Equine Activity Time Budgets: The Effect of Housing and Management Conditions on Geriatric Horses and Horses with Chronic Orthopaedic Disease.

ABSTRACT: Housing and management conditions strongly influence the health, welfare and behaviour of horses. Consequently, objective and quantifiable comparisons between domestic environments and their influence on different equine demographics are needed to establish evidence-based criteria to assess and optimize horse welfare. Therefore, the present study aimed to measure and compare the time budgets (=percentage of time spent on specific activities) of horses with chronic orthopaedic disease and geriatric (≥20 years) horses living in different husbandry systems using an automated tracking device. Horses spent 42% (range 38.3-44.8%) of their day eating, 39% (range 36.87-44.9%) resting, and 19% (range 17-20.4%) in movement, demonstrating that geriatric horses and horses suffering from chronic orthop

SUBMITTER: Kelemen Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8300227 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature