The relationship between the welfare quality and stress index in working and breeding horses

Popescu, S.; Diugan, E. A.

doi:10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.07.028

Cited by 20 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…The prevalence of good BCS was significantly higher in the stallions compared with the broodmares, like in other studies (Popescu and Diugan 2017). In the stallions, the proportion of concentrate in the diet is much higher, necessary for their special energy requirements for the sport, so they could be more satiated (higher presence of feeding lumps).…”

Section: Prevalence Of Welfare Issues On Feedingsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…One possible explanation for the different responses may have to do with the fact of not handling the head of horses in painful or stressful procedures (Pritchard et al 2005;Burn et al 2010). Regarding the chin test, the most frequent response of acceptation in the single loose boxes system might indicate that horses did not perceive contact as a threat as reported in other studies in breeding horses (Popescu and Diugan 2017) contrasting with fear and rejection of contact in loose housing system in groups. In fact, it could also point to the desire of receiving physical contact due to the habituation of horse to a human hand feeding with different goodies, as more than a half of the horses single loose boxes showed a curious response.…”

Section: Prevalence Of Behavioural Responsesmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…Sampling representativeness across the year including summer season is needed to establish firm conclusions in this factor. In this line, some studies have been able to describe relationships between welfare and a set of different stress indicators in two seasons (Popescu and Diugan 2017).…”

Section: Prevalence Of Health Disordersmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Welfare assessment at a Spanish Army Equine Breeding Centre

Sánchez¹,

Blanco‐Penedo

Muñoz

et al. 2020

Italian Journal of Animal Science

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The study aimed to assess the effect of two management housing system on breeding horse welfare. An adapted version of the assessment protocol for horses was used for that purposed to this study, with the focus on the animal-based measures section. This includes individual animal scoring of good feeding, good health and appropriate behaviour. The study was conducted in a professional Equine Breeding Centre with a representative set of housing and management systems and practices used for breeding purposes in Spain. A total of 49 stallions stabled individually and 43 broodmares living loose housing in groups were subject for individual scoring. A descriptive statistic for each welfare indicator was calculated. Pearson's Chi-square test or Fisher's test were calculated between the different welfare measures and the housing system. Odds ratios were computed to quantify the association of prevalence of welfare issues with husbandry and management practices according to the type of housing. The stallions were almost two and a half times more at risk than mares to exhibit acceptation to the chin contact behavioural test. Broodmares were prone to present significant lower body condition scores (BCS). The prevalence of rubbed and broken hairs in mane and tail (OR ¼ 4.413), gait abnormalities (OR ¼ 5.429), skin lesions in upper and lower legs regions (OR ¼ 2.691) was higher in stabled animals. In contrast, broodmares presented more often with general skin lesions, specifically in withers-back-barrelgirth (OR ¼ 0.349), hindquarters (OR ¼ 0.016) and skin irritation in lower legs (OR ¼ 0.287). The risk factor analysis applying a multivariable logistic regression model disclosed the way that the group housing freedom system management predicted significantly the prevalence of three animal based indicators deviations: one behavioural indicator (fear to the novel object test), one feeding indicator (lower BCS) and one health indicator (harm in lower legs). HIGHLIGHTS The the effect of management housing system on breeding horse welfare could be evaluated using a protocol with special focus on individual animal scoring of feeding, health and behaviour. The major welfare problems identified in the horses housed in individual boxes were associated with confinement and could be minimised with better management of the access to free exercise. The source of fear and aggression in horses living in pastures can greatly improve with intensive and correct human handling and providing sufficient feeding resources.

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Section: Prevalence Of Welfare Issues On Feedingsupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Prevalence Of Behavioural Responsesmentioning

confidence: 91%

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Welfare assessment at a Spanish Army Equine Breeding Centre

Sánchez¹,

Blanco‐Penedo

Muñoz

et al. 2020

Italian Journal of Animal Science

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“…For the stated reasons, not all hypotheses could be assessed on the basis of the exact same sample size of horses. Current welfare assessment protocols for horses measure the welfare criterion of "good feeding" or the welfare parameter of "freedom from hunger" only against the indicator "body condition score" [71][72][73]. However, this indicator can only be used to evaluate if the horses´nutritional status is adequate.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Common Feeding Practices Pose A Risk to the Welfare of Horses When Kept on Non-Edible Bedding

Baumgärtner

Boisson

Erhard

et al. 2020

Animals

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During the evolution of the horse, an extended period of feed intake, spread over the entire 24-h period, determined the horses’ behaviour and physiology. Horses will not interrupt their feed intake for more than 4 h, if they have a choice. The aim of the present study was to investigate in what way restrictive feeding practices (non ad libitum) affect the horses’ natural feed intake behaviour. We observed the feed intake behaviour of 104 horses on edible (n = 30) and non-edible bedding (n = 74) on ten different farms. We assessed the duration of the forced nocturnal feed intake interruption of horses housed on shavings when no additional roughage was available. Furthermore, we comparatively examined the feed intake behaviour of horses housed on edible versus non-edible bedding. The daily restrictive feeding of roughage (2 times a day: n = 8; 3 times a day: n = 2), as it is common in individual housing systems, resulted in a nocturnal feed intake interruption of more than 4 hours for the majority (74.32%, 55/74) of the horses on shavings (8:50 ± 1:25 h, median: 8:45 h, minimum: 6:45 h, maximum: 13:23 h). In comparison to horses on straw, horses on shavings paused their feed intake less frequently and at a later latency. Furthermore, they spent less time on consuming the evening meal than horses on straw. Our results of the comparison of the feed-intake behaviour of horses on edible and non-edible bedding show that the horses’ ethological feeding needs are not satisfied on non-edible bedding. If the horses accelerate their feed intake (also defined as “rebound effect”), this might indicate that the horses‘ welfare is compromised. We conclude that in addition to the body condition score, the longest duration of feed intake interruption (usually in the night) is an important welfare indicator of horses that have limited access to roughage.

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“…Yawning [113,114] (x) x Play [70,115,116] (x) x Attentional state [28,30,70,117] (x) x Vacuum chewing [118,119] (x) x…”

Section: Behaviouralmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art

Lesimple

2020

Animals

116

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Animal welfare is defined as a chronic state reflecting an individual’s subjective perception of its situation. Because it is possible to be in a good welfare state and nevertheless experience acute fear or pain, and conversely, short-term positive emotions can be experienced during impaired welfare states, welfare as a chronic state has to be clearly distinguished from temporary states related to emotions, pain or stress. The evaluation of non-verbal individuals’ welfare state, particularly in interspecific situations, is a real challenge that necessarily implies animal-based measures and requires multidisciplinary scientifically validated measures. In the last decade, studies investigating horses’ welfare flourished together with new measures that were not always scientifically tested before being used. At a time were legal decisions are made on animal welfare, it is crucial to rely on reliable welfare indicators in order to prevent false evaluation. The aim of this review is to identify the scientifically tested and reliable indicators of horses’ welfare (e.g., body lesions, apathy, aggressiveness, stereotypic behaviours) from signals of temporary states related to acute pain emotions or stress and from popular beliefs, in order to give the scientific community and the horse industry accurate evaluation tools.

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The relationship between the welfare quality and stress index in working and breeding horses

Cited by 20 publications

References 23 publications

Welfare assessment at a Spanish Army Equine Breeding Centre

Welfare assessment at a Spanish Army Equine Breeding Centre

Common Feeding Practices Pose A Risk to the Welfare of Horses When Kept on Non-Edible Bedding

Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art

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