Handling and transport of horses.

Abstract

This chapter reviews various horse handling methods, including imprint training and positive methods of training, horse transport and issues related to horse slaughter. The review of imprint training studies indicates that there have been mixed positive and negative results, and that the process may interfere with foal bonding with the mare. Brushing and stroking the mare will facilitate approaching and handling the foal. Positive methods of training, such as clicker training, are very helpful for training horses to enter a trailer. Horses can become stressed when they travel alone, and the position facing rear to the direction of travel may be less stressful. Stalls in horse trailers should be designed so that horses can see each other. During transport, horses will drink less water and there should be stops every 16 to 24 h for feed and water. Since the US horse slaughter plants were closed, horse rescue groups are overwhelmed. In Europe, transport laws are not enforced, and one-third of the slaughter horses that arrive in Italy are not fit for transport. Cortisol levels are higher after transport than after stunning at slaughter.

Survey of horse transportation in Australia: issues and practices

“…Loading is the transport phase most frequently associated with the ‘flight or fight’ response, so avoidance behaviour and injuries to horses and horse handlers are frequent . Although both training schemes to desensitise horses to the innate fear of loading and retraining for loading problematic horses have been reported, only 56.5% of respondents trained their horses accordingly with these training methods. Evidence‐based training methods should therefore be promoted to both amateurs and professionals involved in horse care and transportation.…”

How to minimise the incidence of transport-related problem behaviours in horses: a review

“…The loading phase has been consistently identified as the most stressful aspect of transportation for horses [ 42 , 58 ] and also the activity most likely to involve TRPBs and injury [ 41 , 72 ]. The loading process involves leading the horse into a trailer, which is inherently aversive for the majority of horses [ 19 ]. Horses may display signs of anxiety when approaching the vehicle or stepping onto the ramp, regardless of the level of experience [ 58 ].…”

“…NR involves the removal of an aversive stimulus, typically the application of physical pressure, a visible aversive stimulus such as waving a whip, or an audible aversive stimulus such as clapping/shouting, when the horse shows the requested behaviour [ 29 ]. The use of NR is commonly advocated in relation to training horses to load and retraining horses with loading problems [ 19 ]. There are many horse training books, social media articles, blogs, and video footage providing advice on overcoming a horse’s refusal to load onto a trailer.…”

Pituitary-adrenocortical adjustments to transport stress in horses with previous different handling and transport conditions

“…Several other studies were about horses transported for different reasons such as competition, sale, breeding, and leisure activities and maintained under appropriate husbandry conditions. It is generally accepted that horses can become stressed when they travel alone, and the position facing rear to the direction of travel may be less stressful, according to different transport’s phases [ 12 - 14 ].…”