This new cognitive bias test—a way to test an individual’s level of optimism—could help researchers better evaluate equine welfare, researchers said.
German researchers found hoof angle changes affect horses differently and might create new problems.
Researchers performed diagnostic imaging on Standardbreds’ limbs to pick up early signs of damage to bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They noted more serious lesions—and more lesions in general—in horses trained only on a firm surface.
Scientists developed a portable testing system which uses infrared technology that can allow them to evaluate horses in their home stables without human intervention.
About 7% of tested equids were positive for the presence of antibodies against Besnoitia, the first time researchers have detected such antibodies in European equids.
Researchers have learned that, over the millennia, many mammals—horses included—adapted to climate by getting smaller.
New industry rules intended to improve horse welfare by decreasing whipping frequency might actually go against the principles of operant training and, specifically, negative reinforcement, one equitation scientist says.
Degeneration involves changes in the discs’ color, texture, and integrity due to age and possibly use, researchers said.
Researchers have learned that foals and dams appear to prefer looking at each other with their left eyes and keeping each other in their left field of vision in most situations.
Misinterpretations (believing a horse is happy when in fact he’s depressed, for example) could cause these future professionals to miss signs of poor welfare and put themselves at risk of injury (if they perceive an agitated horse as playful, for instance).
New study results indicate the pressure horses appear to accept from most bitless bridles is comparable to that they accept from snaffle bridles.
A mare’s attraction to a stallion—specifically, to his body odors, or “MHC”—affects pregnancy success rates. And, researchers found, mares appear to prefer stallions with MHCs that differ from their own.
By understanding these natural seasonal stress patterns, scientists are better equipped to continue preserving this endangered species, researchers said.
Researchers tested a technique to log heart rate and speed data from each horse in an attempt to monitor, step-by-step, the horse’s physical response to jumping during training, competition, and recovery.
In a recent study Japanese researchers found that the right mix of equine influenza vaccines provided immunity against the virus; the wrong mix, however, did not.
More experienced riders held their eyes on a specific point more frequently than less experienced riders, who shifted their vision frequently to look at more things, researchers found.
Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with
