Evaluation of horse welfare in farms of different sizes
2022
NikonovaŅikonova, Viktorija, Viktorija | Jonkus, Daina | OrbidaneOrbidāne, Laine, Laine
The aim of this study was to compare the welfare in horse breeding stud farms of different sizes in Latvia. The study was performed in six large (more than 10 horses) Latvian Warmblood breed horse stud farms and six small Latvian Warmblood horse breed stud farms. The development of the methodology was based on the Animal Welfare Assessment Protocol for horses, where the authors applied a rating of 0 to 3 points for each horse for each trait. Five groups of welfare traits were evaluated – facial expression, stereotypical behaviour, observance of distances, visual appearance of the horse, place of rest. The study found that large farms, which have smaller rest areas, have better welfare; horses are less likely to distance themselves and have better facial expression than horses in small farms, which are used more intensively.
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