Species : Horses

Comparing the pathology of equine stereotypical behaviours to obsessive-compulsive and related disorder in humans: An exploratory Delphi study

Stephanie Megan Plato

Published in 2022

Scientific paper using a Delphi method to compare equine stereotypic behaviour (ESC) and human OCD looking at neurological, etiological and behavioural aspects, causal factors and welfare effects. It identifies the advantages and disadvantages of having ESCs recognised as OCDs.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Anxiety, Enrichment, Living environment, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Welfare indicators

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A new approach to horse welfare based on systems thinking

K.L. Luke, A. Rawluk, T. McAdie

Published in 2022

A systematic review of the scientific literature on undesirable behaviour in horses, using a systems thinking approach. It identifies four major areas of research on the subject, and proposes opportunities for research using the systems thinking approach.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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

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Bêtes de science : le cheval, un champion de l’intelligence sociale

Nathalie Mayer

Published in 2022

Article summarising current scientific knowledge on the social behaviours of horses, both intra-species and in relation to humans, and on their emotional capacities, in particular on 'emotional contagion' where emotions are transmitted from one horse to another. 

Document Types: Technical review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords : Human-animal relationships

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How Happy Are Equine Athletes? Stakeholder Perceptions of Equine Welfare Issues Associated with Equestrian Sport

Tamzin Furtado, Liane Preshaw, Jo Hockenhull, Jennifer Wathan, Janet Douglas, Sue Horseman, Rebecca Smith, Danica Pollard, Gina Pinchbeck, Jan Rogers Carol Hall

Published in 2021

Scientific article providing the views of equestrian sportsmen and women and of animal welfare researchers on the current welfare violations in equestrian sport. Respondents emphasised the conflict between the demands of competition and the psychological needs of horses, and were of the view that efforts to improve welfare should focus on training. They considered existing welfare assessment tools to be ill-suited to the real-life conditions of training and competition.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Learning, training, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Recumbency as an Equine Welfare Indicator in Geriatric Horses and Horses with Chronic Orthopaedic Disease

Zsofia Kelemen, Herwig Grimm, Mariessa Long, Ulrike Auer, Florien Jenner

Published in 2021

Scientific paper measuring time budgets for decubitus, locomotion and standing times in old and young, healthy or lame horses using automated wearable body sensors. It shows a link between low decubitus times and REM sleep deficit, but no link between decubitus times and age or lameness.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Pain, Precision farming, Welfare indicators, Livestock farming system

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Aspects of Breeding Stallion Management with Specific Focus on Animal Welfare

Rodrigo Arruda de Oliveira, Christine Aurich

Published in 2021

Scientific review of how living environments affect stallions at stud, including social isolation in loose boxes or of agonistic behaviour in an outdoor herd setting, describing management methods to limit these risks to animal welfare.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

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

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The Effect of Human-Horse Interactions on Equine Behaviour, Physiology, and Welfare: A Scoping Review

Katherine Jennifer Kelly, Laurie Anne McDuffee, Kimberly Mears

Published in 2021

Scientific review concluding that current evidence for equine welfare during human-horse interactions is minimal and relies heavily on the absence of a negative emotional state during enforced interactions.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Human-animal relationships

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Therapeutic Riding Horses: using a hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis measure to assess the physiological stress response to different riders

Cristina Cravana, Esterina Fazio, Adriana Ferlazzo, Pietro Medica

Published in 2021

Scientific paper showing that stress hormone levels are lower in equine therapy horses ridden by mentally-impaired riders, presumably due to their lesser control over the horses, than by non-mentally impaired riders.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords: Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Evaluating Horse Owner Expertise and Professional Use of Auxiliary Reins during Horse Riding

Heidrun Gehlen, Julia Puhlmann, Roswitha Merle, Christa Thöne-Reineke

Published in 2021

A scientific article investigating whether horse owners use auxiliary reins correctly. It reports that while most of the horse owners surveyed used reins responsibly, they need clarification and information on the functions of the different auxiliary reins.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Societal issues, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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