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Assessing the impact of draught load pulling on welfare in equids
Syed S U H Bukhari1,2, Rebecca S V Parkes1,2
1Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science
|September 4, 2023
Summary
Understanding working equids
Area of Science:
- Animal Science
- Equine Welfare
- Biomechanical Engineering
Background:
- Millions of working equids globally support livelihoods, often in demanding industries like brick kilns and agriculture.
- These animals face welfare issues due to overloading and inadequate understanding of their working capacity.
- Assessing their capabilities is crucial for improving both performance and welfare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore methods for assessing the welfare and performance of load-pulling equids.
- To investigate physiological and biomechanical indicators of stress and fatigue in working equids.
- To propose novel, accessible welfare assessment tools for working equids.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of stride characteristics and gait kinematics to understand loading adaptations.
- Monitoring heart rate and heart rate variability as indicators of work intensity and stress.
- Biochemical analysis of blood lactate, blood gases, and plasma cortisol levels.
- Evaluating eye blink rate as a simple indicator of acute equine stress.
Main Results:
- Loading and fatigue significantly alter the locomotor patterns of load-pulling equids.
- Heart rate and biochemical markers reflect the physiological stress and exercise intensity.
- Eye blink rate shows potential as a low-cost, immediate indicator of equine stress.
Conclusions:
- A comprehensive understanding of load-pulling equids requires integrating biomechanical, physiological, and biochemical data.
- Further research is needed to standardize evidence-based assessments of draught load-pulling capacity.
- Eye blink rate offers a promising avenue for accessible equine welfare assessment in working animals.
Keywords:
cart pullingdonkey welfareequine behaviorequine physiologyequine welfarehorse welfarelimb biomechanicsmule welfareMore Related Videos
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