Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-r5fsc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T17:44:18.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Thoroughbred bedding preferences, associated behaviour differences and their implications for equine welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

D. S. Mills ,
S. Eckley  and
J. J. Cooper
D. S. Mills
Affiliation:
De Montfort University Lincoln, Faculty of Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Caythorpe Campus, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EP
S. Eckley
Affiliation:
De Montfort University Lincoln, Faculty of Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Caythorpe Campus, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EP
J. J. Cooper
Affiliation:
De Montfort University Lincoln, Faculty of Applied Sciences, School of Agriculture, Caythorpe Campus, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EP
Get access

Abstract

Choice tests are an effective means of assessing the short-term environmental preferences of captive animals. The preferences shown by eight thoroughbred horses (Equus caballus) for three commonly used bedding materials (paper, straw and shavings) were investigated. For each preference test two choices were presented in separate boxes joined by an unbedded corridor. Time spent in each compartment and associated behaviours were recorded. Despite a positional bias, horses clearly showed a preference for straw bedding (42·9 (s.e. 3·6) %) over shavings (35·2 (s.e. 3·4) %, P < 0·05), straw (42·0 (s.e. 37) %) over paper (29·3 (s.e. 3·4) %, P < 0·05) and shavings (41·6 (s.e. 4·3) %) over paper (27·7 (s.e. 3·7) %, P < 0·001) based on percentage of observed time spent on the substrate. Straw bedding increased the occurrence of bedding related activities, with more of these activities in choices where straw was available (P < 0·001) and in these choices the activities being preferentially expressed in the straw alternative (P < 0·001). Straw may therefore be preferred as it allows the expression of a wider number of motivationally significant activities.

Keywords

animal housingbeddingbehaviourhorses
Type
Non-ruminant nutrition, behaviour and production
Information
Animal Science , Volume 70 , Issue 1 , February 2000 , pp. 95 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2000

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.)

References

Cabanac, M. and Johnson, K. G. 1983. Analysis of a conflict between palatability and cold exposure in rats. Physiology and Behaviour 31: 249–253.Google Scholar
Clarke, A. F. 1987a. A review of environment and host factors in relation to equine respiratory disease. Equine Veterinary Journal 19: 435–441.Google Scholar
Clarke, A.E 1987b. Stable environment. In Horse management (ed. Hickman, J.), pp. 125–174. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Cooper, J. J. and Mason, G. J. 1998. The identification of abnormal behaviour and behavioural problems in stabled horses and their relationship to horse welfare: a comparative review. Equine Veterinary Journal 27: (Clinical Equine Behaviour Supplement) 5–9.Google Scholar
Dallaire, A. 1986. Rest behaviour. Veterinary Clinics of North America, Equine Practice 2: 591–607.Google Scholar
Dawkins, M. S. 1977. Do hens suffer in battery cages? Environmental preferences and welfare. Animal Behaviour 25: 1034–1046.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dawkins, M. S. 1980. Animal suffering, the science of animal welfare. Chapman and Hall, London.Google Scholar
Dawkins, M. S. 1981. Priorities in the cage size and flooring preferences of domestic hens. British Poultry Science 22: 255–263.,Google Scholar
Dawkins, M. S. 1990. From an animal’s point of view; motivation, fitness and animal welfare. Behaviour and Brain Sciences 13: 1–61.Google Scholar
Derksen, E J. 1991. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In Equine respiratory disorders (ed Beech, J.), pp. 223–236. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Duncan, I. J. H. 1978. The interpretation of preference tests in animal behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 4: 197–200.Google Scholar
Fishburn, P. C. 1991. Non-transitive preferences in decision theory. Journal of Risk Uncertainty 4: 113–134.Google Scholar
Fraser, D., Phillips, P. A., Thompson, B. K. and Tennessen, T 1991. Effect of straw on the behaviour of growing pigs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 30: 307–318.Google Scholar
Harris, P. A. 1999. Review of equine feeding and stable management practices in the UK concentrating on the last decade of the 20th century. Equine Veterinary Journal 28: (supplement) 46–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartmann, E. 1984. The nightmare. Basic Books, New York.Google Scholar
Houpt, K. A. 1980. The characteristics of equine sleep. Equine Practice 2: 8–17 Google Scholar
Houpt, K. A. 1991. Domestic animal behavior for veterinarians and animal scientists, second edition. Iowa State University Press, Ames, IA.Google Scholar
Houpt, K. A. and Houpt, T. R. 1988. Social and illumination preferences of mares. Journal of Animal Science 66: 2159–2164.Google Scholar
Hunter, L. and Houpt, K. A. 1989. Bedding preferences of ponies. Journal of Animal Science 67: 1986–1991.Google Scholar
Lawrence, A. B. and Illius, A. W. 1997. Measuring preferences and the problem of identifying proximate needs. In Animal choices (ed. Forbes, J. M. Lawrence, T. L. J. Rodway, R. G. and Varley, M. A.), pp. 19–27. British Society of Animal Science occasional publication no. 20.Google Scholar
McFarland, D. J. 1989. Problems of animal behaviour. Longman, Harlow, Essex.Google Scholar
McGreevy, P. D., Cripps, P. J., French, N. P., Green, L. E. and Nicol, C. J. 1995. Management factors associated with Stereotypie and redirected behaviour in the Thoroughbred horse. Equine Veterinary Journal 27: 86–91.Google Scholar
McPherson, E. A., Lawson, G. H., Murphy, J. R. and Nicholson, J. M. 1979. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: factors influencing the occurrence. Equine Veterinary Journal 11: 167–171.Google Scholar
Mason, G. J. 1991a. Stereotypy: a critical review. Animal Behaviour 41: 1015–1038.Google Scholar
Mason, G. J. 1991b. Stereotypies and suffering. Behavioural Processes 25: 103–115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mason, G. J., Cooper, J. and Garner, J. 1997. Models of motivational decision-making and how they affect the experimental assessment of motivation priorities. In Animal choices (ed. Forbes, J. M., Lawrence, T L. J. Rodway, R. G. and Varley, M. A.), pp. 9–17. British Society of Animal Science occasional publication no. 20.Google Scholar
Mendl, M. T. 1990. Developmental experience and the potential for suffering: does “out of experience” mean “out of mind”? Behaviour and Brain Sciences 13: 28–29.Google Scholar
Mills, D. S. and Nankervis, K. J. 1999. Equine behaviour: principles and practice. Blackwell Science, Oxford.Google Scholar
Nicol, C. J. 1997. Environmental choices of farm animals. In Animal choices (ed Forbes, J. M. Lawrence, T. L. J. Rodway, R. G. and Varley, M. A.), pp. 35–43. British Society of Animal Science occasional publication no. 20.Google Scholar
Petherick, J. C, Duncan, I. J. H. and Waddington, D. 1990. Previous experience with different floors influences choice of peat in a Y-maze by domestic fowl. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 27: 177–182.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Potgieter, F. J. and Wilke, P. L. 1996. The dust content, dust generation, ammonia production and absorption properties of three different rodent bedding types. Laboratory Animals 30: 79–87.Google Scholar
Ruckebusch, Y. P. 1972. The relevance of drowsiness in the circadian cycle of farm animals. Animal Behaviour 20: 637–642.Google Scholar
Ruckebusch, Y. P., Barbey, P. and Guillemot, P. 1970. Les états de sommeil chez le cheval. Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Société de Biolologie et de ses Filiales 164: 658–665.Google Scholar
Shafir, S. 1994. Intransitivity of preferences in honey bees: support for ‘comparative’ evaluation of foraging options. Animal Behaviour 43: 263–277.Google Scholar
Stern, W. C. and Morgane, P. J. 1974. Theoretical view of REM sleep function: maintenance of catecholamine systems in the central nervous system. Behavioural Biology 11: 1–32.Google Scholar
Tanner, M. K., Swinker, A. M., Beard, M. L., Cosma, G. N., Traub Dargatz, J. L., Martinez, A. B. and Olenchock, S. A. 1998. Effect of phone book paper versus sawdust and straw bedding on the presence of airborne gram-negative bacteria, fungi and endotoxin in horse stalls. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 18: 457–461.Google Scholar
Taylor, E. L. 1954. Grazing behaviour and helminthic disease. British Journal of Animal Behaviour 2: 61–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thompson, K. N. 1995. Alternate bedding materials for horses. Equine Practice 17: 20–23.Google Scholar
Tversky, A. 1969. Intransitivity of preferences. Psychological Review 76: 31–48.Google Scholar
Tyler, S. 1972. The behaviour and social organisation of New Forest Ponies. In Animal behaviour monographs, vol. 5, no. 2. Balliere Tindall, London.Google Scholar
Vandenput, S., Istasse, L., Nicks, B. and Lekeux, P. 1997. Airborne dust and aeroallergen concentrations in different sources of feed and bedding for horses. Veterinary Quarterly 19: 154–158.Google Scholar
Van Rooijen, J. 1982. The value of choice tests in assessing welfare of domestic animals. Applied Animal Ethology 8: 295–299.Google Scholar
Waring, G. 1983. Horse behavior. Noyes Publications, New Jersey.Google Scholar
Webster, A. J. F., Clarke, A.R, Madelin, T. M. and Wathes, C. M. 1987. Air hygiene in stables. 1. Effects of stable design, ventilation and management on the concentration of respirable dust. Equine Veterinary Journal 19: 448–453.Google Scholar