Management and stereotypies of thoroughbreds in Central- Northern Italy

Management and stereotypies of thoroughbreds in Central- Northern Italy Francesca Martuzzi*, Stefania Pagot°, Federico Righi* * Dipartimento di Scienze degli Alimenti, Università di Parma, Parma, Italy; ° Veterinario Libero Professionista Corresponding author: francesca.martuzzi@unipr.it The study deals with horse management and incidence of behavioural anomalies, considering 504 thoroughbreds for flat and national hunter races, housed in 30 barns located in 3 racecourse and training facilities: Merano, Pisa, Livorno. The horses were examined by one of the authors, veterinary surgeon employed in the racecourses. Two kinds of questionnaire were used to collect further information asking owners and personnel. Form 1 considered housing (type of box, bedding); feeding (number of meals, concentrates and hay); training (sessions frequency and intensity, use of horse-walker, paddock). Form 2 provided clinical and management information about each horse evidencing behavioural problems. Twenty-eight horses (5.5%) showed stereotypic behaviours: 17 crib biting (3.4%), 8 weaving (1.6%), 3 box circling (0.6%). These percentages are lower than findings in other studies. In 8 cases the stereotypy appeared during a period of inactivity after an incident. The results showed trends in accordance with other studies: higher incidence of behavioural anomalies was evidenced when horses were individually housed in box with internal window compared to horses in box with external window; feeding 3 meals/day caused more anticipation anxiety, expressed especially by weaving, than 2 meals/day. All stereotypic horses were fed 6-8 kg of concentrate, with a low hay/concentrate rate (1:1 - 1.5:1): this was confirmed a risk factor especially for crib biting. The use of horse-walker and individual paddocks of small dimensions seems to cause more frustration, expressed equally by crib biting or weaving, than distraction. Training sessions on short distances at fast canter cause an increase, even if not significant, of the incidence of behavioural anomalies than sessions on long distances at slow canter, performed in national hunter racing (4.1% vs 3.1%, P=0.345). Nevertheless in two cases weaving appears after daily heavy work on short distances. In one case box circling disappeared after changing training from short to long distances. These management aspects are considered of concern for poor welfare by scientists, but often these notions aren’t applied into practice in the farms. Moreover, the complexity and interconnection of factors affecting horse welfare suggest that evaluation is necessary for each horse: in two cases after management changes the stereotypy disappeared.