The Welfare of Stabled Horses

If a renowned expert on dog behavior suggested you kick your dog every time it misbehaved, would you? The expert advising this has a reputation and a considerable following; they should know what’s good for your dog even though your intuition says otherwise. Right? Suppose your intuitions override the advice offered, and you get criticized or ostracized by proponents of this method and your friends and peers who make you feel “compelled” to follow the expert’s direction as they did. Would you feel insecure about your decision? Would you reconsider?

In my expert opinion, this hypothetical scenario reflects the assault on the belief systems of many horse owners who love their horses and want what’s best for them. The advice they receive from trainers and self-proclaimed experts advising them conflicts with their emotions and intuition. It’s like the many religions in the world that believe they have the answers to God’s plan and every other religion is wrong. Failing to adhere to the tenets of the faith risks condemnation to eternal damnation.

Martine Hausberger is a French scientist, equine behaviorist, animal welfare expert, and research director at the Integrative Neuroscience and Cognition Center in Paris, France. In 2009, Dr. Hausberger and colleagues published research findings in the journal PLOS ONE titled; “Could Work Be a Source of Behavioural Disorders? A Study In Horses. Here I summarize Dr. Hausbergers work in a little more than 1000 words, less than 5 minutes of reading time which most anyone should have the patience for. The citation to my friend Martine’s research is attached if you want more detailed information.

INTRO:

Several studies show that stress at work may lead to harmful and long-lasting effects, such as impaired psychological functioning, anxiety, and depression. Horses that work daily have stressors related to physical constraints and “psychological” conflicts, such as conflicting signals (urge forward with the legs and restraining through the mouth bit) or the requirements to suppress emotions (like bucking, rearing, shying when they’re afraid). As such, horses may perform abnormal repetitive behaviors (“stereotypies”) in response to adverse life conditions. The type of work influences the tendency to show stereotypic behavior outside of work. The study by Martine Hausberger, looked at 76 horses living in the same conditions, belonging to one breed and one sex, and the prevalence and types of stereotypies performed strongly depended on the kind of work they were doing. The stereotypies mostly involved mouth movements and head tossing or nodding. The work constraints added to the unfavorable living conditions added to the emergence of “chronic” abnormal behaviors. The adverse housing conditions involved living in a stall 23 hours a day and one hour of work performed every day. The living conditions led to gastrointestinal malfunction or musculoskeletal problems. Musculoskeletal disorders can result from both biomechanical work requests and social stress. Horses at work in some jobs must suppress emotions (anxiety and fear) that adversely affect health (cited in Hausberger). In addition, working sessions based on training use more often negative reinforcement or punishments than positive reinforcement (cited in Hausberger). Depending on the type of work performed and the negative consequences of some practices lead to behavioral and physical resistance, open conflicts, and tensions may lead the horse to frustration and neurosis.

Several factors are involved in stereotypies, such as roughage availability (time spent foraging), diet, social deprivation, lack of exercise, and genetic susceptibilities. Interestingly, time spent in a stall increased time spent performing stereotypies and may increase with time spent working. The differences in the prevalence of stereotypies were highest in Dressage horses having to perform restrained gaits and present a curved neck, having more physical and psychological constraints than jumping, where horses are allowed more extended gaits and less pressure from the rider. A recent study showed that Rollkur posture (extreme neck curving) associated with some dressage practices was associated with more tail swishing, mouth opening, and fear reactions than was observed in other horses (cited in Hausberger).

Based on the different types of stereotypies, the multi-variant analysis of this study clearly divided the types of work into three groups: jumping/eventing/advanced riding school, dressage, and voltige. Voltige horses appeared to be the least prone to stereotypies (abnormal behaviors) and performed “mild types” such as tongue play, whereas dressage horses had the highest incidence of stereotypies; they also performed the more serious stereotypies (cribbing, wind sucking, and head shaking). Interestingly, the study confirmed that the type of work stressors noted above, where restricted movements and suppression of emotions were prevalent, explains the high prevalence of chronic stereotypies in Dressage horses.

On a personal note, I grew up owning horses of mixed breeds and used them for fun, like trail riding, hunting elk in the mountains, herding cattle, and other similar activities. When I got involved with Warmbloods and started raising and training them for Show Jumping, I raised them like all the other horses I ever had. I took them hunting, on trail rides, etc.., and they never expressed abnormal behaviors. They were happy and content, never lived in stalls or were restricted from having active social lives, and were fed a diet high in roughage and forage, with little or no grain or supplements, carrots for treats, and never had colic or stereotypies, or other ailments common in the show breeds. When I started to get involved with other owners and their Warmbloods, I was confused when their horses all seemed to lick me like crazy, something my horses never did. When I asked, people always said, “It’s a Warmblood thing.” Now I know the truth, Warmbloods other than mine suffered poor welfare and were expressing their frustration from not being allowed to be horses. Excessive licking is a percussor to serious stereotypies (cited in Hausberger).

The horse in the photo is “Bobbi,” my Holsteiner/Thoroughbred mare cross, who was putty in the hands of anyone riding her. The girl on her was amateur, as amateurs can be. Still, Bob did for her as she did for me, not bit, no spurs, no tie downs, happy and looking forward to her daily exercise and the carrots she received at the end of the day—a good soldier with a benevolent General.

I want this post to serve as a “call to action” and a “draft notice” to horse owners who want their horses to be horses and not “machines” or a “soldier” trained to live in unnatural environments and perform under strict orders from the uncompromising “commanders” in charge. Abnormal environments create abnormal behaviors. The war I’m waging is against the OLD SCHOOL in defense of the NEW SCHOOL. It’s your choice to enlist or be defeated. Science, not pseudoscience, will win this war.

Temple Grandin said it another way when she sent me into battle against the OLD SCHOOL cattle industry; she said, “Be like a virus whose job is to infect the host but remember, a good virus doesn’t make the host sick.” The best defense is a good offense!

Horse owners DEMAND an end to the OLD SCHOOL approach that compromises the WELFARE of their beloved animals. Expect from the trainers you employ that modern, science-based methodologies are used and not antiquated medieval torture devices used to make your horse a resentful but obedient soldier.

Remember the customer service adage, “The customer is always right.”