马驴养殖福利研究进展

动物福利是国内外学者热议的话题,也是标准化生产和畜产品质量安全的重要影响因素.动物福利体现在饲养、养殖环境、健康、行为等各个环节中.马驴作为中国重要的草食家畜,在精准扶贫和乡村振兴中发挥着重要作用.该文阐述了马驴养殖的经济价值,对中国马驴养殖福利现状和动物福利在马驴养殖中的相关影响因素进行探讨,为宣传、提升马驴养殖福利...     

Effects of Bedding Material on the Lying Behavior in Stabled Horses

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of straw, sawdust, coconut husk (husk), and coconut fiber (fiber) on the welfare of stable horses by observing their resting behavior. Twenty horses with ages ranging from 3 to 21 years were used at the Equine Research Institute of the Japan Racing Association, Utsunomiya, Japan. Five horses were allocated to each bedding condition. The behavior of each horse was recorded by video camera for 3 days and was continuously sampled from 17:00 to 05:00. The total duration, the number of bouts, and the mean and the maximum duration of bouts in standing rest, sternal lying, and lateral lying were calculated and analysed by the Kruskal-Wallis test and post hoc Steel-Dwass test. There was no difference in the standing rest and the sternal lying among beddings. Significant differences were observed in these values in the lateral lying among the different beddings (P<0.05). The values of the means of the total duration, the number of bouts, and the mean and the maximum duration of bout in the lateral lying were greater when husk was used as the bedding material than when sawdust were used (P<0.05). The results of the observations show that the new bedding materials would be as usable as straw. However, lateral lying was observed less frequently when sawdust were used as bedding; this indicates that use of sawdust as bedding material will decrease the welfare of stabled horses.     

Undesired behaviour in horses: A review of their development,prevention, management and association with welfare

Undesired behaviours are a common problem amongst leisure and sporting horses in the UK and have a significant impact on the work of equine practitioners. In most cases, behaviours considered aberrant by owners are normal responses for their horses. Behaviours perceived as ‘naughtiness’ may in fact signify direct actions to avoid pain‐ or fear‐inducing stimuli. Examples that practitioners might deal with include trailer loading problems, avoidance of having saddlery equipment applied or reluctance to leave the yard. Even where no evidence of physical problems or pain can be detected, avoidance behaviours may reflect learnt responses that previously led to success in evading unpleasant consequences. Because owners often misunderstand the reason for such behaviours to develop in their horses, attempts at resolution often involve suppression or punishment based approaches. Although repeated subjugation of undesirable responses may ultimately appear to resolve the overt behavioural problem in some cases, in many others it can lead to a worsening of the problem, the development of alternative avoidance strategies or the horse learning that escaping the source of its pain or anxiety is impossible and ceasing to respond. Some horses develop abnormal or repetitive behaviours, which are not in the ‘normal’ behavioural repertoire. These stereotypic behaviours, sometimes termed ‘vices’, can indicate strategies to cope with a suboptimal environment. Indeed, their performance may serve to improve the situation for the animal. Attempts to suppress or prevent horses showing stereotypies, therefore, will generally exacerbate the underlying welfare problem. When dealing with either stereotypies or avoidance behaviours, it is important to recognise the role of learning in their development and maintenance. Resolution involves both understanding the underlying motivation for showing the behaviour and how it has become reinforced and established over time, for each individual case. The use of environmental change and/or behavioural modification techniques that are both successful and welfare compatible, are important in dealing with undesired behaviour in horses and selection of suitable professionals for referral an important responsibility for the equine practitioner.     

A preliminary report on estimating the pressures exerted by a crank noseband in the horse

The pressures applied to horses via restrictive nosebands are of growing concern to equitation scientists and horse sport administrators. They prevent the expression of normal behavior, may compromise blood flow, and even damage bone. This report describes an approach to estimate in vivo pressures applied to the dorsal and ventral aspects of a horse's nose via a so-called crank noseband. A load cell calibrated over a load range of 0-100 N was integrated into a commercially available crank noseband. These force values were combined with anatomical curvature data to estimate the pressure applied by the noseband to the underlying tissue at any point along the internal surface of the noseband using Laplace's law. Partial profiles of both dorsal and ventral aspects of the horse's nose, at a position corresponding to that of the noseband, were taken by contouring a flexible curve ruler to the nose. The ruler was stiff enough to retain the profile when removed from the nose, thereby allowing faithful transfer of the profile to paper for digitization. Once digitized, straightforward mathematical algorithms were used to provide an analytical expression describing each profile, to calculate profile curvature point by point, and, using measured noseband force values, to transform the curvature into a corresponding sub-noseband pressure profile. This process was used to study pressures applied when the horse chewed hay, chewed concentrate mix, and when it was cued to step backward. The calculated pressures ranged from 200 to 400 mm Hg; pressures that, in humans, are associated with nerve damage and other complications. As such, these preliminary data strongly suggest the need for more research in this domain. The current approach should inform some of the welfare concerns in ridden horses but should also be of use in studies of oral behaviors around foraging as well as crib biting and wind sucking.     

How riding may affect welfare: What the equine veterinarian needs to know

Veterinarians generally focus on keeping the performance horse in work but they need to be mindful of ways in which the work itself may jeopardise the animal's welfare and health. Elements of a horse's work may expose it to the risk of injury but insults to wellbeing, which are far more common and far more sustained, although less overt, also deserve consideration. A good example is the way in which chronic physiological stress responses arising from inhumane training techniques may compromise immunity and tissue repair. This article explores the physiological and musculoskeletal insults that can result from ridden work, alongside the gear and training paradigms that can compromise welfare. It also considers issues relating to the use of pharmaceuticals in the ridden horse. With stress reduction as a primary focus, it emerges that veterinarians are uniquely placed to comment on the somatic effects of psychological stressors, including the social and ethological challenges resulting from the work required of the so‐called elite equine athlete. Whether the profession will step up to meet this significant challenge is also discussed.     

Preliminary study of jointed snaffle vs. crossunder bitless bridles: Quantified comparison of behaviour in four horses

The study tested the null hypothesis that if a horse is ridden in a snaffle bridle and then a crossunder bitless bridle, there will be no change in its behaviour. It was predicted that there would be change and that behaviour would improve when bitless. Four horses, none of which had ever been ridden in a crossunder bitless bridle, were ridden through two 4 min, exercise tests, first bitted then bitless. An independent judge marked the 27 phases of each test on a 10 point scale and comments and scores were recorded on a video soundtrack. The results refuted the null hypothesis and upheld the predictions. Mean score, when bitted, was 37%; and through the first 4 min of being bitless, 64%. A binomial probability distribution suggested that the results were significantly different from random effects. All 4 horses accepted the crossunder bitless bridle without hesitation. Further studies are warranted and it is hoped that others will build on this new field of investigation. The authors are of the opinion that the bit can be a welfare and safety problem for both horse and horseman. Equestrian organisations that currently mandate use of the bit for competitions are urged to review their rules.     

The structure and regulation of the Irish equine industries: Links to considerations of equine welfare

The equine industries in Ireland are vibrant and growing. They are broadly classified into two sectors: Thoroughbred racing, and sports and leisure. This paper describes these sectors in terms of governance, education and training in equine welfare, and available data concerning horse numbers, identification, traceability and disposal. Animal welfare, and specifically equine welfare, has received increasing attention internationally. There is general acceptance of concepts such as animal needs and persons' responsibilities toward animals in their care, as expressed in the 'Five Freedoms'. As yet, little has been published on standards of equine welfare pertaining to Ireland, or on measures to address welfare issues here. This paper highlights the central role of horse identification and legal registration of ownership to safeguard the health and welfare of horses.     

Is Snow a sufficient Source of Water for Horses kept Outdoors in Winter? A Case Report

Due to extreme weather conditions, a flock of outwintered Icelandic horses had to manage for several days on snow as the source of free water. They were fed grass silage ad lib, and any change in feed consumption was not observed. After nine days, blood samples were taken and analysed for plasma osmolality, they were subjected to a simple clinical examination, and offered drinking water. Osmolality levels were within normal limits and mean value did not differ significantly from samples which previously were taken of the same individuals. The general condition of the horses was normal, with no signs of clinical dehydration or disease. The horses showed very little interest for the offered drinking water. This suggests that in cold winter weather, horses being fed grass silage and adjusted to eat snow, can manage for several days with snow substituting liquid water without their physiology and welfare being challenged.     

Is cloning horses ethical?

This paper assesses whether cloning horses is ethical by reviewing ethical arguments against cloning of nonequine species and determining whether they apply to horses, analysing ethical arguments about horse cloning which do not apply to noncompetitive species and considering the ethical dilemmas faced by veterinarians involved in horse cloning. The author concludes that concerns about the health and welfare of cloned horses render the technique ethically problematic and that the onus is on those providing commercial equine cloning services to collate data and provide a stronger evidence base for ethical decision‐making.     

Lying behavior in horses in relation to box size

To analyze if horses' lying behavior is influenced by the size of their lying area, 8 horses were kept, first, in a large box—(2.5 × height of the horse)²m²—and then in a small box—(1.5 × height of the horse)²m²—or vice versa. After a 5-day adaptation period, the lying behavior (frequency and duration of sternal and lateral recumbency, rotating behavior just before lying down, and rolling behavior just before getting up) was observed from video recordings on 3 consecutive nights. The results showed that the duration of sternal recumbency was significantly longer in the large boxes than in the small boxes (P = .002). Furthermore, box size exerted an influence on the frequency of the rolling behavior shown before getting up, but box size was not the only factor affecting this behavior. We conclude that observations of the resting behavior of horses are necessary to make recommendations for the minimal size of stalls for horses.