Using Movement Sensors to Assess Lying Time in Horses With and Without Angular Limb Deformities

Area of Science:

• Equine medicine
• Animal biomechanics
• Veterinary orthopedics

Background:

• Chronic musculoskeletal pathologies are prevalent in horses.
• Assessing pain and discomfort in horses can be challenging.
• Objective measurement tools are needed to evaluate equine welfare.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test if movement sensors combined with analgesics can identify restrictive musculoskeletal pathologies in horses.
• To assess changes in lying time as an indicator of musculoskeletal discomfort.
• To evaluate the efficacy of movement sensors in detecting behavioral changes related to pain.

Main Methods:

• Four horses with angular limb deformities (ALD) and four controls were monitored using movement sensors.
• Two trials were conducted, involving baseline periods and analgesic administration.
• Lying time and lying bouts were recorded to measure behavioral changes.

Main Results:

• Horses with ALDs exhibited significantly less lying time compared to controls in both trials.
• Analgesic administration led to a significant increase in lying time for horses with ALDs, normalizing the difference.
• Movement sensors effectively captured these behavioral changes, despite a small sample size.

Conclusions:

• Reduced lying time in horses may indicate underlying musculoskeletal discomfort.
• Movement sensors show potential as a non-invasive tool for assessing the impact of chronic pain in horses.
• Combining movement sensors with analgesic trials can aid in diagnosing restrictive pathologies.