Enhancing the horse’s living conditions

A study conducted by  the INRA in 2010 tested an enhancement of  horses’ environment protocol which could improve their living conditions and have an impact on their behavioural reactivity
To conduct the study, two groups of 10 month old horses were kept for a 10 week period in either a « standard » environment (N=9) or an « enhanced » environment (N=10) :

• The animals in a « standard » environment lived in individual stables with shavings, and were fed on two meals of hard feed morning and evening, with hay fed at lunch time. They were turned out for an hour in individual paddocks every other day ;
• The horses in the « enhanced » environment were kept stabled in individual stables during the day, on straw bedding, and were turned out at night in groups. The enhancements involved their feed (varied and fed throughout the day), their social environment (possibility of contact with other animals), the structure of the buildings (large loose boxes) or providing different sensory stimuli (music, objects to explore…).

Moreover, during learning tests, the horses in the « enhanced » group became more readily familiar with the methods, and carried out complex cognitive tasks more easily than the horses in the « standard » group.
In addition, this enhancement had a beneficial effect on the handlers’ safety. Horses living in an « enhanced » environment demonstrated less defensive behaviour towards humans when being handled (rearing, forward flight, spooking...)

Following the INRA experiment, this enhancement protocol was tested in a thoroughbred breeding stud, on yearlings being prepared for the auction sales.
The enrichments suggested were for the main part put into practice by the stud staff, showing that the protocol is totally manageable in practice. In addition to improving the horses well-being, the breeders wanted to find out whether this enhancement would have an effect on the horses during the sales. Therefore the stress-realted behaviour was assessed when they arrived in the stables at the sales. Yearlings having lived in an enhanced environment prior to the sales, demonstrated less stress-related behaviour, such as neighing, than those kept in a standard environment. Moreover, in the presentation ring, enhanced yearlings manifested less defensive behaviour.
This study in the field, at a stud showed that this type of enhancement can not only be put into practice in the field but also that it helps in reducing stress and the risk of accidents when the horses are transferred to a different place for sales or for a competition.

Environmental enhancement involves working on several aspects :

Living conditions

It is preferable to have horses living out and in groups wherever possible.
If the horse has to be stabled, make sure it is in a spacious loose box on straw bedding rather than shavings. Facilitate contacts with other horses and organise daily turning out in a field in groups.

Feed

Vary the types of fodder used and fraction into several portions, each portion in a different part of the stable. It is better to distribute hay in a haynet, (to avoid waste). It can also be beneficial to distribute several varieties of hay simultaneously

Concentrated hard feeds : Fraction the ration (into at least two meals), and distribute with a view to lengthening the time the horse spends eating : Hide the food under hay or straw, put it in a bucket equipped with a removeable lid (make sure the horse can lift the lid…) use different flavours ( garlic, cumin, banana…)  and diversify by providing fruit for example.

Sensory enhancement

Fix some brushes to a support and in turn fix to the wall so that the horse can come and rub up against it ;
Place new objects in the stable or in the field, either on the ground or hanging up, these should be changed regularly (ideally every two to three days) so that the horse shows continued intertest. Introduce new objects gradually, and make sure you don’t choose objests which are too frightening ;

Have music playing in the stables every day ;

Accustoming the horse to new places : regularly take the horse to to places he doesn’t know (new loose box, different stables…) so that he gets used to being in a new place alone. This habituation can be carried out gradually by first taking several horses to the new place, then taking them individually…
The different suggestions made here can be carried out according to your possibilities and your ideas.