| Records |
| Author |
Pritchard, J.C.; Lindberg, A.C.; Main, D.C.J.; Whay, H.R. |
| Title |
Assessment of the welfare of working horses, mules and donkeys, using health and behaviour parameters |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Preventive Veterinary Medicine |
Abbreviated Journal  |
Prev Vet Med |
| Volume |
69 |
Issue |
3-4 |
Pages |
265-283 |
| Keywords |
*Animal Welfare; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Developing Countries; *Equidae; Female; Health; Male |
| Abstract |
Working animals provide an essential transport resource in developing countries worldwide. Many of these animals are owned by poor people and work in harsh environments, so their welfare is a cause for concern. A protocol was developed to assess the welfare of working horses, mules and donkeys in urban and peri-urban areas, using direct observation of health and behaviour parameters. In this study, 4903 animals used for draught, pack and ridden work in Afghanistan, Egypt, India, Jordan and Pakistan were assessed between December 2002 and April 2003. The data showed that donkeys were more likely than mules or horses to demonstrate avoidance or aggressive behaviour towards an observer, while horses were most likely to make a friendly approach. Fewer than 8% of working equines had abnormal mucous membranes, ectoparasites or poor coat condition. Body lesions occurred predominantly in the areas of the breast/shoulder, withers and girth in all three species, with mules having the highest prevalence of lesions in these areas (22.5, 21.3 and 28.4%, respectively). Among horses and donkeys, the prevalence of these lesions was influenced by the type of work carried out. Lesions on the head, neck, ribs, flank and tail base were seen in less than 10% of animals. Across all three species approximately 70% of animals were thin, having a body condition score (BCS) of 2 or less on a scale of 1-5 (1, very thin; 5, very fat) and more horses were in very thin condition (BCS 1) than mules or donkeys. Over 75% of animals demonstrated limb deformities and abnormalities of gait. The results of this study are being used as the initial stage of a long-term strategy to inform priorities for welfare interventions in working equines and to establish a welfare benchmark. Subsequent stages will rank the welfare concerns identified, assess the contributing risk factors and implement specific interventions to address these risks. Following intervention, success in improving welfare will be measured by repetition of this protocol and comparison with the benchmark. |
| Address |
Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK. joy.pritchard@bristol.ac.uk |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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Editor |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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| Series Editor |
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Series Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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| Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
0167-5877 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Expedition |
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Conference |
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| Notes |
PMID:15907574 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
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Serial |
1889 |
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| Author |
Ward, M.P.; Ramsay, B.H.; Gallo, K. |
| Title |
Rural cases of equine West Nile virus encephalomyelitis and the normalized difference vegetation index |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases (Larchmont, N.Y.) |
Abbreviated Journal |
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis |
| Volume |
5 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
181-188 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Biomass; Cluster Analysis; Disease Outbreaks/veterinary; Ecology; *Geographic Information Systems; Horse Diseases/*epidemiology; Horses; Indiana/epidemiology; Plants; Population Surveillance; Rural Health; Seasons; Topography, Medical/*methods; West Nile Fever/epidemiology/*veterinary |
| Abstract |
Data from an outbreak (August to October, 2002) of West Nile virus (WNV) encephalomyelitis in a population of horses located in northern Indiana was scanned for clusters in time and space. One significant (p = 0.04) cluster of case premises was detected, occurring between September 4 and 10 in the south-west part of the study area (85.70 degrees N, 45.50 degrees W). It included 10 case premises (3.67 case premises expected) within a radius of 2264 m. Image data were acquired by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor onboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration polar-orbiting satellite. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated from visible and near-infrared data of daily observations, which were composited to produce a weekly-1km(2) resolution raster image product. During the epidemic, a significant (p < 0.01) decrease (0.025 per week) in estimated NDVI was observed at all case and control premise sites. The median estimated NDVI (0.659) for case premises within the cluster identified was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than the median estimated NDVI for other case (0.571) and control (0.596) premises during the same period. The difference in median estimated NDVI for case premises within this cluster, compared to cases not included in this cluster, was greatest (5.3% and 5.1%, respectively) at 1 and 5 weeks preceding occurrence of the cluster. The NDVI may be useful for identifying foci of WNV transmission. |
| Address |
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. mward@cvm.tamu.edu |
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Thesis |
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Place of Publication |
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| Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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| ISSN |
1530-3667 |
ISBN |
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| Notes |
PMID:16011435 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2627 |
| Permanent link to this record |
