Animal category: Equines

New insights into ridden horse behaviour, horse welfare and horse-related safety

Karen L. Luke, Tina McAdie, Bradley P. Smith, Amanda K. Warren-Smith

Published in 2022

A scientific paper examining whether there are links between a ridden horse's behaviour, its welfare level and rider safety adopting an approach based on the concept of the 5 domains of animal welfare, which focuses on the consequences of rearing and training practices on animal welfare. The results support the hypothesis that horses with higher welfare levels exhibit fewer hyper-reactive behaviours and their riders suffer fewer accidents and injuries.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Learning, training, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Preslaughter handling and slaughter of meat animals - Chapter 4 : Horses

B. Driessen, D. Marlin, J. Buyse

Published in 2022

This book chapter addresses the welfare during transport of horses being taken to slaughter. It covers the suitability of animals for transport, handling prior to transport, loading, transport itself, unloading, stabling, stunning and slaughter.

Document Types: Technical work

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Carcass quality, Stress, Transport

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Regular positive reinforcement training increases contact-seeking behavior in horses

Renate Larssen, Lina S.V. Roth

Published in 2022

Scientific paper reporting on the effects of using positive reinforcement for owner-trained horses where previously only negative reinforcement has been used. It concludes that a small but regular addition of positive reinforcement to training can increase the contact-seeking behaviour of horses with humans, but is not sufficient to improve their emotional state or stress levels in the long term.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Learning, training, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Automatic brushes induce positive emotions and foster positive social interactions in group-housed horses

Léa Lansade, Julie Lemarchand, Fabrice Reigner, Cécile Arnould, Aline Bertin

Published in 2022

Scientific article showing that the installation of automatic brushes brings a direct benefit to horses by allowing them to groom themselves, but also an indirect benefit by facilitating positive social interactions. This study encourages stables to install automatic brushes in locations where horses are kept in order to improve their welfare and comfort.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Welfare indicators

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Development of a Composite Pain Scale in Foals: A Pilot Study

Aliai Lanci, Beatrice Benedetti, Francesca Freccero, Carolina Castagnetti, Jole Mariella, Johannes P. A. M. van Loon, Barbara Padalino

Published in 2022

Scientific paper on the development and testing of a composite pain assessment scale in foals to enable the most rapid pain management response possible. The test demonstrated the inter- and intra-observer reliability of this pain assessment scale which needs to be validated using a larger number of animals and assessors.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships

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Area and Resource Utilization of Group-Housed Horses in an Active Stable

Frederik Hildebrandt, Kathrin Büttner, Jennifer Salau, Joachim Krieter Irena Czycholl

Published in 2022

Scientific article on the use of different areas of an active stable by group-housed horses. The extent to which different areas are used depends mainly on the individual, and some areas are used more, such as the feeding stalls. The study shows preferences for certain types of bedding.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Animal-based measurements, Enrichment, Housing, Living environment

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Insect-repelling behaviour in horses in relation to insect prevalence and access to shelters

Janne Winther Christensen, Christina Gudim Strøm, Klára Nicová, Clotilde Lafaige de Gaillard, Peter S andøe, Henrik Skovgård

Published in 2022

Scientific article reporting on an investigation into discomfort levels in horses caused by the presence of biting insects. Discomfort was positively correlated with lack of access to indoor areas and the prevalence of insects. The paper concludes that free access to shelters or other indoor areas during the summer reduces the negative effects of biting insects and may thereby improve the welfare of horses.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Housing, Living environment

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The Importance of Natural Feeding Behaviour for Horse (Equus caballus) Welfare

Sandra Brolin

Published in 2022

Academic paper stating that welfare levels in horses on pasture are better than in those kept in stables, particularly because of the opportunity pasture provides to express  their natural feeding behaviours. Alternative methods of feeding or feed distribution are suggested that could improve the welfare of stabled animals.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment

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Dairy vs beef production - expert views on welfare of cattle in common food production systems

Roi Mandel, Marc B.M. Brackec, Christine J. Nicold, John A. Webster, Lorenz Gygax

Published in 2022

Scientific paper in which 70 experts estimated and compared levels of welfare in the most common cow meat and milk production systems in their countries. The experts estimated that the overall probability of a state of positive welfare was higher for animals from suckler herds than from dairy herds.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Livestock farming system

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Heterospecific Fear and Avoidance Behaviour in Domestic Horses (Equus caballus)

Anna Wiśniewska, Iwona Janczarek, Izabela Wilk, Ewelina Tkaczyk, Martyna Mierzicka, Christina R. Stanley, Aleksandra Górecka-Bruzda

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing that the avoidance response of horses to cows was similar to or greater than that to a new moving object, suggesting that neophobia and heterospecific communication play a role in this response.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measures, Stress

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