Feeding behaviour related to different feeding devices

Area of Science:

• Equine ethology
• Animal welfare science

Background:

• Slow feeding devices (SFDs) aim to improve horse well-being and reduce feed wastage.
• However, SFDs can lead to unnatural feeding postures and frustration behaviors in horses.
• Evaluating laterality during feeding is also important for understanding equine behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of different hay feeding methods on pony behavior.
• To compare feeding behavior, including lateralization, frustration, and posture, across four feeding methods: ground (G), fully filled hay net (HF), partially filled hay net (HL), and hay box (HB).

Main Methods:

• Nine ponies (Shetland and Welsh/Cob breeds) were video recorded during feeding.
• Behavioral analysis included head tilting, forelimb position, ear posture, blink rate, and specific frustration behaviors.
• Statistical analysis employed k-means cluster analysis, mixed models, PCA, and Pearson's correlation.

Main Results:

• Head tilting was more frequent with hay nets (HF, HL) than ground (G) or hay box (HB) feeding.
• Ponies, especially Welsh/Cobs, showed increased left-lateralization and backward ear posture with hay nets.
• Ground feeding (G) resulted in a higher blink rate; hay boxes (HB) and partially filled nets (HL) promoted more elongated neck postures than fully filled nets (HF).

Conclusions:

• Hay boxes (HB) represent a practical balance between natural ground feeding and the use of hay nets.
• SFDs can influence feeding laterality, posture, and behavioral indicators of frustration in ponies.
• The choice of SFD impacts equine feeding behavior and welfare considerations.