Abstract: Durch die vorliegende Studie wurde der Einfluss von Strukturelementen auf das Liege- und Aggressionsverhalten von Pferden in Gruppenhaltung untersucht. Die Strukturelemente sollten Rückzugsmöglichkeiten bieten, sowie in ihrem Bereich zur Aufhebung der Individualdistanz führen und dadurch die Fläche relativ vergrößern. Für die Versuche stellte das Haupt- und Landesgestüt Marbach drei unabhängige Pferdegruppen mit verschiedener Herdengröße zur Verfügung, die jeweils in Einraum- Innenlaufställen gehalten wurden. Die Datenerfassung fand zwischen 23 und sieben Uhr statt. Insgesamt wurden 366 Stunden Videomaterial ausgewertet. Beim Ruheverhalten wurden mit Hilfe des event-sampling- Verfahrens die Parameter Gesamtliegedauer, Dauer in Seitenlage, Dauer der Einzelphasen in
Seitenlage und Abliegehäufigkeit pro Nacht erfasst. Es wurden Versuchsphasen ohne
Strukturelemente und mit hängenden Planen als Strukturierung durchgeführt. Im ersten Stall
kamen außerdem über einander gestapelte Strohballen zum Einsatz. Diese Art der
Strukturierung stellte sich jedoch als nicht praktikabel heraus und führte im Vergleich zu den Planen zu einer signifikanten Verschlechterung der Gesamtliegedauer. In Stall 1 konnte man eine tendenzielle Verbesserung der Parameter Gesamtliegedauer und Gesamtdauer in Seitenlage durch das Anbringen von Planen sehen. In Stall 3 dagegen verschlechterte sich das Ruheverhalten in den Versuchsphasen mit Planen gegenüber den Versuchsphasen ohne Struktur. Die Werte der Gesamtdauer in Seitenlage nahmen signifikant ab. In Stall 2 zeigten sich keine Unterschiede in den verschiedenen Versuchsphasen. Möglicherweise ist die Wirkung der Strukturelemente auf das Liegeverhalten abhängig von der Flächengröße. Stall 1 hatte bezogen auf die Leitlinien des BMELV die größte und Stall 3 die kleinste Fläche. Bei den anderen Parametern des Liegeverhaltens gab es keine signifikanten Unterschiede in den verschiedenen Versuchsphasen. Mit Hilfe des time-sampling-Verfahrens wurde die Anzahl gleichzeitig liegender Pferde und gleichzeitig liegender Pferde in Seitenlage bestimmt. Auch hier zeigten sich keine Unterschiede in den verschiedenen Versuchsphasen. Bei der Gegenüberstellung der Werte der Gesamtliegedauer und der Gesamtdauer in Seitenlage mit dem Alter der Pferde (Stall 1 und Stall 3) und mit dem Integrationszeitpunkt (Stall 1) konnte kein Zusammenhang festgestellt werden. Beim Aggressionsverhalten wurden mit Hilfe des
event-sampling-Verfahrens in den Ställen 2 und 3 verschiedene Arten von Aggressionen
erfasst, die dann in die drei Intensitätsgrade Low-Level-, Mid-Level- und High-Level-
Aggressionen unterteilt wurden. Neben der Anzahl wurde die Dauer der verschiedenen
Aggressionen bewertet. Insgesamt konnte eine positive Wirkung der Planen auf das
Aggressionsverhalten beobachtet werden. Die Gesamtanzahl an Aggressionen nahm in beiden
Ställen tendenziell in den Versuchsphasen mit Planen ab. In Stall 3 konnte, wenn man die
Aggressionen stundenweise betrachtet, ein signifikanter Unterschied festgestellt werden.
Auch der Hinterhandschlag und die Aggressionen, welche das Ruheverhalten stören,
verringerten sich tendenziell nach dem Anbringen von Strukturelementen. In beiden Ställen
nahm die relative Häufigkeit von Mid-Level-Aggressionen nach dem Anbringen von Planen
zu. Dagegen konnte bei den High-Level-Aggressionen und in Stall 3 bei den Low-Level-
Aggressionen eine relative Abnahme beobachtet werden. Sowohl die Anzahl als auch die
Dauer der Mid-Level-Aggressionen verringerten sich in Stall 3 stundenweise betrachtet
signifikant in den Versuchsphasen mit Planen. In Stall 2 war bei den High-Level-
Aggressionen sowohl bei der Dauer als auch bei der Anzahl eine signifikante Abnahme zu
sehen. Wenn man das Aggressionsverhalten in Bezug zu der Fläche in den zwei Ställen
betrachtet, schien diese vor allem einen Einfluss auf die High-Level-Aggressionen zu
nehmen. Mit Hilfe des Rangindex der Pferde im Stall 3 wurde eine Rangordnung aufgestellt.
Zwischen dem Platz der Pferde in der Rangordnung und den Parametern des Ruheverhaltens
(Gesamtliegedauer, Gesamtdauer in Seitenlage) sowie dem Alter der Pferde konnte kein
Zusammenhang festgestellt werden. Zwischen dem Rangindex und der Gesamtanzahl an
Aggressionen bestand dagegen ein hoch signifikanter Zusammenhang. Im Rahmen dieser
Studie ist das Anbringen von Strukturelementen in Bezug auf das Aggressionsverhalten in
Einraum-Innenlaufställen von Pferden zu empfehlen. Die Wirkung auf das Liegeverhalten der
Pferde sollte in weiteren Studien untersucht werden.
[In this study the influence of structural elements on lying and aggression behavior in horses
kept in groups was exanimated. Structural elements should offer the possibility of retreat.
Furthermore, within the respective area, the individual distance should be limited, thus
increasing the overall space relatively. For the studies the “Haupt- und Landesgestüt
Marbach” provided three non-related groups of different sized horses, each kept in separate
“Einraum-Innenlaufställen”. Data collection took place between 11 pm and 7 am. Altogether,
366 hours of video material were analyzed. Using the event-sampling-method, the following
parameters within the horses´ resting behavior were determined: The total lying period, the
total lying period in lateral position, the periods of the single lying in lateral position and the
frequency of lying down. Test phases were carried out without structural elements and with
hanging canvases as structural elements. In the first stable there were also three bales of straw
piled up on top of each other. This kind of structuring emerged as impractical and in
comparison to the canvas, led to a significant deterioration to the total period of lying. After
the canvases were fixed in the first stable, a slight improvement with the parameters of total
lying period and total lying period in the lateral position could be seen. In contrast, the resting
behavior in stable 3 worsened in the test phases with the canvases in comparison to the test phases without structural elements. The values for the total lying period in the lateral position
decreased significantly. In stable 2, there were no differences in the different test phases.
Possibly the effect of the structural elements is dependent of the space. Stable 1 had the
largest space and stable 3 the least space referred to the guideline of the BMELV. The other
parameters of the lying behavior showed no significant differences in the different test phases.
The number of horses lying at the same time, and the number of horses lying at the same time
in the lateral position were detected with the aid of the time-sampling-method. There were
also no differences between the different test phases. If the values of the total lying period and
the total lying period in lateral position were compared to the age of the horses (stable 1 and
stable 3) and to the point of integration (stable 1), there was no correlation.
Different kinds of aggression were detected by the means of the event-sampling-method in
stable 2 and 3 and were subdivided into the three levels of intensity: Low-level-, mid-level
and high-level-aggressions. Both the number and the duration of the different aggressions
were evaluated. All in all a positive influence of the canvas on the aggression behavior could
be observed. In both stables, the total number of aggressions decreased in the test phases with
canvases. In stable 3 a significant difference could be detected, if the aggressions were
observed per hour. Also hind limb kicks and aggressions disturbing the resting behavior,
decreased by trend, after fixing the canvases in the stable. In both stables the relative
frequency of mid-level-aggressions increased after the canvases were mounted. In contrast
there was a relative decrease at the high-level-aggressions and in stable 3 at the low-levelaggressions.
The number and the duration of the mid-level-aggressions in stable 3 decreased,
when considered by the hour in the test phases with canvases. In stable 2 a significant
decrease in duration and number of high-level-aggressions was observed. When examining
aggression behavior in reference to space in the two stables, high-level-aggressions seemed to
be mostly influenced. In stable 3 a rank order was established with the aid of the rank index of
the horses. There was no correlation between the horses´ rank and the parameters of the
resting behavior (the total lying period, the total lying period in lateral position) and between
horses´ rank and age. In contrast, there was a high significant correlation between the rank
index and the total number of aggressions. In context to this study, structural elements in
“Einraum-Innenlaufställen” (BMELV 2009) seem to have a positive influence on the
aggression behavior and thus seem to be recommendable. The influence on the lying behavior
should be investigated in further studies.]

Abstract: In order to improve the housing conditions of stallions in individual boxes by offering a possibility to have more social contact, the Swiss national stud farm tested a new box system for horses, allowing increased physical contact with the neighbouring stallion. The aim of this part of the study was to investigate whether this type of housing system (named “social box”) potentially induces a change in stress reactions in stallions compared to conventional boxes. Therefore faecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) concentration was measured as a non-invasive parameter to assess endocrine responses related to this new environment.
Four groups each consisting of eight adult Freiberger breeding stallions were included in the test design. Every stallion spent three weeks in a conventional box and in a social box respectively (cross-over design). The conventional box consisted of a separation wall with a lower opaque part and an upper part with vertical barriers (5 cm between barriers), allowing visual and olfactory contact but strongly limiting tactile contact. The separating wall of the social box consisted of two lateral sections, one part being opaque to the ceiling and the second part consisting of vertical barriers (30 cm between barriers), allowing the horse to have physical contact with its neighbour or to avoid it.
In horses, FCM concentration reflects an average level of circulating cortisol over a period of approximatively 24h. Faecal samples were collected the day following integration in social / conventional boxes, reflecting the potential stress induced by increased social interactions during the integration. In order to asses potential chronical stress, faeces samples were also collected in week one, two and three after the integration into the social / conventional box (in total: 4 samples per horse and housing system). The samples were immediately stored at -20°C until they were analysed. The samples were not analysed in the laboratory until the end of the experiment, therefore the duration of conservation in the freezer varied from 40 to 429 days.
A considerable percentage of data from groups 1 and 2 was below the detection limit (<0.8 ng/g) (Tab. 1). Thus the statistical analysis was conducted with the FCM concentration from groups 3 and 4 (n horses = 16) which contained no values below the detection limit.
Tab. 1: Details about FCM values and storage time for the 4 groups of stallions
Group Storage duration [d] Proportion of data below the detection limit (<0.8 ng/g) Mean [ng/g] Median [ng/g]
Group 1 384-429 55.6 % 2.2 0
Group 2 315-360 25.5 % 5.8 6.3
Group 3 41-79 0.0 % 8.7 8.0
Group 4 40-85 0.0 % 5.8 5.4
Despite the impressive social interactions observed between the stallions directly after being introduced into the social boxes, we did not find any differences in FCM concentration between the stallions being introduced into the conventional box and the social box on the day of integration (social box: n samples = 16, mean±SD: 6.9±4.7 ng/g; conventional box: n samples = 16, mean±SD: 9.0±11.2 ng/g; Wilcoxon signed rank test V = 70, p = 0.94).
Overall the samples taken during integration and in week one, two and three did not show evidence of changes in FCM concentration in either housing system over a longer period of time (social box: n samples = 64, mean±SD: 7.9±6.2 ng/g; conventional box: n samples = 64, mean±SD: 6.6±3.4 ng/g; Linear mixed model (LMM), p = 0.56).
Our results suggest that the possibility of having physical contact with a conspecific does not induce changes in FCM concentration in breeding stallions. The considerable percentage of values below the detection limit in groups 1 and 2 seemed to correlate with the increasing duration of storage before analysis. During the IESM Network Meeting 2015, we would like to discuss possible methodological issues and the possibilities to correctly integrate these low values in the statistical analysis.

Abstract: In functional laterality research, most ungulate livestock species have until recently been mainly overlooked. However, there are many scientific and practical benefits of studying laterality in ungulate livestock. As social, precocial and domestic species, they may offer insight into the mechanisms involved in the ontogeny and phylogeny of functional laterality and help to better understand the role of laterality in animal welfare. Until now, most studies on ungulate livestock have focused on motor laterality, but interest in other lateralized functions, e.g., cognition and emotions, is growing. Increasingly more studies are also focused on associations with age, sex, personality, health, stress, production and performance. Although the full potential of research on laterality in ungulate livestock is not yet exploited, findings have already shed new light on central issues in cognitive and emotional processing and laid the basis for potentially useful applications in future practice, e.g., stress reduction during human-animal interactions and improved assessments of health, production and welfare. Future research would benefit from further integration of basic laterality methodology (e.g., testing for individual preferences) and applied ethological approaches (e.g., established emotionality tests), which would not only improve our understanding of functional laterality but also benefit the assessment of animal welfare.

Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the use of items intended to provide enrichment during turnout, both for individual and group kept horses in an attempt to reduce the amount of passive behaviours. The study was divided into two parts, where study 1 involved eight horses rotated through eight individual paddocks, each containing one of seven enrichment items and one paddock being kept without item, functioning as a control. The horses' item-directed behaviours; passive behaviours or other non-item related activities were scored using instantaneous sampling, every minute for 1h at the beginning and the end of the turnout period. Study 2 involved six horse groups (3-6 horses) and the same scoring methods and ethogram as in study 1. The four items that the horses interacted the most with during study 1 (straw STRA, ball filled with concentrates CBALL, branches BRAN and scratching pole POLE) are investigated in study 2. In addition, the amount of social interactions was recorded. Both horses kept individually (P<0.05) and in groups (P<0.0001) performed significantly more item-directed behaviours towards edible items like STRA and CBALL than other objects. There was, however, no overall relation between the numbers of item-directed behaviours and the number of passive behaviours observed, indicating that the enrichment items did not alone reduce the amount of passive behaviours during turnout periods. Such a reduction was, however, only apparent when horses spent more time eating green leaves growing on the paddock surface (R=-0.97 study 1, R=-0.67 study 2, P<0.0001). Access to STRA in group kept horses also seemed to reduce the amount of agonistic behaviours (P<0.0001). In conclusion, if grass is not available in paddocks, the provision of roughage reduces the amount of passive behaviours in singly kept horses and it also reduces the risk of agonistic interactions between horses kept in group.

Abstract: Growing evidence shows a variety of sensorial and motor asymmetries in social and non-social interactions in various species, indicating a lateralized processing of information by the brain. Using digital video cameras on tripods and drones, this study investigated lateralization in frequency and duration of social behavior patterns, in affiliative, agonistic, and resting contexts, in a feral population of horses (Equus ferus caballus) in Northern Portugal, consisting of 37 individuals organized in eight harem groups. Affiliative interactions (including grooming) were more often performed, and lasted longer, when recipients were positioned to the right side. In recumbent resting (animals lying down) episodes on the left side lasted longer. Our results of an affiliative behavior having a right side tendency, provide partial support to the valence-specific hypothesis of Ahern and Schwartz (1979) – left hemisphere dominance for positive affect, affiliative behaviors. Longer recumbent resting episodes on the left side may be due to synchronization. However, in both instances it is discussed how lateralization may be context dependent. Investigating the position asymmetries of social behaviors in feral equids will contribute to a better understanding of differential lateralization and hemispheric specialization from the ecological and evolutionary perspectives.