Discipline: Ethology

Review of the Foundational Knowledge Required for Assessing Horse Welfare

Andrea M. Harvey, Daniel Ramp, David J. Mellor

Published in 2022

A scientific review of what is known about the nutrition, physical environment, health and behavioral interactions of horses, these being the first 4 of the 5 domains of the animal welfare model and the last domain, mental state, being inferred from the first 4.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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

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Positive Aspects of Welfare in Sheep: Current Debates and Future Opportunities

Mukhtar Muhammad, Jessica E. Stokes, Louise Manning

Published in 2022

Review of the scientific literature on welfare indicators in sheep, in particular those that assess a positive emotional state in this species.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Canines, Felines

Keywords:Societal issues, Risk management, Human-animal relationships

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Feeding time in horses provided roughage in different combinations of haynets and on the stable floor

Hanna Lundqvist, Cecilia Elisabeth Müller

Published in 2022

Scientific article testing different feeding methods for horses in order to increase the time spent seeking food and feeding. It finds that the addition of straw to the feed, regardless of the feeding method, will achieve this goal.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Adaptation of the environment to the animal, Enrichment

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Development of human-directed behavior in dairy calves reared individually or in pairs

S.B. Doyle, E.E. Lindner, K.N. Gingerich, E.K. Miller-Cushon

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing the persistent effects of the social housing of early life dairy calves (singly or in pairs) on human-directed behaviours, a phenomenon that may have implications for long-term management.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Human-animal relationships

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Opportunities and Challenges in Applying the 3Rs to Zoos and Aquariums

Sabrina Brando, Mickey Gjerris 

Published in 2022

Scientific article examining the interest in using the 3Rs rule (replacement, reduction, refinement) applied in animal experimentation, to aid decision-making on the welfare of zoo and aquarium animals, in a context where practitioners in these sectors and society are asking for greater consideration to be given to animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories:Wildlife, Fish

Keywords:Societal issues, Housing, Human-animal relationships, Welfare indicators

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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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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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