Dataset Information

Significance of Group Composition for the Welfare of Pastured Horses.

ABSTRACT: We explore how herd composition and management factors correlate with frequencies of social interactions in horse groups. Since the welfare of horses correlates with low aggression levels and social contact opportunities, information of this kind is important. The data are a collection of records of social interactions of 426 Icelandic horses in 20 groups of at least eight horses. The complexities and limitations of the data prohibit useful statistical modelling so the results are presented descriptively. Interesting and informative patterns emerge which can be of use both in management and in future studies. Of special interest are the low levels of agonistic behaviours in breeding groups where one stallion was present. The horses were less agonistic when in groups with young foals and where group membership was stable. Unfamiliar yearlings in peer groups were especially aggressive. Allogrooming was most frequent in groups with relatively more young horses and in unstable and small groups. Interestingly, the horses allogroomed more if they had few preferred allogrooming partners. The findings show that composition (age/sex) and stability of groups are of great importance with respect to aggression levels and opportunities for establishing bonds.

SUBMITTER: Sigurjonsdottir H

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6356279 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Significance of Group Composition for the Welfare of Pastured Horses.

Sigurjónsdóttir Hrefna H Haraldsson Hans H

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI 20190105 1

We explore how herd composition and management factors correlate with frequencies of social interactions in horse groups. Since the welfare of horses correlates with low aggression levels and social contact opportunities, information of this kind is important. The data are a collection of records of social interactions of 426 Icelandic horses in 20 groups of at least eight horses. The complexities and limitations of the data prohibit useful statistical modelling so the results are presented desc ...[more]

PMID: 30621272

Similar Datasets

Project description: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.

Project description:An animal's welfare depends on an individual's capacity to adapt to the environment in which it lives. This adaptation is directly associated with the quality of the environment and to the possibility of expressing natural behaviours. Horses kept in stables often display a range of abnormal behaviours related to lack of control over their environment, which can lead to behavioural and health problems. An individual's personality also plays an important role in its susceptibility and resilience to the development of diseases and abnormal behaviour; thus, an evaluation of horses' personalities could be crucial to selecting individuals best able to cope with different work activities. This study aimed to assess the well-being of police horses maintained in a semi-confinement regime in Brazil by associating their personalities to the occurrence of abnormal behaviours and disease. Using a non-invasive approach, different tests were performed to investigate the horses' behaviour, personality and welfare. A frustration test and a novel object test were conducted with 46 horses and the individuals' personalities were assessed using questionnaires and behaviour tests. In addition, we evaluated their physical health through a survey of their veterinary records. The data for horses were evaluated individually. The results demonstrated the occurrence of multiple abnormal behaviours motivated by factors such as diet and lack of social contact. Moreover, the personality tests indicated this is an important component when evaluating welfare, since correlations were found between personality traits and abnormal behaviour expression, and between personality traits and health problems. According to our results, passive, stubborn, and confident horses are better suited to be selected as police horses. The ability to classify horses according to their personalities could help in selecting horses most suitable for patrolling, thereby helping to reduce behavioural problems and increasing animal well-being.

Dataset Information

Significance of Group Composition for the Welfare of Pastured Horses.

Publications

Significance of Group Composition for the Welfare of Pastured Horses.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets