Equine

Stall architecture influences horses’ behaviour and the prevalence and type of stereotypies

Despite the spatial and social restrictions it causes, single stall housing still prevails in sport and riding school horses, leading to the emergence of abnormal behaviours such as stereotypic or abnormal repetitive behaviours (SB/ARB). In the present study, we investigated...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, HousingAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Lesimple, C., Gautier, E., Benhajali, H. et al. 2019. Stall architecture influences horses' behaviour and the prevalence and type of stereotypies. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 219, 104833.

Changes in saliva analytes correlate with horses’ behavioural reactions to an acute stressor: A pilot study

Acute stress induces an array of behavioural reactions in horses that vary between individuals. Attempts to relate behavioural patterns and physiological responses have not always given clear-cut results. Here, we measured the changes in a panel of salivary components: salivary...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological Measurement, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Contreras-Aguilar, M. D., Henry, S., Coste, C. et al. 2019. Changes in saliva analytes correlate with horses' behavioural reactions to an acute stressor: A pilot study. Animals 9(11), 993.

Eye blink rates and eyelid twitches as a non-invasive measure of stress in the domestic horse

Physiological changes provide indices of stress responses, however, behavioural measures may be easier to determine. Spontaneous eye blink rate has potential as a non-invasive indicator of stress. Eyelid movements, along with heart rate (HR) and behaviour, from 33 horses were...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Merkies, K., Ready, C., Farkas, L. et al. 2019. Eye blink rates and eyelid twitches as a non-invasive measure of stress in the domestic horse. Animals 9(58), 62.

Housing horses in individual boxes is a challenge with regard to welfare

Horses are mainly housed in individual boxes. This housing system is reported to be highly detrimental with regard to welfare and could trigger the expression of four behavioural indicators of a compromised welfare state: stereotypies, aggressiveness toward humans, unresponsiveness to...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Husbandry & Management, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Euet, A., Lemarchand, J., Parias, C., Mach, N. et al. 2019. Housing horses in individual boxes is a challenge with regard to welfare. Animals 9(9), 621.

How can we assess positive welfare in ruminants?

Until now, most research has focused on the development of indicators of negative welfare, and relatively few studies provide information on valid, reliable, and feasible indicators addressing positive aspects of animal welfare. However, a lack of suffering does not guarantee...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Cattle, Chicken, Equine, Fowl, Goat, Pig, Sheep

Citation: Mattiello, S., Battini, M., De Rosa, G. et al. 2019. How can we assess positive welfare in ruminants? Animals 9(10), 758.

Attenuation of fear through social transmission in groups of same and differently aged horses

Transmission of fear and attenuation of fear within groups of farm animals remain relatively unexplored, despite the importance for human and animal safety. This paper reports the results of two separate experiments, aiming to explore social transmission of habituation in...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Rørvang, M. V., Christensen, J. W. 2018. Attenuation of fear through social transmission in groups of same and differently aged horses. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 209, 41-46.

Stranger danger? An investigation into the influence of human-horse bond on stress and behaviour

Human-animal bond is receiving increasing attention and is thought to confer benefits on well-being and performance in working animals. One important benefit of bonding is the “safe base” an attachment figure provides, which manifests in better coping and increased exploration...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Ijichi, C., Griffin, K., Squibb, K. et al. 2018. Stranger danger? An investigation into the influence of human-horse bond on stress and behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 206, 59-63.

Preference for heights of feeding troughs in mares: A pilot study

Preferences for the height of feeding troughs of seven mares were evaluated and, as awareness of surroundings when feeding is adaptive for horses, the relationship between preference responses and attention behaviours was also assessed. First, feeding troughs at four heights...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Luz, M. P. F., Maia, C. M., Arruda, L. A. S. et al. 2019. Preference for heights of feeding troughs in mares: A pilot study. Animal Welfare 28(2), 205-214.

The effect of a compressed air stimulus on blocking times in a concentrate feeding station for horses in group housing

Concentrate feeding stations are used to meet the different feeding requirements of group-housed horses. In practice, blocking times caused by horses remaining in the feeding station without concentrate allowance constrain the feeding process considerably. To date, the application of an...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Gülden, A., Büscher, W. 2017. The effect of a compressed air stimulus on blocking times in a concentrate feeding station for horses in group housing. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 191, 39-48.

Evaluation of operant learning in young foals using target training

The primary purpose of this study was to characterize operant learning performance of young foals. For each of 26 foals, aged 6–20 weeks, learning performance was quantitatively evaluated in a single brief training trial using a standard operant conditioning task...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Martinez de Andino, E. V., McDonnell, S. M. 2017. Evaluation of operant learning in young foals using target training. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 193, 67-72.