Important research on horsekeeping practices

 INDIVIDUAL STABLING FOUND TO ALTER IMMUNE RESPONSE

A recent study has found that horses moved from group housing to individual stabling showed changes in their white blood cell counts and plasma cortisol levels. These changes could mean they are at a higher risk of infectious disease.

Equine scientist Sonja Schmucker and her colleagues at the University of Hohenheim in Germany studied 12 warmblood geldings aged 2-3 years old during several management changes, monitoring their behaviour and immune response.

The horses used were all living in a group, turned out at pasture. For the first part of the study the group was then split into two, each kept in a separate paddock so that the horses in one group could not see the others. After a trial period of eight days all the horses were returned to their original group, living together. They were then were left out at pasture for eight weeks.

For the second part of the study the horses were all moved into individual stables, where they could see and touch their neighbours through bars. During the first week of being stabled, the horses were given 30 minutes of turnout in an indoor area. From the second week onwards, the horses were lunged.

Throughout the study the research team collected blood samples from the horses to analyse their immune cell numbers and cortisol concentrations.

The results showed that moving the horses to individual stabling led to acute stress-induced immune changes. However, dividing the larger group into two smaller groups at pasture did not.

“The number of eosinophils, monocytes and T cells declined, whereas the number of neutrophils increased resulting in an increased N:L ratio. This pattern of change resembles the well-known picture of an immunomodulation induced by acute social stress.”

The plasma cortisol concentrations didn’t change after dividing the group into the two smaller groups at pasture. However, there was an increase in cortisol concentrations one day after stabling which then returned to the previous levels eight days later. However, the researchers said “Although cortisol concentrations returned to baseline level after 8 days, the alterations in most immune cell numbers persisted, pointing to a longer-lasting effect on the immune system of the horses."

The team also found, unsurprisingly, that some of the horses started to perform stereotypical behaviours as soon as one week after stabling.

The team reported that the results “strongly indicate that social isolation is a chronic stressor with negative impact on welfare and health of horses and highlight the advantage of group housing systems in view of immunocompetence."

The researchers concluded that “relocation to individual stabling represented an intense stressor for the horses of the present study, leading to acute and lasting alterations in blood counts of various leukocyte types. In contrast, fission of the stable group did not result in behavioural, endocrine or immunological stress responses by the horses."

So we have yet more evidence that stabling horses individually is stressful and detrimental to their physical and psychological wellbeing. The majority of the horses I see are stabled for the bulk of the day. I do wonder how much evidence is needed before horse owners and professionals act on this information and change their management to increase turnout and group living...

The research is free to access and is a very interesting read: Schmucker S, Preisler V, Marr I, Krüger K, Stefanski V (2022) Single housing but not changes in group composition causes stress-related immunomodulations in horses. PLoS ONE 17(8): e0272445.

Happy New Year 2023

 Last night around 11:45 I went out to the barn with my husband with sliced apples and mare pheromone gel. We gave the apples out, I smeared some calming gel along the edges of nostrils, and we gave hay in the stalls. It was so warm here and slightly damp from yesterday’s rain, I turned on the barn fans to create some drying air and some white noise. Keil went in and out a few times to listen to the noises, but mostly they all munched their hay.

We stayed with them until the fireworks and gun shots ended. It occurred to me yet again that I spend every July 4th and every New Year’s Eve in the barn, listening to sounds that mimic a war zone. Not the way I want to celebrate freedom, democracy, or a new year, but I do love being with the herd and helping them remain calm. 

A half hour or so after midnight people got tired of being out in the damp, foggy night shooting their guns and for me the real new year emerged. Horses eating hay, calm and peaceful in the finally still night. I hope calm and peace wrap around all of us in 2023. 

I did not take any photos, but the night was billowy with fog and the lights on our Christmas tree twinkled like stars as we walked back into the house. 

Today I’ll change out the gate wreaths and work on painting the bathroom upstairs, which I did yesterday and it made me happy. An audio book, my paint brushes, and working on trim with a color called White Dove in a pearl finish - it was a calm and peaceful couple of hours and will be again today. The Benjamin Moore paints are a joy and very forgiving. I brush it on and think, okay, I’m not a professional, and then it dries and looks terrific. 

Maybe in 2023 we can all applaud our own efforts this year, the things we do that maybe we aren’t perfect at doing, but the results are nonetheless good enough, and, sometimes, spectacular. 

Happy New Year!

Happy Christmas 2022

 Here’s something really meaningful and fun if you’d like some poetry and music and art in your day:

The Universe In Verse

Longing Is Not Regret is up on The Citron Review

 You can read it HERE.

This is one of my favorite pieces and I am SO happy it found a home with The Citron Review. Please take some time and explore the other pieces in this winter issue. I’m in amazing company. 

Winter Solstice 2022

 Happy winter solstice! This is my most favorite holiday because of the symbolism and the time of year when for me, the solstice is a quiet and personal celebration as opposed to the hustle of Christmas. Today I’ve seen a few clients, visited the apiary to check on the bees and give them a little food in case they need it, and I’ll be doing some kind of candle-lit walk later in the evening. There are a few things I’ll be leaving behind in this longest night, and many things I’ll be expressing gratitude for. 

The honey bees were all in clusters, which is how they keep warm and stay alive through the winter cold. We have glass inner covers with small circular feeding screens that allow us to check and feed the bees without disturbing them. All seem to be doing well except for the hive that blew over several months ago on a cold, rainy, windy night. We can’t tell for sure if the bees are in the deep hive box or not, and it’s just too cold to take the hive apart to see what’s happening. It’s possible they absconded after the blow-over but we fed in case there is a small cluster still inside. 

The horses have come out of their blankets for the day, and the ground continues to dry out. In a bit I’ll be in the barn setting up new shavings for them ahead of this longest, chilly night. 

The dogs and cats are piled up sleeping inside the house and I’m making a pot of soup when I get in from the barn. I can’t really think of a better way to spend this day. 

Somehow, this visitor on our Red Oak Wander two nights ago makes me think of me on the winter solstice. A time for personal reflection on the darkest night.