Species : Horse

Using deep learning models to decode emotional states in horses

Phelipon, R., Lansade, L. & Razzaq, M.

Published in 2025

Scientific article describing the development of two machine learning models for predicting  emotional states in ridden horses based on head and body images.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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Importance of the social environment for reproductive and general welfare of domestic horse (Equus caballus) stallions

Aleksandra Górecka-Bruzda, Christine Aurich

Published in 2025

Study highlighting the fact that the social isolation of domestic stallions, a common on-farm practice,  leads to stress, stereotypies and reproductive disorders. It recommends that they be provided with greater social contact and conditions approaching their natural way of life, to improve their welfare and fertility.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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Grief-like distress responses in horses after the death of a conspecific

Claire Ricci-Bonot, Emily Wilson, Stefania Uccheddu, Daniel Simon Mills

Published in 2025

Study showing that the loss of the companionship of another equid frequently leads to behavioral changes in horses (excitement, alertness, vocalizations, interactions) lasting up to 6 months, especially when there has been a strong emotional bond. The authors suggest that these behavioral changes could be grief-related. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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

Léa Lansade, Julie Lemarchand, Alice Ruet

Published in 2025

Study showing that, when horses are free to go indoors or outdoors, they choose to spend an average of 3 hours a day in their stalls, but there is considerable individual and seasonal variability in their choices. These results stress the importance of allowing horses freedom of movement so that their needs and welfare can be better catered to. 

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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Exploring the induction and measurement of positive affective state in equines through a personality-centred lens

Loftus, L., Newman, A., Leach, M., Asher, L.

Published in 2025

Article highlighting the importance of taking the individual animal's personality into account when measuring positive affect in equines.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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European Parliament: Answer to Question E-000939/2025: Legislative initiatives and minimum standards for the use of horses in sport

Question: Niels Fuglsang (S&D), Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA), Sebastian Everding (The Left). Answer: Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission

Published in 2025

Answer from the European Commission to a parliamentary question on animal welfare in equestrian sports, asking whether it intends to introduce legislation to penalize the ill-treatment of horses in sport. The Commission considers this to be a matter for national legislation. At this juncture, it has no plans to extend Directive 98/58/EC to equines used in sport.

Document types: Regulation/Certification

Animal categories: Equines

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Characterisation of facial expressions and behaviours of horses in response to positive and negative emotional anticipation using network analysis

Romane Phelipon, Léa Bertrand, Plotine Jardat, Fabrice Reigner, Kate Lewis, Jérôme Micheletta, Léa Lansade

Published in 2025

Study using network analysis to identify specific behaviors and facial expressions in horses based on their anticipation of a positive or negative experience. These indicators can be used to better assess the emotional state and welfare of equines.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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Using deep learning models to decode emotional states in horses

Phelipon, R., Lansade, L. & Razzaq, M.

Published in 2025

Study using machine learning models to predict the emotions of ridden horses on the basis of image analysis, comparing different cropping and training methods for convolutional neural network models. The results showed that cropped images of heads were sufficient to provide very good prediction levels (87% accuracy), and that the features used by the model for interpretation were similar to those used by experts.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

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

Amelia E. Sidwell, Marco Duz, Bradley Hill, Sarah Freeman, Sam L. Hole

Published in 2025

Scientific article investigating whether use of a pain scale based on facial expression is an objective and reliable method of assessing dental pain in horses. It concludes that tools designed to identify acute pain lack reliability if used to assess chronic pain, such as dental pain. A more dental-specific ethogram is needed to accurately identify dental pain in horses.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Key words:Animal-based measurement, Pain, Behavioral disorders

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EFSA Opinion - Welfare of horses during killing for purposes other than slaughter

EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare

Published in 2025

New EFSA Opinion on the welfare of horses during killing for purposes other than human consumption, whether indivudally or on a large scale. The Opinion details three phases: pre-stunning, stunning and bleeding. It identifies potential hazards and describes stunning and killing methods (captive bolt, firearm, lethal injection). Potential risks, preventive measures and animal welfare measurement criteria are described, along with practices deemed unacceptable on welfare.

Document Types: Opinions

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurement, Anxiety, Consciousness, Pain, Brain integration, Fear, Stress

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