Do Horses Need a Shelter?

Do horses need a field shelter? How important is it for them to have shade, or a place to get out of the wind and rain? What about protection from insects?

Four researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala wanted to find out. In their research, Kristina Dahlborn, Elke Hartmann, Richard Hopkins and Claudia von Brömssen, had noted that the importance of shelter for horses kept on summer pasture was rarely considered in welfare guidelines. They created an experiment to learn more about how horses use shelters so that science-based guidelines could then be included in information for horse owners.

The team designed three shelters. Shelter A had a roof and was closed on three sides. Shelter B had a roof but only the upper half of the rear wall was closed. Shelter C offered walls but no roof, as the researchers wanted to know whether the roof itself was an important feature from the horse’s perspective.

The shelters were 13 ft (4m) by 13 ft (4m).

1. What was the area of each shelter?

2. What kind of quadrilateral were the shelters?

Eight warmblood horses were tested, each for two days. They were placed by themselves for 24 hours at a time in two turnout paddocks with access to shelters A and B, or shelters A and C, respectively.

Horse Talk – warmblood: Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport. The term distinguishes these horses from both heavy draft horses (“cold bloods”) and refined light saddle horses such as the Thoroughbred and Arabian (“hot bloods”).

3. What was the total amount of time each horse spent in test paddocks over the course of the entire experiment?

Shelter use was recorded continuously during the night and the following day, and insect defensive behaviour, such as tail swishing, were noted in scan samples at 5-minute intervals during daytime.

4. How many scan samples would the researchers get in an hour?

5. Assuming daytime was 14 hours, how many scans would be recorded during this time period?

All eight horses were allowed to become familiar with the test paddocks and were familiarized with the shelters before the experiment began. No shade was available other than the shelters provided.

Observations

Seven of the eight horses used the shelters. They were observed inside the shelters during 35.4% of daytime observations during the study period.

6. What percentage of daytime observations found the horses outside the shelters?

Seven horses used both shelters A and B, but when given the choice between shelters A and C, shelter C was scarcely visited. The researchers also observed, there was no significant difference in duration of shelter use between day and night.

Science Talk – duration: the time during which something exists or lasts.

The time spent inside shelters A and B (the ones with a roof) did not differ significantly between night (105.8 minutes) and day (100.8 minutes).

7. What was the difference in the amount of time spent inside the shelters between night and day?

Shelter A was visited less during nights compared to shelter B, but there was no difference in duration during daytime.

“When given the choice between shelter A and a shelter closed on three sides but without a roof (shelter C), the shelter with a roof (A) was favoured.”

Clearly, the horses preferred shelters with a roof and partially closed on at least one side.

Daytime shelter use had a significant effect on insect defensive behaviours. “The probability of performing these behaviours was lowest when horses used shelter A compared to being outside,” the researchers reported.

Science Talk – probability: Probability is the measure of the likeliness that an event will occur.

Conclusions

Shelters were frequently used during nights and it seems that some feature of the shelter structure was appealing. It was night, so the researchers knew the horses weren’t looking for shade! They thought the horses may have felt safer inside the shelters.

During the cold season, horses seem to use shelters mostly during nights, and lying down behaviour occurred almost exclusively inside the shelter which may support this security seeking hypothesis.

Science Talk – hypothosis: a possible explanation for an observation, phenomenon, or scientific problem that can be tested by further investigation.

“Another plausible explanation of shelter use may be that horses seek to avoid insects. Under free-ranging conditions, horses often seek refuges at times of peak insect activity by moving to spots with maximum wind velocity, avoiding areas with dense vegetation.”

More research needs to be done on why horses choose to use shelters. Is it shade from the sun, shelter from insect pests, or through some sense of security, particularly among horses that are used to stabling? Future research should also establish whether horses kept in groups would seek shelter to a similar extent as when kept individually, they said.

Does the barn where you ride have shelters in the paddocks? Have you taken time to observe the horses’ behaviours? Now that you’ve read about this research project maybe you’ll find yourself observing the horses a little differently next time you’re at the barn—a sign of a budding equine scientist!

 

 

 

 

1. What was the area of each shelter?
Imperial Answer: 13 ft × 13 ft = 169 sq ft. The area of each shelter was 169 sq ft.
Metric Answer: 4m × 4m = 16 sq m. The area of each shelter was 16 sq m.

2. What kind of quadrilateral were the shelters?
Answer: All four sides were the same length. The shelters were square in shape.

3. What was the total amount of time the horses were in test paddocks over the course of the entire experiment?
Answer: 2 (days) × 24 (hours) = 48 hours. The horses spent 48 hours in the test paddocks.

4. How many scan samples would the researchers get in an hour?
Answer: 60 (number of minutes in an hour) ÷ 5 (scan interval in minutes) = 12. The researchers recorded 12 scans per hour.

5. Assuming daytime was 14 hours, how many scans would be recorded during this time period?
Answer: 14 (total number of daytime hours) × 12 (number of scans per hour) = 168. The researchers recorded 168 scans each day.

6. What percentage of daytime observations found the horses outside the shelters?
Answer: 100% (the total amount of daytime) – 35.4% (% of daytime spent inside shelter) = 64.6%. 64.6% of daytime hours were spent outside the shelters.

7. What was the difference in the amount of time spent inside the shelters between night and day?
Answer: 105.8 minutes – 100.8 minutes = 5 minutes. The horses spent 5 more minutes inside the shelter during the night.

Photos:
Through the gate by terryballard
Horse Shelter by Kat Dodd; CC BY 2.0
Gray Warmblood by Jean; CC BY 2.0
In the Shade by Deborah Stacey; CC BY 4.0
Paddock and horse shelter at Jackdaw’s Castle by Terry Jacombs; CC BY-SA 2.0