Equine

Physiological and behavioral responses of stabled horses (Equus caballus) to three types of environmental enrichment

Small stalls and regulated feedings restrict horses’ natural foraging and locomotion, increasing risks to welfare. Environmental enrichment may promote more naturalistic behavioral time budgets, yet little is known about how enrichment type or timing affects physiology and behavior. This study...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Brauns, M., Ali, A., Berger, J. et al. 2025. Physiological and behavioral responses of stabled horses (Equus caballus) to three types of environmental enrichment. Animals 15(19), 2779.

Optimizing equine standing sedation: Continuous infusion of detomidine and butorphanol enhances stability but prolongs ataxia

ObjectiveThis study aimed to compare the sedation quality and cardiorespiratory and behavioral effects of detomidine administered intravenously, either in intermittent boluses or as a continuous rate infusion, with butorphanol in horses pre-medicated with acepromazine for odontoplasty procedures.MethodsA prospective clinical study...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Anesthesia & SedationAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Arantes, J. de A., Rabelo, I. P., Bermudes, L. et al. 2025. Optimizing equine standing sedation: Continuous infusion of detomidine and butorphanol enhances stability but prolongs ataxia. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Mental Health and Well-being in Animals

Since the publication of the first edition of this book, professional and public concern for the well-being of animals has continued to increase throughout the world. Advances in research and technologies have yielded an enormous amount of new knowledge about...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Baboon, Bird, Capuchin, Cat, Chicken, Chimpanzee, Crocodile & Alligator, Dog, Equine, Fish, Gibbon, Goat, Lemur, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Nonhuman Primate, Other Animal, Other Nonhuman Primate, Owl Monkey, Parrot, Pig, Rabbit, Reptile, Salmon, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Trout, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: McMillan, F. D. (Ed.) 2025. Mental Health and Well-being in Animals (3rd ed.). CAB International, Oxfordshire, UK. 464 p.

Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals

This 30-chapter volume informs students and professionals about the behavioral biology of animals commonly housed in laboratory and other captive settings. Each species evolved under specific environmental conditions, resulting in unique behavioral patterns, many of which are maintained in captivity...

Year Published: 2022Topics: Abnormal/Problematic Behavior, Animal Training, Environmental Enrichment, Handling, Housing, Human-Animal Interaction, Husbandry & Management, Natural Behavior, Rearing & Weaning, Social Housing & Companionship, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: All/General, Amphibian, Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Cattle, Chicken, Crocodile & Alligator, Dog, Equine, Ferret, Finch, Fish, Fowl, Frog & Toad, Gerbil, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lizard, Macaque, Marmoset, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Reptile, Rodent, Salamander, Sheep, Snake, Squirrel Monkey, Turtle & Tortoise, Vervet (African Green Monkey), Zebrafish

Citation: Coleman, K., Schapiro, S. J. (Eds.) 2022. Behavioral Biology of Laboratory Animals (1st Ed.). CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 560 p.

Application of the horse grimace scale in horses with dental disease: Preliminary findings

Background Dental disease is a common but often under-recognised condition in horses, possibly due to an inability to recognise clinical signs of oral discomfort. Some dental disorders are reportedly more painful than others, but there is no current metric by...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Disease/Experimental Model, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Sidwell, A. E., Duz, M., Hill, B. et al. 2025. Application of the horse grimace scale in horses with dental disease: Preliminary findings. Veterinary Record 196(3), e4800.

The social dimension of equine welfare: Social contact positively affects the emotional state of stalled horses

The housing conditions of domestic animals influence their welfare; their emotional state can be negatively affected if their needs are not met. This can lead to behavioural changes or disorders that can damage the animal–human relationship. In social species such...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Social Housing & CompanionshipAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Flamand, A., Robinet, L., Raskin, A. et al. 2025. The social dimension of equine welfare: Social contact positively affects the emotional state of stalled horses. Animal Behaviour 221, 123055.

Shelter use in horses: Time spent indoors and factors of variation – Results from a one-year longitudinal study

Stabling is a common lifestyle for horses, yet numerous studies show that it negatively impacts their welfare, leading to behavioural and health issues. In this study, we aimed to determine how much time horses choose to spend inside their stalls...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Lansade, L., Lemarchand, J., Ruet, A. 2025. Shelter use in horses: Time spent indoors and factors of variation – Results from a one-year longitudinal study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 290, 106699.

The ability to interpret affective states in horses’ body language is associated with experience with animals.

In light of an increasing interest in the human ability to read equine emotions, Braun et al. (2024) recently showed that horse-experienced individuals performed better in interpreting affective states in horses’ body language than horse-inexperienced individuals. Further, individuals with a...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Braun, M. N., Bülow, S., Müller-Klein, A. et al. 2025. The ability to interpret affective states in horses’ body language is associated with experience with animals. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 290, 106716.

A literature review on equine bedding: Impacts on horse and human welfare, health, and the environment (2025)

Bedding is an important component of equine accommodation management. Choosing the right bedding is important for stable management and its selection may include considerations such as the sourcing of the material, the capital investment and ongoing costs, delivery, storage, installation,...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Masebo, N. T., Benedetti, B., Mountricha, M. et al. 2025. A literature review on equine bedding: Impacts on horse and human welfare, health, and the environment. Animals 15(5), 751.

Facial expressions during compound interventions of nociception, conspecific isolation, and sedation in horses

Facial expressions in prey animals such as equines can convey information regarding their internal state and are therefore often used as cues for welfare and pain evaluation. The state of pain is commonly compared to a neutral state with little...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Equine

Citation: Lundblad, J., Rhodin, M., Hernlund, E. et al. 2025. Facial expressions during compound interventions of nociception, conspecific isolation, and sedation in horses. Scientific Reports 15(1), 5373.