The selection of enriched versus restricted forage environments by stabled horses.

Goodwin, D., Davidson, H.R.B. and Harris, P.A. (2001) The selection of enriched versus restricted forage environments by stabled horses. Garner, J.P., Mench, J.A. and Heekin, S.P. (eds.) In Proceedings of the 35th International Congress of the ISAE. Center For Animal Welfare at UC Davis. p.117 .

Abstract

Many stabled horses are maintained in very different conditions from those in whichthey evolved. The diet of feral horses includes many grasses and browse species, however, most stabled horses are given a single forage. In four replicated trials, twelve competition horses were introduced into each of two identical stables containing a single forage, or six forages for five minutes. To detect novelty effects, in the first and third trials the single forage was hay. In the second and fourth it was the preferred forage from the preceding trial. Trials were videotaped and 13 mutually exclusive behaviour patterns compared. After these sessions horses were allowed five minutes to choose between stables and duration in each compared. Data were evaluated using Observer 3 and SPSS v8. Square root transformations normalised the data allowing GLM factorial ANOVA. Similar results were obtained from all trials, and some effects of monotony were detected. Hay was the least preferred forage throughout. Behaviour was significantly different between stables in all trials, e.g.; during the third trial in the single forage stable horses looked over the stable door more frequently (F1,11=65.9; p=0.001), moved for longer (F1,11=161.6; p=0.001), foraged on straw bedding longer (F1,11=35.9; p=0.001), and exhibited behaviour indicative of frustration (F1,11=8.5; p=0.014) more frequently. When allowed to choose, horses spent more time in the Multiple forage stable (arcsine transformed proportional data, t-test: t=19.8; DF=10; p=0.001). In these trials behaviour in stables with single or multiple forages was significantly different. When allowed to choose, horses showed a preference for the multiple forage environment. Further study is required to determine whether these effects persist over longer periods. However, these trials indicate that enrichment of the stable environment through the provision of multiple forages may have welfare benefits for domestic horses, in reducing straw consumption and behaviour indicative of frustration.

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