the individual scores, the horses were then classified into one of four welfare categories, namely “not classified”, “acceptable”, “enhanced”, and “excellent”.
  • The median individual welfare scores were considerably higher for broodmares when compared to breeding stallions.

Findings and Analysis

  • The occurrence rate of conditions like dyspnea, tendon and joint swellings, abnormal gait, and abnormal hoof horn quality was found to be significantly higher in stallions than broodmares.
  • There was however no significant difference in the response to humans between the two categories of breeding horses, implying the conditions do not impact this aspect of their behavior.
  • Regarding welfare quality, the mares were generally found to have “enhanced” and “excellent” welfare, whereas the stallions fell into the “acceptable” and “enhanced” categories.

Conclusions

  • The study uncovered differences in welfare quality between the different housing conditions, with free-roaming mares performing markedly better than tie-stalled stallions in terms of welfare scores.
  • Therefore, the authors conclude that adopting changes in housing management, specifically introducing more free-roaming housing, could potentially improve the welfare quality of breeding stallions.

Cite This Article

APA
Popescu S, Lazar EA, Borda C, Niculae M, Sandru CD, Spinu M. (2019). Welfare Quality of Breeding Horses Under Different Housing Conditions. Animals (Basel), 9(3). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9030081

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 3

Researcher Affiliations

Popescu, Silvana
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. silvana.popescu@usamvcluj.ro.
Lazar, Eva A
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. lazarevaandrea@gmail.com.
Borda, Cristin
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. cborda@usamvcluj.ro.
Niculae, Mihaela
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. niculaemihaela1@gmail.com.
Sandru, Carmen D
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. sandranac@gmail.com.
Spinu, Marina
  • Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania. marina.spinu@gmail.com.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 8 times.
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