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Effects of different LED lighting conditions on young horses during trailer loading and stationary confinement. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2023.105885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
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Equine Transport-Related Problem Behaviors and Injuries: A Survey of Italian Horse Industry Members. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11010223. [PMID: 33477521 PMCID: PMC7831101 DOI: 10.3390/ani11010223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
An online survey was conducted to determine associations between equine transport management and transport-related injuries and problem behaviors in Italy. The survey was composed of four sections: respondents' demographic information and background, transport management practices, journey details and vehicle design, and transport injuries experienced by the horse in the previous two-year period. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression with a binary outcome variable was performed to explore associations between variables (respondents' and journeys' details and transport practices) and equine transport-related problem behaviors (TRPBs) and injuries. TRPBs were also considered an explanatory variable for injuries. The survey generated 201 responses; only 148 were complete and analyzed. TRPBs were reported by 14.45% of the respondents and the odds of TRPBs was linked to the respondent gender (p = 0.034), the use of tranquilizers prior to transport (p = 0.002), the use of a whip for loading (p = 0.049), the lack of protection equipment (p = 0.050), and shavings (p = 0.025) on the vehicle floor. Horse injuries (11.49%) were reported by more respondents who did not check the brakes of their transport vehicle before traveling (p = 0.043), had vehicles with padding on the chest bar (p = 0.038), and for horses reported to display TRPBs (p = 0.001). Finally, 10 respondents reported they were injured during horse transport (10/140; 7.14%), 50% simultaneously with their horses. The study findings should be interpreted with caution due to small sample size bias and participants' recall bias. Nevertheless, the results are in concordance with the literature, confirming that horse transport is a risk for the horse's and handler's health and well-being. Further studies are needed to identify best management practices to educate equine industry members on how to minimize transport-related problems.
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Dai F, Mazzola S, Cannas S, Heinzl EUL, Padalino B, Minero M, Dalla Costa E. Habituation to Transport Helps Reducing Stress-Related Behavior in Donkeys During Loading. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:593138. [PMID: 33344531 PMCID: PMC7744657 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.593138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adopting proper animal management strategies, including training, might reduce to a substantial extent the adverse effects of transport-related stress in animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of habituation to transport on stress-related behaviors and physiological indicators during loading and unloading in donkeys. Fourteen donkeys were recruited and divided in two treatment groups: Habituation (H; M = 5, F = 2) and Control (C; M = 5, F = 2). H donkeys were gradually habituated to be transported, traveling together with their mothers and other adult donkeys well-accustomed to transport, while C donkeys had never been transported before. Loading and unloading phases were video recorded and behavior was analyzed. Saliva samples for cortisol concentration determination were collected at rest and after unloading. Latency time to load was significantly shorter for H donkeys than C donkeys (Mann-Whitney; p = 0.004). C donkeys also showed significantly more stress-related behaviors (Mann-Whitney; p = 0.026) and required a higher but not statistically significant number of human interventions to load. Cortisol concentration increased in both groups, but no differences were found between them (Mann-Whitney; p > 0.05). These results suggest that habituation to transport could mitigate stress during loading procedures in donkeys reducing loading time, frequency of stress-related behaviors and diminishing the need of human intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Dai
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Mazzola
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Simona Cannas
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Barbara Padalino
- Department of Agricultural and Food Science, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Michela Minero
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Emanuela Dalla Costa
- Dipartimento di Medicina Veterinaria, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
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Abstract
We used eight horses 1 to 12 years old to investigate the influence of irregular feeding times on the behavior. The animals were housed in individual boxes, fed with hay ad libitum and barley-oat mixture at three set times; 05:00 (earlier feeding) on Thursdays, 07:00 (delayed feeding) on Saturdays and 06:00 (regular feeding) on other weekdays. Direct observations took place in 10 continuous weeks; they started 1 h prior to feeding and lasted for 2 h. Long-term behaviors (i.e. hay and concentrate consumption, resting) were recorded every 5 min, short-term behaviors (i.e. kicking, pawing the ground, comfort behavior, taking a look toward the door) were recorded continuously. Compared to the regular feeding time, horses spent less time consuming hay, more time resting and less often took a look toward the door during the earlier feeding, whereas during the delayed feeding horses more often performed pawing the ground, kicking, comfort behavior, and took a look toward the door (p < .05). Our results indicate that deviations from the regular feeding schedule affected the behavior of horses and compromised their temporal predictability.
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Padalino B, Rogers CW, Guiver D, Bridges JP, Riley CB. Risk Factors for Transport-Related Problem Behaviors in Horses: A New Zealand Survey. Animals (Basel) 2018; 8:ani8080134. [PMID: 30072591 PMCID: PMC6115720 DOI: 10.3390/ani8080134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Transport-related problem behaviors (TRPBs) are unwanted behaviors exhibited by horses in one or multiple phases of transport contributing to the injury of the horses and their handlers. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for TRPBs in support of the development of best practices that minimize their incidence, and safeguard horse and handler wellbeing. An online cross-sectional survey was designed and disseminated to New Zealand equine industry members. Respondents were asked whether one of their horses had shown TRPBs during the two previous years, and to describe their equine background and experience, the method or way in which they had trained their horses for loading and travelling, the type of aids they used for loading and the type of vehicle. At least one horse was reported as showing a TRPB by almost one out of four of respondents. The type of vehicle, of training and of aids used for loading and travelling resulted associated with TRPBs. These findings may be useful to enhance horse welfare by educating people in charge of moving horses on appropriate training methods and vehicle selection for road transportation. Abstract Transport-related problem behaviors (TRPBs) are common in horses and can cause injury to both the horses and their handlers. This study aimed to identify possible risk factors for TRPBs to inform approaches to mitigate TRPBs incidence and enhance horse welfare. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted to explore the prevalence of TRPBs and their association with human-, training- and transport management-related factors in New Zealand. The survey generated 1124 valid responses that were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and logistic regression analyses. Having at least one horse with TRPB was reported by 249/1124 (22.2%) respondents during the two previous years. Of these, 21/249 (8.4%) occurred during pre-loading, 78/249 (31.3%) during loading, 132/249 (53.0%) while travelling, and 18/249 (7.3%) during unloading. Our findings indicate that the use of negative reinforcement and positive punishment as training methods, using a whip or food for loading, and travelling in a straight load trailer/float while offering food were associated with a higher likelihood of TRPBs. Cross-sectional studies cannot determine causality and findings should be interpreted with caution, and evaluated in further experimental studies. The authors suggest that education on appropriate training methods for transport, and vehicle selection may mitigate the risk for TRPBs in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Padalino
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, HKSAR, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy.
| | - Chris W Rogers
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4470, New Zealand.
| | - Danielle Guiver
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4470, New Zealand.
| | - Janis P Bridges
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4470, New Zealand.
| | - Christopher B Riley
- School of Veterinary Science, Massey University, Palmerston North 4470, New Zealand.
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York A, Matusiewicz J, Padalino B. How to minimise the incidence of transport-related problem behaviours in horses: a review. J Equine Sci 2017; 28:67-75. [PMID: 28955158 PMCID: PMC5608959 DOI: 10.1294/jes.28.67] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
This review aims to provide practical outcomes on how to minimise the incidence of transport-related problem behaviours (TRPBs) in horses. TRPBs are unwanted behaviours occurring during different phases of transport, most commonly, a reluctance to load and scrambling during travelling. TRPBs can result in injuries to horses and horse handlers, horse trailer accidents, disruption of time schedules, inability to attend competitions, and poor performance following travel. Therefore, TRPBs are recognised as both a horse-related risk to humans and a human-related risk to horses. From the literature, it is apparent that TRPBs are common throughout the entire equine industry, and a YouTube keyword search of ‘horse trailer loading’ produced over 67,000 results, demonstrating considerable interest in this topic and the variety of solutions suggested. Drawing upon articles published over the last 35 years, this review summarises current knowledge on TRPBs and provides recommendations on their identification, management, and prevention. It appears that a positive human-horse relationship, in-hand pre-training, systematic training for loading and travelling, appropriate horse handling, and the vehicle driving skills of the transporters are crucial to minimise the incidence of TRPBs. In-hand pre-training based on correct application of the principles of learning for horses and horse handlers, habituation to loading and travelling, and self-loading appear to minimise the risk of TRPBs and are therefore strongly recommended to safeguard horse and horse-handler health and welfare. This review indicates that further research and education with respect to transport management are essential to substantially decrease the incidence of TRPBs in horses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda York
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Stuart University, 2650 NSW, Australia
| | - Judith Matusiewicz
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Stuart University, 2650 NSW, Australia
| | - Barbara Padalino
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Stuart University, 2650 NSW, Australia.,Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Bari 70100, Italy
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Padalino B, Henshall C, Raidal SL, Knight P, Celi P, Jeffcott L, Muscatello G. Investigations Into Equine Transport-Related Problem Behaviors: Survey Results. J Equine Vet Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Yngvesson J, de Boussard E, Larsson M, Lundberg A. Loading horses (Equus caballus) onto trailers—Behaviour of horses and horse owners during loading and habituating. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2016.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Albanese V, Munsterman AS, DeGraves FJ, Hanson RR. Evaluation of Intra-Abdominal Pressure in Horses That Crib. Vet Surg 2013; 42:658-62. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950x.2013.12019.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2012] [Accepted: 02/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Archer DC, Freeman DE, Doyle AJ, Proudman CJ, Edwards GB. Association between cribbing and entrapment of the small intestine in the epiploic foramen in horses: 68 cases (1991–2002). J Am Vet Med Assoc 2004; 224:562-4. [PMID: 14989551 DOI: 10.2460/javma.2004.224.562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine whether there was an association between a history of cribbing and epiploic foramen entrapment (EFE) of the small intestine in horses. DESIGN Retrospective study. ANIMALS 68 horses examined at the University of Illinois or the University of Liverpool veterinary teaching hospitals. PROCEDURE For horses examined at the University of Illinois that underwent surgery because of strangulating small intestine lesions, information about cribbing was obtained through telephone calls with owners. For horses examined at the University of Liverpool that underwent surgery for colic for any reason, information about cribbing was obtained through a preoperative questionnaire. RESULTS 13 of 19 (68%) horses with EFE examined at the University of Illinois had a history of cribbing, compared with only 2 of 34 (6%) horses with other strangulating small intestine lesions (odds ratio, 34.7; 95% confidence interval, 6.2 to 194.6). Similarly, 24 of 49 (49%) horses with EFE examined at the University of Liverpool had a history of cribbing, compared with 72 of 687 (10.5%) horses with colic caused by other lesions (odds ratio, 8.2; 95% confidence interval, 4.5 to 15.1). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggest that there may be an association between cribbing and EFE in horses, with horses with a history of cribbing more likely to have EFE than horses without such a history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra C Archer
- Philip Leverhulme Large Animal Hospital, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Wirral CH64 7TE, UK
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Delacalle J, Burba DJ, Tetens J, Moore RM. Nd:YAG Laser-Assisted Modified Forssell's Procedure for Treatment of Cribbing (Crib-Biting) in Horses. Vet Surg 2002. [DOI: 10.1053/jvet.2002.31050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Cooper JJ, McDonald L, Mills DS. The effect of increasing visual horizons on stereotypic weaving: implications for the social housing of stabled horses. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2000; 69:67-83. [PMID: 10856785 DOI: 10.1016/s0168-1591(00)00115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Stabled horses commonly perform stereotypic patterns of weaving, where the horse shifts its weight from side to side often swinging its head. Ten warm-blood types, of which five were known to reliably weave, were housed in similar 12x12 ft wooden loose boxes in a single stable block surrounding a courtyard. Each horse was exposed to each of five stable designs. These were: the conventional front top-half of the door open only with a view of the stable courtyard (F); front half-door open and a similar half-door open at the back of the stable with a view to the surrounding fields (FB); back open only (B); front and one-side panel open with a view into the adjacent stable (FS); and front, back and both sides open (All4). During observation days, horses were brought in from the field at 0830 h, fed concentrate at 0930 h, fed haylage at 1005 h and turned out at 1600 h. Behaviour was recorded from 0900 to 1040 h, 1200 to 1300 h and 1500 to 1600 h. Weaving was most common prior to feeding in the morning and prior to putting out to pasture in the afternoon. There was a significant effect of stable design on weaving, with less weaving in the FS and All4 designs than the F treatment. There was also a significant effect of stable design on repetitive nodding, though in this case, FB, B, FS and All4 designs each reduced nodding compared with the F treatment. The effect of stable design can be explained in a number of ways. Firstly, it could be the novelty of the environmental change, though there was no evidence in this study of an increase in stereotypy with prolonged exposure to the new stable designs. Secondly, opening windows may increase opportunities for environmental interaction, and the expression of new activities may compete with stereotypic behaviour for the horse's time. Thirdly, the open windows may allow expression of specific activities such as environmental monitoring or social interaction that are denied by the conventional stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- JJ Cooper
- School of Agriculture, De Montfort University, Caythorpe, NG32 3EP, Lincolnshire, UK
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