Welfare of horses: Is there a preference for the height of the trough for feeding?

• Grant number: 13/20987-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2014
• End date: July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: José Nicolau Prospero Puoli Filho
• Grantee: Marina Pagliai Ferreira da Luz
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The process of domestication of horses included the limitation of space and food concentrated supply in troughs. However, there is no consensus about the position of the height of such troughs during the moment of feeding of the horses , and some authors ( WHEELER , 2006; MERICO , 2013) claim that the "natural" way to feed are at ground level , while farmers defend the positioning over the high ( between 30 and 60 cm )(MERICO, 2013 ). Moreover, while feeding the horses often exhibit behaviors that are indicative of anxiety as being natural prey at that time: when they are more exposed to predation. Faced with this, we will evaluate the preference for height position of the troughs for horses and, if when feeding on the height of their choice; individuals have reduced behaviors indicative of anxiety. To do so, we will apply the multiple-choice test (four height options for positioning the trough simultaneously available) individually (N = 8) for 8 consecutive days. Then, we are going to evaluate individual choices on each day of testing, and therefore, determine the preferences for consistency of these choices over time (according MAIA, 2012). Then observe the same individuals feeding in troughs at the time of your choice (4-day test) or less in height chosen previously (4-day test) and recording the behaviors indicative of anxiety. Therefore, we will also evaluate the consistency of the behavioral responses of anxiety in relation to the preferred height of the trough over time.