Correction: Human Direct Actions May Alter Animal Welfare, a Study on Horses (Equus caballus)

Lesimple, Clémence; Fureix, Carole; Menguy, Hervé; Hausberger, Martine

doi:10.1371/annotation/530e1439-fee8-434c-97b1-7d2cd87e2e46

Cited by 14 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Water was available ad libitum. Horses were working in riding lessons with typical English riding style for 4–12 h per week under supervision of a riding teacher [26,27].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Saliva Analytes Correlate with Horses’ Behavioural Reactions to An Acute Stressor: A Pilot Study

Contreras-Aguilar¹,

Henry

Coste

et al. 2019

Animals

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Simple SummaryEmotionality is an individual characteristic defined as the propensity to respond to stress-inducing stimuli such as fear-inducing objects or social separation. Evaluation of emotionality in horses is important as it may impact their learning performance. Although emotionality is usually assessed by measuring behavioural patterns, biomarkers could provide additional information about stress response, especially with respect to its temporal dynamics. In this study, behavioural responses were measured as well as a panel of salivary biomarkers related to stress, including salivary alpha-amylase, lipase, total esterase, butyrylcholinesterase, adenosine deaminase, and cortisol, in riding horses after acute experimental stress (the sudden opening of an umbrella). We found significant changes in most of the salivary biomarkers evaluated after the induced stress, where increases in butyrylcholinesterase were more closely related to behavioural responses to acute stress and low salivary alpha-amylase values were more closely related to quietness behaviours. Therefore, this preliminary research provides information about the relationship between behaviour patterns and biomarkers of stress in saliva in horses, and opens the possibility of wider use of selected biomarkers in saliva, such as butyrylcholinesterase or alpha-amylase, for the evaluation of acute stress in horses.AbstractAcute stress induces an array of behavioural reactions in horses that vary between individuals. Attempts to relate behavioural patterns and physiological responses have not always given clear-cut results. Here, we measured the changes in a panel of salivary components: salivary alpha-amylase (sAA), lipase, total esterase (TEA), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), adenosine deaminase (ADA), and cortisol, and their potential link with horses’ behaviours after acute stress. Saliva samples were collected in nine riding horses subjected to a test consisting of opening an umbrella. Saliva sampling was obtained at a basal time point in the stall (T1), in the test indoor arena (T2), at a time of stress (T3), and 30 min (T4) and 60 min (T5) later. The horses’ behaviour was recorded at T3 for 1 min. sAA, lipase, TEA, and BChE showed significant changes along time, increasing at T3 for BChE, and decreasing at T4 for sAA and BChE. Butyrylcholinesterase appeared to be the most reliable predictor of behavioural responses, as it correlated with the index of emotionality, of laterality, and the occurrence of alarm signals, while sAA decreased when horses expressed quieter behaviours. These first results bring promising lines for novel, more precise physiological markers of acute stress in horses that can bridge the gap between behaviour and physiology.

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“…Water was available ad libitum. Horses were working in riding lessons with typical English riding style for 4–12 h per week under supervision of a riding teacher [26,27].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Saliva Analytes Correlate with Horses’ Behavioural Reactions to An Acute Stressor: A Pilot Study

Contreras-Aguilar¹,

Henry

Coste

et al. 2019

Animals

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“…Changes in welfare state, either in a positive or in a negative way, can affect the physiology of an individual, but physiological signals of welfare are difficult to apprehend in a chronic perspective as: (1) it can take a long time before a modification of the environment is reflected by physiological parameters (i.e., blood count), it is difficult to know for sure what environmental conditions are effective, and (2) short-term internal changes (e.g., hormonal) can reflect chronic as well as acute situations. However, the presence of chronic vertebral disorders, related to lameness [71][72][73], changes in gait [71,72] or asymmetry of the pelvic bony prominences [72,74], is commonly considered as one of the most widespread causes of impairment of working horses' welfare [39,72,[74][75][76] and can induce muscular hypertonicity along the spine that can be assessed by manual palpation [36,38,40,76,77]) or static electromyography (sEMG) [38]. Evaluations of back pain/vertebral disorders presented a strong agreement between practitioners regardless of their occupational background (e.g., [38,40,77]), as well as between methods [38].…”

Section: Physiological Indicatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art

Lesimple

2020

Animals

Self Cite

104

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Animal welfare is defined as a chronic state reflecting an individual’s subjective perception of its situation. Because it is possible to be in a good welfare state and nevertheless experience acute fear or pain, and conversely, short-term positive emotions can be experienced during impaired welfare states, welfare as a chronic state has to be clearly distinguished from temporary states related to emotions, pain or stress. The evaluation of non-verbal individuals’ welfare state, particularly in interspecific situations, is a real challenge that necessarily implies animal-based measures and requires multidisciplinary scientifically validated measures. In the last decade, studies investigating horses’ welfare flourished together with new measures that were not always scientifically tested before being used. At a time were legal decisions are made on animal welfare, it is crucial to rely on reliable welfare indicators in order to prevent false evaluation. The aim of this review is to identify the scientifically tested and reliable indicators of horses’ welfare (e.g., body lesions, apathy, aggressiveness, stereotypic behaviours) from signals of temporary states related to acute pain emotions or stress and from popular beliefs, in order to give the scientific community and the horse industry accurate evaluation tools.

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“…Riding styles, and in particular horses' postures during riding commonly are subject to welfare debates. While there is little doubt that riding horses with extremely elevated heads entails welfare issues [1] , in the past years there has been much discussion regarding the so-called “classical” and the “modern” riding style. With regard to the HNP the “modern” riding technique is also referred to as rollkur, hyperflexion or LDR (Low, Deep and Round).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Different Head-Neck Positions in Horses Shown at Dressage Competitions and Their Relation to Conflict Behaviour and Performance Marks

2014

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Much controversy exists among riders, and in particular among those practicing dressage, regarding what can be considered an “appropriate” Head-Neck-Position (HNP). The objective was to assess the prevalence of different HNPs in the field, the behavioural reactions of horses during warm-up and competition rides in relation to HNP and the relation between HNP and marks achieved in the competition. Horses (n = 171) were selected during dressage competitions according to their HNP (3 categories based on the degree of flexion), and their behaviour was recorded during 3 minutes each of riding in the warm-up area and in the competition. Scans were carried out on an additional 355 horses every 15 minutes to determine the proportion of each HNP in the warm-up area. Sixty-nine percent of the 355 horses were ridden with their nasal planes behind the vertical in the warm-up area, 19% were ridden at or behind the vertical and only 12% were ridden with their nasal plane in front of the vertical. Horses carrying their nasal plane behind the vertical exhibited significantly (P<0.0001) more conflict behaviours than horses with their nose held in front of the vertical. Horses were commonly presented with a less flexed HNP during competition compared to warm-up (P<0.05). A HNP behind the vertical was penalised with lower marks in the lower (P = 0.0434) but not in the higher (P = 0.9629) competition levels. Horses in higher classes showed more (P = 0.0015) conflict behaviour than those in lower classes. In conclusion, dressage horses are commonly ridden during warm-up for competitions with their nasal plane behind the vertical, and this posture seems to cause significantly more conflict behaviour than HNPs in front of the vertical.

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Correction: Human Direct Actions May Alter Animal Welfare, a Study on Horses (Equus caballus)

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Changes in Saliva Analytes Correlate with Horses’ Behavioural Reactions to An Acute Stressor: A Pilot Study

Changes in Saliva Analytes Correlate with Horses’ Behavioural Reactions to An Acute Stressor: A Pilot Study

Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art

Prevalence of Different Head-Neck Positions in Horses Shown at Dressage Competitions and Their Relation to Conflict Behaviour and Performance Marks

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