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Zollinger A, Wyss C, Bardou D, Bachmann I. Social Box: A New Housing System Increases Social Interactions among Stallions. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081408. [PMID: 37106974 PMCID: PMC10135302 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In domestic conditions, adult stallions are mostly housed individually in internal stables to reduce the risk of injuries during social interactions. Social deprivation in horses results in physiological stress and behavioural problems. The aim of this study was to test the "social box" (SB), which allows closer physical contact between neighbouring horses. Eight pairs of stallions (n = 16) were filmed over a 24 h period in the SB and in their usual box stables, "conventional boxes" (CB), which strongly restrict tactile contact. The effect of housing in the SB on behaviour and the occurrence and characteristics of injuries was investigated. The total duration of active social interactions was significantly higher in the SB than in the CB (51.1 vs. 4.9 min, p < 0.0001). Positive interactions accounted for about 71% of the total duration of interactions in SB and CB stabling. The stallions interacted significantly more often in the SB than in the CB (113.5 vs. 23.8 social interaction sequences over 24 h, p < 0.0001). No grievous injuries were recorded. The social box appears to be a suitable solution to give adult stallions the possibility of having physical interactions. Therefore, it can be considered a substantial environmental enrichment for singly housed horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Zollinger
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm SNSF, Les Longs-Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Christa Wyss
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm SNSF, Les Longs-Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland
| | - Déborah Bardou
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm SNSF, Les Longs-Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland
- Chaire bien-être animal, VetAgro Sup, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, F-69280 Marcy-l'Étoile, France
| | - Iris Bachmann
- Agroscope, Swiss National Stud Farm SNSF, Les Longs-Prés, CH-1580 Avenches, Switzerland
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Wiśniewska A, Janczarek I, Tkaczyk E, Wilk I, Janicka W, Próchniak T, Kaczmarek B, Pokora E, Łuszczyński J. Minimizing the Effects of Social Isolation of Horses by Contact with Animals of a Different Species: The Domestic Goat as an Example. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12172271. [PMID: 36077991 PMCID: PMC9454851 DOI: 10.3390/ani12172271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to perform a comparative analysis of the horses’ heart rate parameters and locomotor activity in a herd or isolation, with or without the company of goats. Twenty horses were tested in a paddock, accompanied (or not) by three goats. The experiment comprised four tests (a control test of a herd of horses without goats, a horse isolation test without goats, a test of a herd of horses with goats and a test of an isolated horse with goats). The horse’s locomotor behavior, and the HR, RR, rMSSD, LF, HF, and LF/HF were recorded. The data analysis included a 15-min rest, procedural and recovery HR/HRV periods, and a 5-min period at the beginning of the test. The duration of the horses standing in the company of goats increased significantly. The rMSSD parameter was the significantly lowest in the test of a herd of horses with goats. The company of goats in a paddock does not eliminate the emotional effects of the phenomenon. However, the locomotor behavior decreases. Goats in a paddock can provide a positive distraction for horses in a herd as a decrease in emotional excitability can be regarded as having a relaxing impact on a different animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wiśniewska
- Department of Horse Breeding and Use, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Iwona Janczarek
- Department of Horse Breeding and Use, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Ewelina Tkaczyk
- Department of Horse Breeding and Use, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Izabela Wilk
- Department of Horse Breeding and Use, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Janicka
- Department of Horse Breeding and Use, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Próchniak
- Institute of Biological Basis of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Beata Kaczmarek
- Department and Clinic of Animal Internal Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Elżbieta Pokora
- Department of Horse Breeding and Use, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Bioeconomy, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13 Str, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
| | - Jarosław Łuszczyński
- Department of Genetics, Animal Breeding and Ethology, Faculty of Animal Science, University of Agriculture in Cracow, 30-059 Cracow, Poland
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Schmucker S, Preisler V, Marr I, Krüger K, Stefanski V. Single housing but not changes in group composition causes stress-related immunomodulations in horses. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272445. [PMID: 35976860 PMCID: PMC9385002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Domestic horses are currently often subject to management practices that can entail social stressors, which in turn can negatively influence immunocompetence and disease susceptibility.
The present study therefore aimed to characterize the number of various blood leukocyte subsets in horses, focusing on two potentially stressful housing environments: changes in group composition and relocation to individual stabling. Immune measurements were conducted before as well as one and eight days after changes were made. They were complemented by an assessment of plasma cortisol concentrations as well as behavioral observations. One and eight days after relocation to single housing, the mean numbers of eosinophils, T helper cells and cytotoxic T cells decreased by up to 31%, 20% and 22% respectively, whereas the mean numbers of neutrophils increased by 25%. In contrast, one and eight days after changes in group composition not only the mean number of neutrophils, but also of monocytes, T helper cells and cytotoxic T cells increased by up to 24%, 17%, 9%, and 15% respectively. In consequence, an increase in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio indicating stress-induced immune modulation was found after relocation to single housing, but not after changes in group composition. The changes in leukocyte numbers after relocation to single housing were accompanied by a transient increase in cortisol concentrations after one day and the occurrence of disturbed behavior patterns one week after change in housing condition. In contrast, changes in group composition did not result in an increase of cortisol concentrations or in an increase of aggressive interactions. The results strongly indicate that individual stabling is an intense stressor leading to acute and lasting alterations in blood counts of various leukocyte types. The study highlights a probable negative impact of single housing on welfare and health of horses and an advantage of group housing systems in view of immunocompetence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Schmucker
- Behavioral Physiology of Livestock, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Vanessa Preisler
- Behavioral Physiology of Livestock, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Isabell Marr
- Equine Economics, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Nuertingen, Germany
| | - Konstanze Krüger
- Equine Economics, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Nuertingen, Germany
| | - Volker Stefanski
- Behavioral Physiology of Livestock, Institute of Animal Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
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Area and Resource Utilization of Group-Housed Horses in an Active Stable. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11102777. [PMID: 34679799 PMCID: PMC8532945 DOI: 10.3390/ani11102777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Horses are increasingly being kept in group stables where they are given the opportunity to move freely and to contact conspecifics. This study examined how the horses of a large group move in an active stable and which areas or resources they use over a period of 7.5 months with the help of linear mixed models. Therefore, a grid with the size of 3 × 3 m per square was applied. The horses used, on average, 53.2 ± 19 different squares per hour. It was shown that observation day (p < 0.001) and covariate age (p < 0.001) had significant effects on squares visited per hour. Sex (p = 0.30) and breed (p = 0.65) had no significant effects. A large variation in the squares visited per hour was determined for the individual horses. Most frequently visited were the individual resources, such as the feed stalls or lying halls. An open tarp skin lying hall was preferred over a metal hall. The shelters were only partly popular. An overview of the usage frequency of the paddock could be created by using heatmaps. Overall, specific conclusions about the use of individual areas and potential for improvement could be pointed out. Abstract The aim of this study was to analyze the utilization of different stable areas of a total of 52 group-housed horses as well as their preferred stable parts and the use of resources. The study was situated in a “HIT Active Stable®” in Northern Germany for a period of 227 observation days. After dividing the whole farm area in a grid of 3 × 3 m, the dataset was examined with and without the pasture area. Furthermore, linear mixed models were applied. On average, horses used 53.2 ± 19 different squares per hour. The observation day (p < 0.001) and the covariate age (p < 0.001) had significant effects on the different squares visited per hour. No significant effects were found for sex (p = 0.30) and breed (p = 0.65) as only geldings and no stallions were part of the group and the distribution of the breeds was unfavorable. The random effect animal showed that the horse-individual estimates from −19.2 to 17.6 different squares visited per hour were quite large. Furthermore, it could be shown that the horses used resources such as feed stalls with a frequency of up to 0.14% more than other paddock areas without resources. Open lying halls with tarp skin were also preferred over the metal hall. The shelters were only partly popular. Use could be visualized with the help of heat maps. This study gives a good overview of the use of individual areas and resources and possible improvements.
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Measurement of Endurance of Untrained Five-Year-Old and Six-Year-Old Horses Raised in Multi-age Herds on Pasture. J Equine Vet Sci 2020; 96:103317. [PMID: 33349406 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to explore how the endurance of five-year-old horses, kept out on pasture all their life and ridden for the first time well into their fifth year of age, developed within one year and compared to that of six-year-old horses raised under the same conditions and to other horses. Horses were submitted to a standardized exercise test (SET) to calculate their v4 (velocity run under defined conditions inducing 4 mmol/L of blood lactate concentration (LA)) and v180 (velocity run under defined conditions inducing a heart rate of 180 beats/min). The test consisted of up to five consecutive intervals at increasing speed until the blood LA of a horse increased above 4 mmol/L. The blood LA measured after each interval was plotted exponentially against running speed to derive v4 from the blood lactate-running speed relationship, and the mean heart rate during the intervals was plotted linearly against running speed to derive v180 from the heart rate-running speed relationship. The following were examined: (1) the development of v4 and v180 of five-year-old horses within one year through measurements in September and in the following July and September; the comparison of endurance variables (2) between five-year-olds and six-year-olds; (3) between six-year-olds on consecutive years; and 4) between six-year-olds and foreign horses. The results showed that: (1) there were no changes of either variable within one year (repeated measures ANOVA P > .05); (2) there were no significant differences between five-year-olds and six-year-olds (one-way ANOVA P > .05); (3) no significant differences between six-year-old groups (one-way ANOVA; P > 05); and (4) foreign horses had higher v4 and v180 values than six-year-olds (one-way ANOVA; P = .0001 and P = .003, respectively). There was no significant relationship between v4 and v180 (P > .05; r2 = 0.02). In conclusion, one additional year on pasture in multiage herds did not increase the endurance variables of five-year-old horses. Thus, the endurance appeared to be consolidated in these horses at the age of five years, and additional training seems to be necessary to increase it.
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Kierkegaard LS, Groeneveld LF, Kettunen A, Berg P. The status and need for characterization of Nordic animal genetic resources. ACTA AGR SCAND A-AN 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/09064702.2020.1722216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anne Kettunen
- Farm Animal Section, NordGen – The Nordic Genetic Resource Center, Ås, Norway
- Nofima AS, Ås, Norway
| | - Peer Berg
- Farm Animal Section, NordGen – The Nordic Genetic Resource Center, Ås, Norway
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
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Yngvesson J, Rey Torres JC, Lindholm J, Pättiniemi A, Andersson P, Sassner H. Health and Body Conditions of Riding School Horses Housed in Groups or Kept in Conventional Tie-Stall/Box Housing. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9030073. [PMID: 30813613 PMCID: PMC6466050 DOI: 10.3390/ani9030073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary We compared welfare indicators of riding school horses in group housing and tie-stalls/boxes. Of a total of 207 health conditions in 158 horses, tie-stall/box horses tended to have more small skin lesions at the saddling and girth sites, and in commissures of the lips. Tie-stall/box horses had had more respiratory problems and colic, possibly because of not having similar access to outdoor movement and water as group-housed horses. Many horses in both housing systems were above optimal weight. We conclude that group-housed riding school horses have better health and that all riding school horses would benefit from independent feed advice to maintain a healthy weight. Abstract We compared welfare measures of horses among Swedish riding schools (RS) during winter where horses were kept either in group housing (n = 8) or in tie-stalls/boxes (n = 8), Health data for six previous months were obtained for all horses at each RS from their records. Ten horses per RS were examined, with the exception of one where only 8 horses were examined. Health conditions and body condition score (BCS) using the Henneke scale were recorded and management factors were quantified (health check routines, feeding, housing-related risk factors, time outside). RS-recorded health data (for 327 horses in total) revealed that lameness was the most common issue in both systems. Respiratory problems and colic were significantly more common in tie-stall/box horses. The percentage of horses with respiratory problems (mean ± SEM) was 5.8 ± 1.4 in tie-stall/box systems and 1.1 ± 0.8 in group housing (F = 8.65, p = 0.01). The percentage with colic was 2.38 ± 0.62 in tie-stall/box systems and 0.38 ± 0.26 in group housing (F = 8.62, p = 0.01). Clinical examination of 158 horses revealed 207 conditions in these horses, the most common being minor skin injuries in areas affected by tack (i.e., saddle and bridle, including bit). Such injuries tended to be more prevalent in horses housed in tie-stalls/boxes (1.8 ± 0.6) than in group housing (0.5 ± 0.3) (F=3.14, p = 0.01). BCS was similar between systems (tie-stall/box 6.2 ± 0.1, group 6.3 ± 0.1), but the average BCS exceeded the level that is considered optimal (BCS 4–6). In conclusion, we found that Swedish RS horses are generally in good health, particularly when group-housed. However, 25%–32% were overweight. Riding schools would thus benefit from having an independent feeding expert performing regular body condition scoring of all horses and advising on feeding regimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Yngvesson
- Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden.
| | - Juan Carlos Rey Torres
- Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden.
| | - Jasmine Lindholm
- Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden.
| | - Annika Pättiniemi
- Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden.
| | - Petra Andersson
- Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, University of Gothenburg, P.O.B. 100, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Hanna Sassner
- Department of Animal Environment & Health, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O.B. 234, SE-53223 Skara, Sweden.
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Effect of density and relative aggressiveness on agonistic and affiliative interactions in a newly formed group of horses. J Vet Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Navas FJ, Jordana J, León JM, Arando A, Pizarro G, McLean AK, Delgado JV. Measuring and modeling for the assessment of the genetic background behind cognitive processes in donkeys. Res Vet Sci 2017; 113:105-114. [PMID: 28934612 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2017.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
New productive niches can offer new commercial perspectives linked to donkeys' products and human therapeutic or leisure applications. However, no assessment for selection criteria has been carried out yet. First, we assessed the animal inherent features and environmental factors that may potentially influence several cognitive processes in donkeys. Then, we aimed at describing a practical methodology to quantify such cognitive processes, seeking their inclusion in breeding and conservation programmes, through a multifactorial linear model. Sixteen cognitive process-related traits were scored on a problem-solving test in a sample of 300 Andalusian donkeys for three consecutive years from 2013 to 2015. The linear model assessed the influence and interactions of four environmental factors, sex as an animal-inherent factor, age as a covariable, and the interactions between these factors. Analyses of variance were performed with GLM procedure of SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0 software to assess the relative importance of each factor. All traits were significantly (P<0.05) affected by all factors in the model except for sex that was not significant for some of the cognitive processes, and stimulus which was not significant (P<0.05) for all of them except for the coping style related ones. The interaction between all factors within the model was non-significant (P<0.05) for almost all cognitive processes. The development of complex multifactorial models to study cognitive processes may counteract the inherent variability in behavior genetics and the estimation and prediction of related breeding parameters, key for the implementation of successful conservation programmes in apparently functionally misplaced endangered breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Navas
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; The Worldwide Donkey Breeds Project, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain.
| | - Jordi Jordana
- Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
| | - José Manuel León
- Centro Agropecuario Provincial de Córdoba, Diputación Provincial de Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Ander Arando
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; The Worldwide Donkey Breeds Project, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Gabriela Pizarro
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; The Worldwide Donkey Breeds Project, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Amy Katherine McLean
- Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, 95616 Davis, CA, USA; The Worldwide Donkey Breeds Project, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Juan Vicente Delgado
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain; The Worldwide Donkey Breeds Project, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, University of Córdoba, 14071 Córdoba, Spain
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