Shade use by small groups of domestic horses in a hot, sunny environment1

Abstract

Horses in the United States are commonly managed in outside pens or pastures in small groups. Limited research on shade use by domestic horses housed singly in individual pens has shown benefits and a preference for using available shade. The objective of this study was to examine the amount of shade use and the behavioral and physiological responses of small groups of horses when housed with access to shade (SH) and without access to shade (SUN). Thirty-six horses were randomized into 3 consecutive trials using 3 horses per group and 4 groups per trial. Groups experienced 5 d in each treatment in a crossover design. Weather factors were measured with automated sensors 24 h/d throughout the study. The mean afternoon ambient temperature was 31.0°C with relative humidity of 32%. Rectal temperature, respiration rate, and skin temperature were recorded at 1000, 1330, and 1900 h daily. Venous blood samples were obtained on Days 0 and 5 to measure serum cortisol, the neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio, and hematocrit. Behavioral observations for presence in shade, standing near or away from water, locomotion, and foraging were recorded at 5-min intervals from 1400 to 1900 h daily. Insect avoidance behaviors were recorded hourly during that same time period for 1 min/horse. Horses in the SH treatment were observed using shade in 7.1% of observations between 1400 and 1900 h, and behavioral differences were observed between the SH and SUN treatments. When in the SUN treatment, horses stood near the water troughs more (18.5 vs. 14.2% of observations; = 0.029) and foraged less (29.3 vs. 33.8% of observations; < 0.001) than when in the SH treatment. There were no treatment differences for other behaviors or for physiological measures ( > 0.05). Provision of shade structures accessible to groups of mature, healthy horses in hot, sunny environments should be considered in developing future guidelines for best management practices for horses.

Do Camels (Camelus dromedarius) Need Shaded Areas? A Case Study of the Camel Market in Doha

“…Horses were proven to prefer shade in hot and sunny environments, and perform more walking and foraging behavior in shaded areas [14,16]. It was also found that horses kept in the sun showed reduced feed intake and movement, while increased amounts of water drunk and time spent close to a drinking point [17]. Thus, shade permitted greater expression of natural behaviors in horses.…”

New Animal-Based Measures to Assess Welfare in Dromedary Camels

“…It is also necessary to evaluate their opportunities to engage in behaviours they nd rewarding, including thermal comfort, positive social interactions, resting and feeding behaviours (Mellor, 2016). Behavioural changes related to the presence of shaded areas have been shown both in intensive and extensive systems in several species, such as cattle, sheep, buffaloes, and horses, although previous studies mostly focused on the effect on productive traits (Schütz et al, 2010;Holcomb et al, 2015;Giro et al, 2019;De et al, 2020;Mishra, 2021). Our nding suggested that a shaded area of at least 7 m 2 per animal (our ample category) had bene cial effects on several aspects of the camel's welfare but further studies should de ne speci c recommendations according to the environmental heat load.…”

Effect of Cooling Blanket on the Heat Stress of Horses in Hot and Humid Environments

“…According to Chaiybutr et al [ 5 ], heat stress reduces milk production in cattle. Heat stress due to either climate or exercise, or both, has been shown to increase the risk of heat stroke in horses [ 6 ]. Horses have a high metabolic rate but a small surface area for heat dissipation, as described by Janczarek et al [ 7 ].…”

“…As a result, horses must be actively cooled, even more so in hot environments. Studies of heat in horses often focus on the effects of exercise and in the paddock [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. However, there are few reports on the stall where horses spend the majority of their lives.…”