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Visser, E. K., Ellis, A. D., & Van Reenen, C. G. (2008). The effect of two different housing conditions on the welfare of young horses stabled for the first time. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 114(3), 521–533.
Abstract: The effect of stabling for the first time on the behaviour and welfare of young and naïve horses has not yet been studied in detail. In this study we examined the effect of two typical housing systems on their subsequent behavioural and physiological responses upon first time stabling. Thirty-six 2-year-old Dutch warmbloods, 18 geldings and 18 mares were included in the study. Half of the horses were stabled in individual stables (10.5m2) and the other half in pair housing (48m2 for two horses). The study lasted 12 weeks. At the end of the study the physiological and temperamental responses of the horses on the different treatments was tested using a CRF challenge test (to test the HPA-axis function) and a Novel Object test (to test temperamental differences) respectively. Especially in the first week after stabling pair housed horses spent more time eating whereas individually housed horses spent more time either standing vigilant or sleeping. Stress-related behaviours like neighing, pawing, nibbling and snorting were all displayed significantly more frequently in the individually housed horses (P<0.01). At the end of the study 67% of the individually housed horses was seen performing one or more stereotypies (P<0.01). The cortisol response and ACTH response on the CRF challenge test were lower for horses in the individually housed boxes. It is suggested that this depression in socially isolated animals is caused by a desensitisation of the HPA axis in response to stress-induced elevations in ACTH and cortisol. In general there was no effect of the treatment on the reactivity of the horses during the Novel Object test. However, there were significant relations between the responses of horses in the Novel Object test and in the stable environment. It is concluded that sudden isolated stabling is stressful to young and naïve horses, resulting in a high prevalence of stereotypies and abnormal behaviours. This study also provided some support for the notion that social stress in horses may be associated with a blunted adrenocortical response to CRF challenge. The finding that responses of horses to a behavioural test are correlated with home environment behaviours suggests that individual horses exhibit consistent behavioural traits across different contexts, and opens the possibility of using behavioural tests in horses to predict more general underlying behavioural characteristics.
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Bussières, G., Jacques, C., Lainay, O., Beauchamp, G., Leblond, A., Cadoré, J. - L., et al. (2008). Development of a composite orthopaedic pain scale in horses. Research in Veterinary Science, 85(2), 294–306.
Abstract: This study addresses development and validation of a composite multifactorial pain scale (CPS) in an experimental equine model of acute orthopaedic pain. Eighteen horses were allocated to control (sedation with/without epidural analgesia – mixture of morphine, ropivacaine, detomidine and ketamine) and experimental groups: amphotericin-B injection in the tarsocrural joint induced pain and analgesia was either i.v. phenylbutazone administered post-induction of synovitis, or pre-emptive epidural mixture, or a pre-emptive combination of the 2. Inter- and intra-observer reproducibility was good (0.8<K<1). The key specific and sensitive behavioural indices were response to palpation of the painful area, posture, and, of lesser value, pawing on the floor, kicking at abdomen and head movement. Of particular interest was the statistical correlation observed between the CPS and both non-invasive blood pressure (P<0.0001) and blood cortisol (P<0.002). This study established the value of some behavioural and physiological criteria in determining equine orthopaedic pain intensity and clearly demonstrated that pre-emptive, multimodal analgesia provided better management than the two other protocols tested.
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Dwan, K., Altman, D. G., Arnaiz, J. A., Bloom, J., Chan, A. - W., Cronin, E., et al. (2008). Systematic Review of the Empirical Evidence of Study Publication Bias and Outcome Reporting Bias. Plos One, 3(8), e3081.
Abstract: Background The increased use of meta-analysis in systematic reviews of healthcare interventions has highlighted several types of bias that can arise during the completion of a randomised controlled trial. Study publication bias has been recognised as a potential threat to the validity of meta-analysis and can make the readily available evidence unreliable for decision making. Until recently, outcome reporting bias has received less attention. Methodology/Principal Findings We review and summarise the evidence from a series of cohort studies that have assessed study publication bias and outcome reporting bias in randomised controlled trials. Sixteen studies were eligible of which only two followed the cohort all the way through from protocol approval to information regarding publication of outcomes. Eleven of the studies investigated study publication bias and five investigated outcome reporting bias. Three studies have found that statistically significant outcomes had a higher odds of being fully reported compared to non-significant outcomes (range of odds ratios: 2.2 to 4.7). In comparing trial publications to protocols, we found that 40-62% of studies had at least one primary outcome that was changed, introduced, or omitted. We decided not to undertake meta-analysis due to the differences between studies. Conclusions Recent work provides direct empirical evidence for the existence of study publication bias and outcome reporting bias. There is strong evidence of an association between significant results and publication; studies that report positive or significant results are more likely to be published and outcomes that are statistically significant have higher odds of being fully reported. Publications have been found to be inconsistent with their protocols. Researchers need to be aware of the problems of both types of bias and efforts should be concentrated on improving the reporting of trials.
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Richards, D. G., & Wiley, R. H. (2008). Reverberations and Amplitude Fluctuations in the Propagation of Sound in a Forest: Implications for Animal Communication. Am Nat, 115.
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Sueur, J., Aubin, T., & Simonis, C. (2008). Seewave: a free modular tool for sound analysis and synthesis. Bioacoustics, 18.
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Hoppitt, W., & Laland, K. N. (2008). Social processes influencing learning in animals: a review of the evidence. Adv Study Behav, 38, 105–165.
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Dugnol, B., Fernández, C., Galiano, G., & Velasco, J. (2008). On a chirplet transform-based method applied to separating and counting wolf howls. Signal Process, 88.
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Langbein, J., Siebert, K., & Nuernberg, G. (2008). Concurrent recall of serially learned visual discrimination problems in dwarf goats (Capra hircus). Behav Proc, 79.
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Krapp, A., Bachmann I., & Troxler, J. (2008). Das Liegeverhalten von Pferden in Gruppenhaltung. In Schweizer Archiv für Tierheilkunde (Vol. 150, pp. 186–187).
Abstract: Erarbeitung eines Lösungsansatzes zur Optimierung
des eingeschränkten Liegeverhaltens rangniedriger
Pferde in Gruppenhaltung
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Yorke, J., Adams, C., & Coady, N. (2008). Therapeutic Value of Equine-Human Bonding in Recovery from Trauma. Anthrozoös, 21(1), 17–30.
Abstract: ABSTRACTAlthough most human-animal bond research has focused on relationships between humans and pets, animals have been used for therapeutic purposes in a variety of settings. Therapeutic riding programs have demonstrated a positive impact on quality of life for people with disabilities. Equine-facilitated psychotherapy is a promising approach to address self-esteem, depression, and other emotional or psychological problems. Restoration of the trauma victim's capacity for recovery hinges on provision of safety and development of trust, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. Thus, recovery from trauma represents an ideal context for exploring the therapeutic impact of equine?human relationships. The six participants in this study recognized that their pre-existing relationships with horses were therapeutic during recovering from trauma, defined as sufficient to have caused significant change in the participant's life. Semi-structured interviews and video-tapes of horse?rider interaction were used to describe the nature of the equine?human bond and its contribution to recovery from trauma. The equine?human bonds described by participants have parallels both with important elements of therapeutic alliances between professionals and clients and with the positive impact of relationship factors on client outcome.
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