| Records |
Author  |
Hartmann, E.; Bøe, K.E.; Jørgensen, G.H.M.; Mejdell, C.M.; Dahlborn, K. |
| Title |
Management of horses with focus on blanketing and clipping practices reported by members of the Swedish and Norwegian equestrian community1 |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2017 |
Publication |
Journal of Animal Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Anim Sci |
| Volume |
95 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
1104-1117 |
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| Abstract |
Limited information is available on the extent to which blankets are used on horses and the owners' reasoning behind clipping the horse's coat. Research on the effects of those practices on horse welfare is scarce but results indicate that blanketing and clipping may not be necessary from the horse's perspective and can interfere with the horse's thermoregulatory capacities. Therefore, this survey collected robust, quantitative data on the housing routines and management of horses with focus on blanketing and clipping practices as reported by members of the Swedish and Norwegian equestrian community. Horse owners were approached via an online survey, which was distributed to equestrian organizations and social media. Data from 4,122 Swedish and 2,075 Norwegian respondents were collected, of which 91 and 84% of respondents, respectively, reported using blankets on horses during turnout. Almost all respondents owning warmblood riding horses used blankets outdoors (97% in Sweden and 96% in Norway) whereas owners with Icelandic horses and coldblood riding horses used blankets significantly less (P < 0.05). Blankets were mainly used during rainy, cold, or windy weather conditions and in ambient temperatures of 10°C and below. The horse's coat was clipped by 67% of respondents in Sweden and 35% of Norwegian respondents whereby owners with warmblood horses and horses primarily used for dressage and competition reported clipping the coat most frequently. In contrast to scientific results indicating that recovery time after exercise increases with blankets and that clipped horses have a greater heat loss capacity, only around 50% of respondents agreed to these statements. This indicates that evidence-based information on all aspects of blanketing and clipping has not yet been widely distributed in practice. More research is encouraged, specifically looking at the effect of blankets on sweaty horses being turned out after intense physical exercise and the effect of blankets on social interactions such as mutual grooming. Future efforts should be tailored to disseminate knowledge more efficiently, which can ultimately stimulate thoughtful decision-making by horse owners concerning the use of blankets and clipping the horse's coat. |
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0021-8812 |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
6615 |
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| Author |
Nyman, S.; Dahlborn, K. |
| Title |
Effect of water supply method and flow rate on drinking behavior and fluid balance in horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2001 |
Publication |
Physiology & Behavior |
Abbreviated Journal |
Physiol. Behav. |
| Volume |
73 |
Issue |
1-2 |
Pages |
1-8 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Choice Behavior/physiology; Drinking Behavior/*physiology; Horses/*physiology; Male; Thirst/physiology; *Water Supply; Water-Electrolyte Balance/*physiology |
| Abstract |
This study investigated three methods of water supply on drinking preference and behavior in six Standardbred geldings (2-9 years, 505+/-9 kg). The water sources were buckets (B), pressure valve (PV), and float valve (FV) bowls. In an initial drinking preference test, PV was tested at three flow rates: 3, 8, and 16 l/min (PV3, PV8, and PV16), and FV at 3 l/min (FV3). Water intake was measured in l and presented as the percentage of the total daily water intake from each of two simultaneously presented alternatives. The intake from PV8 was greater than from both PV3 (72+/-11% vs. 28+/-11%) and PV16 (90+/-4% vs. 10+/-4%). All horses showed a strong preference for B, 98+/-1% of the intake compared to 2+/-1% from PV8. Individual variation in the data gave no significant difference in preference between the two automatic bowls. In the second part of the study, drinking behavior and fluid balance were investigated when the horses drank from FV3, PV8, and B for 7 consecutive days in a changeover design. Despite a tendency for an increase in total daily drinking time from FV3, the daily water intake was significantly lower (43+/-3 ml/kg) than from PV8 (54+/-2 ml/kg) and B (58+/-3 ml/kg). Daily net water gain [intake-(fecal+urinary output)] was only 0.5+/-3 ml/kg with FV3, resulting in a negative fluid balance if insensible losses are included. These results show that the water supply method can affect both drinking behavior and fluid balance in the horse. |
| Address |
Department of Animal Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7045, S-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden. sara.nyman@djfys.slu.se |
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English |
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0031-9384 |
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PMID:11399288 |
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refbase @ user @ |
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1919 |
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