The role of space availability and affiliation in shaping equine social distances and dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Horses confined to enclosures with limited opportunities for spatial avoidance and escape experience heightened social stress and conflict. While forced proximity can pose welfare risks, voluntary social proximity is considered a positive indicator of well-being. To investigate the effects of space availability on spatiotemporal dynamics, social network structure and agonistic interactions, this study used ultra-wideband sensors to continuously (1 Hz) measure interindividual distances in 34 horses across three groups under paddock and field conditions. Interindividual distances increased in larger enclosures (paddock: median 8.3 m, field: 19 m), but closest associates remained nearer to each other than other dyads (paddock: 3.6 m vs. 8.3 m, field: 13.6 m vs. 19 m) and spent more time withi

SUBMITTER: Torres Borda L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11937558 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature