(E42) Evaluating Equine Resting Behavior in Response to Housing Changes: Impact of Age and Adaptation Effect

Abstract:

Background: Changes in the immediate environment of horses such as relocation may disrupt their resting behavior, potentially impacting overall well-being. These effects have not been evaluated via electroencephalography, electrocardiography and video monitoring so far. Hypothesis/objectives: To investigate the effects of changes in housing on the sleeping behavior in horses of different age groups. Animals: Ten university-owned horses aged 5-26 years.

Methods: Ten Horses were enrolled in a longitudinal observational, prospective, cohort study. They were selected in five pairs and equipped with an EEG mask, ECG girth and video cameras were placed in two different housing settings to monitor each pair for eight nights. In Setting 1, horses were housed in a large barn with direct contact with conspecifics. In Setting 2, horses were individually housed in separate stalls in sight of each other. Each horse spent four consecutive nights in each setting. Sleeping patterns and lying behavior were evaluated via multinomial or binomial logistic regression mixed models, while sleep and lying duration were evaluated via linear mixed models.

Results: Distinct sleeping patterns were observed between the two settings. During the first night in each setting, the lowest amount of lying behavior and total sleep was recorded. Sleep and lying behavior increased after midnight. REM sleep occurred almost exclusively when horses were lying. Young horses (≤10 years) were more likely to sleep compared to older horses (>17 years). Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Relocation causes sleep alterations in horses, particularly during the first night. A distinct difference in sleep distribution is observed between young and older horses.