Validation of triaxial accelerometers to measure the lying behaviour of adult domestic horses

Abstract

Examining the characteristics of an animal's lying behaviour, such as frequency and duration of lying bouts, has become increasingly relevant for animal welfare research. Triaxial accelerometers have the advantage of being able to continuously monitor an animal's standing and lying behaviour without relying on live observations or video recordings. Multiple models of accelerometers have been validated for use in monitoring dairy cattle; however, no units have been validated for use in equines. This study tested Onset Pendant G data loggers attached to the hind limb of each of two mature Standardbred horses for a period of 5 days. Data loggers were set to record their position every 20 s. Horses were monitored via live observations during the day and by video recordings during the night to compare activity against accelerometer data. All lying events occurred overnight (three to five lying bouts per horse per night). Data collected from the loggers was converted and edited using a macro program to calculate the number of bouts and the length of time each animal spent lying down by hour and by day. A paired t-test showed no significant difference between the video observations and the output from the data loggers (P = 0.301). The data loggers did not distinguish standing hipshot from standing square. Predictability, sensitivity, and specificity were all >99%. This study has validated the use of Onset Pendant G data loggers to determine the frequency and duration of standing and lying bouts in adult horses when set to sample and register readings at 20 s intervals.

Effects of stacked wedge pads and chains applied to the forefeet of Tennessee Walking Horses for a five-day period on behavioral and biochemical indicators of pain, stress, and inflammation

“…Use of this specific accelerometer a for behavioral data collection has been validated in dairy cows 50 but not in horses; however, the general use of triaxial accelerometers has been validated in horses. 51,52 Furthermore, placement of the accelerometer on a hind limb, as was done in the present study, reportedly yields the most accurate data. 51 In a study 53 involving calves, use of an accelerometer to examine the effect of castration revealed that castrated calves spent a significantly larger amount of time standing during the subsequent 24-hour period (or longer) than uncastrated calves, but studies [54][55][56] of the effect of lameness on cattle behavior have shown that lame cattle spend more time lying down than do nonlame cattle.…”

“…For horses in the present study, the number of lying bouts was approximately 10/d before shoe application. Findings of other studies 33,52,57 regarding the number and duration of lying bouts of horses greatly differ. Horses housed in groups on different types of bedding reportedly have between 2 and 3 lying bouts/d, with 32% of these horses spending a full 24-hour period without any lying bouts.…”

“…Horses housed in groups on different types of bedding reportedly have between 2 and 3 lying bouts/d, with 32% of these horses spending a full 24-hour period without any lying bouts. 33 Similarly, in a study 52 designed to validate the use of an accelerometer for evaluation of lying behaviors, horses had 3 to 5 lying bouts/d. A primary difference between these studies and the study reported here was that the horses in the present study were housed in individual box stalls, except when exercised, whereas the horses in the other studies 33,52 spent a portion of the day in a paddock.…”

“…33 Similarly, in a study 52 designed to validate the use of an accelerometer for evaluation of lying behaviors, horses had 3 to 5 lying bouts/d. A primary difference between these studies and the study reported here was that the horses in the present study were housed in individual box stalls, except when exercised, whereas the horses in the other studies 33,52 spent a portion of the day in a paddock. This difference in study conditions, however, likely fails to explain the difference in daily number of lying bouts because horses housed totally within a stall reportedly have 2.5 lying bouts/d (range, 0 to 6 bouts/d), 57 which is similar to the number of lying bouts associated with horses spending only a portion of the day in a stall.…”

Application of a wearable GPS unit for examining interindividual distances in a herd of Thoroughbred dams and their foals

“…In recent years, the use of a gravitational force data logger has also been reported in research on equine standing and lying behaviors [2]. Use of this device in combination with a GPS unit would enable more detailed behavioral analyses of horses in pasture.…”