Markus Stauffacher

Behavioural and physiological responses to an acute stressor in crib-biting and control horses

The responses of eleven pairs of crib-biting and non-crib-biting horses (controls) to an arousal-inducing stimulus were studied. Video-observation of the horses revealed that crib-biting horses spent between 10.4 and 64.7% of their stabling time performing the stereotypy. During the first 2 days of an experimental period, the horses were conditioned to receive food from a special bucket. On the third day the food bucket was presented, but the horses were not allowed to feed. Arousal behaviour and crib-biting intensity as well as plasma cortisol concentration, heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) were recorded at rest, and during and after presentation of the food stimulus. The stimulus induced a significant increase of HR and arousal behaviour in crib-biters and in controls, whereas the crib-biting frequency decreased. Power spectral analysis of the HRV revealed significant differences between crib-biters and controls at rest: crib-biters had a lower vagal tone (high frequency component, HF) and a higher sympathetic tone (low frequency component, LF) than controls. The lower basal parasympathetic activity might be an indication why crib-biting horses, in contrast to the controls, showed neither a significant decrease of the HF component during presentation of the food stimulus nor an increase of the HF component after presentation. Thus, there might be differences in the tuning of the autonomous nervous system and of the stress reactivity in crib-biting and in control horses. The results suggest that the crib-biting horses are more stress sensitive and physiologically and psychologically less flexible than the control horses.

Pferde in der Schweiz: Ergebnisse einer repräsentativen Befragung zu Populationszusammensetzung, Haltung und Nutzung im Jahr 2004

A survey of 2559 stables, representative for Switzerland, was conducted in the year 2004, with questions related to age, sex, breed, housing conditions, social contact, use, feeding, ability to move freely on the one hand, and health prophylaxis and health disorders in the past 12 months on the other. With a respond rate of 30.9 % to the questionnaire, date for 2912 horses and ponies were recorded. The data were compared to a previous survey of 1997 (Bachmann & Stauffacher, 2002). In this study, data on population, housing and use were analysed. The proportion of horses kept individually, especially in tie-stalls, had substantially decresed since 1997, whereas the proportion of horses kept in group housing systems had increased. In 2004, Warmblood and Thoroughbred were kept more often individually than in groups in comparison to other breeds. Swiss Franches-Montagnes horses were kept more often tied up than horses of all other breeds. Access to pasture or paddock was available more often in horses kept in structured group housing systems, but in general more restricted in the winter season. A correlation between use or intensity of use and frequency of pasture / paddock access was not evident. Even though horses older than 20 years were more rarely used or intensively used, they were not stabled differently from younger horses.

Pferde in der Schweiz

A survey of 2559 stables, representative for Switzerland, was conducted in the year 2004, with questions related to age, sex, breed, housing conditions, social contact, use, feeding, ability to move freely on the one hand, and health prophylaxis and health disorders in the past 12 months on the other. With a respond rate of 30.9 % to the questionnaire, date for 2912 horses and ponies were recorded. The data were compared to a previous survey of 1997 (Bachmann & Stauffacher, 2002). In this study, data on population, housing and use were analysed. The proportion of horses kept individually, especially in tie-stalls, had substantially decresed since 1997, whereas the proportion of horses kept in group housing systems had increased. In 2004, Warmblood and Thoroughbred were kept more often individually than in groups in comparison to other breeds. Swiss Franches-Montagnes horses were kept more often tied up than horses of all other breeds. Access to pasture or paddock was available more often in horses kept in structured group housing systems, but in general more restricted in the winter season. A correlation between use or intensity of use and frequency of pasture / paddock access was not evident. Even though horses older than 20 years were more rarely used or intensively used, they were not stabled differently from younger horses.