Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T01:29:57.583Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Use of Time-budgets in the Assessment of Animal Welfare in the Horse; “Are Changes in Time-budgeting indicative of changes in Welfare?”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

M.D. Marsden
M.D. Marsden*
Affiliation:
University of Edinburgh , Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies Veterinary Field Station, Easter Bush Roslin, Midlothian EH9 3RG
Get access

Extract

Based upon the concept of ethological need, changes in time-budgeting from the baseline of that of feral conspecifics are considered to be detrimental to welfare. However, it is argued that domestication changes innate abilities and expectations, and that changes in behaviour may be appropriate adaptations to changes in environment. These opposing ideas present a difficulty in the use of time-budgets in the assessment of animal welfare.

This paper shows how experimentation can aid the interpretation of changes in behaviour seen in horses kept in a variety of environments, and so validate the use of time-budgets in the assessment of welfare.

Six 24 hour time budgets were compiled for 4 Thoroughbred geldings, aged 12-19, 15 - 16·5 hh, weighing 490 - 600 kg. They were kept in a variety of environments; (i) at pasture (approx. 7000 m2/head) (ii) in loose boxes (14 m2/head) fed hay ad libitum, (iii) in stalls (6 m2/head) fed hay ad libitum, (iv) in stalls fed hay to maintenance (v) in stalls fed pelleted hay to maintenance and (vi) in stalls fed alfalfa-maize cobs to maintenance, for one month at a time, in random order.

Type
Assessing Animal Welfare
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1993: Winter meeting , March 1993 , pp. 82
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)