Time-activity budget in horses and ponies: A systematic review and meta-analysis on feeding dynamics and management implications

IF 1.6 3区农林科学 Q2 VETERINARY SCIENCES

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science Pub Date : 2025-09-03 DOI:10.1016/j.jevs.2025.105684

M. Lamanna , G. Buonaiuto , R. Colleluori , F. Raspa , E. Valle , D. Cavallini

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

The time-activity budget is a key indicator of animal welfare. This meta-analysis integrated 14 studies (1979-2020) with 364 horses under wild, natural-living, and stabled conditions to evaluate feeding, resting, standing, and locomotion.

Aim

The study aimed to categorize daily behavioural patterns in equines, with emphasis on feeding behaviour.

Methods

Fixed and random effects models, forest plots, and ANOVA assessed the influence of management, sociality, sex, age, body size, and feeding type. Results: Feeding was greater in free-ranging (56 %) than stabled horses (38 %; p < 0.0001), in grouped (54 %) vs. isolated (39 %; p = 0.0052), in females (64 %) vs. males (48 %; p = 0.0253), and in grazing (56 %) vs. hay-fed horses (39 %; p = 0.0003). Resting was higher in young, small, grouped, and grazing horses. Standing was commoner in stabled, isolated, adult, larger, and hay-fed animals. Locomotion increased in free-ranging, grouped, and grazing horses.

Conclusion

Management promoting foraging, social interaction, and locomotion enhances equine welfare.

查看原文本刊更多论文

马和矮种马的时间-活动预算：对喂养动力学和管理意义的系统回顾和荟萃分析。

时间-活动预算是动物福利的一个关键指标。这项荟萃分析整合了14项研究（1979-2020）的数据，涉及364匹马在不同的管理条件下（野生、自然生活和马厩），以评估喂养、休息、站立和运动行为。采用固定效应和随机效应模型、森林样地和方差分析来评估管理制度、社会性、性别、年龄、体型和饲养类型的影响。饲养时间在管理（散养：56%，马厩：38%，p < 0.0001）、社会住房（群居：54%，隔离：39%，p = 0.0052）、性别（雌性：64%，雄性：48%，混合：46%，p = 0.0253）和饲养方式（放牧：56%，干草喂养：39%，p = 0.0003）方面存在显著差异。休息时间受年龄（3岁：6%；p < 0.0001）、体型（小马：24%，马：9%；p = 0.0005）、群居（群居：20%，孤立：6%；p = 0.0120）和饲喂类型（牧草：20%，干草：9%；p = 0.0418）的影响。站在稳定的更常见(47%)比自由放养的马(25%;p = 0.0013),在孤立的(51%)和分组(25%;p = 0.0002),成人(44%)和年轻的马(24%;p = 0.0047),在马(41%)和小马(23%;p = 0.0088),和hay-fed(47%)和放牧马(24%;p = 0.0004)。自由放养马的运动能力（7.5%）高于圈养马（4.5%;p = 0.0001），分组马（6.6%）高于隔离马（4.5%;p = 0.0220），放牧马（7.5%）高于干草喂养马（4.5%;p = 0.0001）。这项研究强调了促进觅食、社会互动和运动的管理实践的重要性，从而支持马的福利。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 农林科学-兽医学

CiteScore

2.70

自引率

7.70%

发文量

249

审稿时长

77 days

期刊介绍： Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (JEVS) is an international publication designed for the practicing equine veterinarian, equine researcher, and other equine health care specialist. Published monthly, each issue of JEVS includes original research, reviews, case reports, short communications, and clinical techniques from leaders in the equine veterinary field, covering such topics as laminitis, reproduction, infectious disease, parasitology, behavior, podology, internal medicine, surgery and nutrition.