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Lying is a highly motivated behaviour in dairy cows. The level of comfort provided by the lying surface not only affects lying time, but can also affect several other aspects of welfare. We used a crossover design to compare shredded paper and sawdust bedding in relation to lying behaviour, activity, lameness, integument damage, cleanliness and productivity. Cubicles were bedded with a thin layer of bedding, which was replaced as necessary to retain its hygienic state. Twenty-eight lactating Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were divided into two balanced groups that experienced each bedding treatment for a 2 week period in opposing order. Paper bedding resulted in significantly less time spent lying down (paper: 45 %, SD ± 6.7, sawdust: 48 %, SD ± 7.3, P 0.10). Furthermore, no significant effects on step count, damage to the integument, cleanliness or milk yields were observed (P > 0.10). Slips were too rare overall for analysis. These findings indicate that paper bedding and sawdust were mostly comparable in terms of impact on behaviour, welfare and productivity when provided on a short-term basis. Future trials are recommended to determine if treatment effects persist following prolonged exposure to paper bedding. Assessing the longitudinal development of lameness and the long-term impact of reduced lying time will be essential.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of providing paper or rope, alternative enriching substrates to straw, to piglets in farrowing crates on piglet and sow welfare. Sixty multiparous sows and their litters were housed in crates that were either barren (BARREN), enriched with shredded paper (PAPER) or natural fibre rope (ROPE). Enriching substrates were introduced when piglets were 10 days old. The proportion of sows with udder and teat lesions before parturition and at weaning was recorded. Piglet facial lesions were scored according to severity on days 11, 18 and 27. Sow and piglet behaviour was recorded using scan sampling on days 14, 18, 22 and 26. Furthermore, the behaviour of one male and one female focal piglet per litter was recorded continuously for 10 min twice per day on days 14, 18, 22 and 26. On day 27 post-partum, focal piglets were observed for 5 min in a novel arena and for a further 5 min after a novel object was introduced. On day 27, there was a tendency for more BARREN sows to have teat lesions ( P = 0.07). PAPER litters tended to have a smaller proportion of piglets with facial lesions ( P = 0.06). ROPE piglets were active in the enriched area of the crate in more observations than BARREN and PAPER piglets ( P P P P P = 0.05). In conclusion, shredded paper improved piglet welfare and was easily incorporated into the farrowing crates.

The functional classifications of interdog aggression are as diverse as the types of aggression that dogs direct toward people. An effort should be made to determine the reason a dog exhibits aggression to another or at least to identify the stimulus complex that elicits the aggression. The latter is particularly important regarding daily management of the animal and if the clinician intends to implement a behavior modification program. Classical desensitization and counter-conditioning techniques can be used to treat aggression stemming from fear. Intermale aggression can often be reduced by castration and/or progestin therapy. Regardless of the motivation, the response of an aggressive dog on a leash towards other dogs can be counter-conditioned. The use of a “dog-head-halter” can be very helpful and a prudent safety precaution when implementing such a program. Managing aggressive behaviors of dogs within a household can be very difficult and not always practical or implementable. Sometimes these situations can be managed by identifying the stimulus complexes in which aggression occurs, and designing a behavior modification program that rewards one of both dogs for inhibiting themselves, e.g. remaining motionless, sitting or lying down. For example, both dogs might be taught to sit immediately when the owner enters the house; Dog A is rewarded for remaining quiet while the owner pets Dog B, etc. Even if the owner is able to control the aggressive behaviors of his/her dogs with such exercises, it should not be assumed that the dogs will be unaggressive in the owner’s absence. The person is part of the counterconditioning process and undoubtedly serves as a discriminating stimulus for whether or not the dogs engage in passive behaviors. It should never be assumed that dogs that are aggressive in the presence of the owner (especially if the aggression is severe) will be “all right” when the owner is not there. Dogs have been known to kill another dog when the owner has not been there to intervene. 0168-1591/95/$09.50

The present paper describes two experiments in which preferences of laboratory mice for materials which could serve as cage enrichment were investigated. In the first experiment, presence of nesting material (paper towel or tissue) and the presence of a nest box (perforated metal or clear perspex box) were tested against each other. On average, the 47 mice tested spent significantly more time in the cage with the nesting material (more than 69% of their total time, whereas less than 25% of their time in the cage with the nest box). In the second experiment,the preferred nesting material (tissues) was placed in a cage with a grid floor (previously found to be avoided) and the nest box (perforated metal) was placed in another cage, connected to the first, with a solid floor covered with sawdust bedding material. In this experiment, 24 female mice were tested and on average they spent more than 67% of their time in the cage with the nesting material, despite the presence of a grid floor. Thus, it is concluded that providing a cage with nesting material (in addition to bedding) may be essential for the well-being of laboratory mice. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

The aim of this scoping review was to consolidate information pertaining to welfare and quality of life assessments of shelter dogs. Specific objectives were to identify and characterize types of welfare assessment instruments, discuss circumstances where welfare and quality of life assessments are used, and identify research gaps. A comprehensive search strategy was implemented in five databases. Literature published globally between the years 2000 and 2020 was identified using specific search terms. Abstracts and full papers were screened, relevant articles obtained, and welfare assessment methods characterized. Of 670 unique citations identified, 43 met the inclusion criteria of including a welfare or quality of life assessment for shelter dogs. There were 16 different assessment tools used to evaluate welfare and quality of life in shelter dogs. Ethogram-based assessment tools, five of which were validated, were used in 37 publications. Physiological based assessment methods were used to assess welfare in 26 publications. Overall, assessment tools were used to either evaluate a dog’s acclimation to the shelter environment or evaluate welfare interventions. Several validated tools were identified that could be useful to shelters depending on need. The Multi-Operator Qualitative Behavioral Assessment and the Quality of Life Assessment are tools allowing for quick welfare assessments by shelter staff, while the Shelter Quality Protocol and the Shelter Quality Protocol 2 are more comprehensive welfare assessments, which require some experience or training in shelter management. The review identified few papers that evaluated the effects of chronic stress on dogs housed in a shelter environment long-term. Therefore, welfare of these dogs should be a priority for future studies. The range of assessment methods underscores the complexity of evaluating welfare and quality of life in different types of sheltering environments.

The methods by which dogs are trained vary between methods involving mainly negative reinforcement and positive punishment (aversive-based methods) and methods based essentially in positive reinforcement and negative punishment (reward-based methods). However, the use of aversive-based methods is highly controversial. While some people defend their merits, others are concerned with their potential negative effect on dog welfare. To date, some studies have been performed aiming to assess the effects of aversive- and rewardbased methods on the welfare and behaviour of dogs. In the present paper we perform a comprehensive review of those studies with the aim of characterizing the state of the art of scientific knowledge of the topic. Generally, the published studies suggest that the use of aversive-based methods is correlated with indicators of compromised welfare in dogs, namely stress‐related behaviours during training, elevated cortisol levels and problematic behaviours such as fear and aggression. However, there are a number of limitations that prevent any strong conclusion from being drawn. First, a considerable proportion of the studies relied upon surveys rather than on objective measures. Second, they focused on sub-populations of police and laboratory dogs and, thus, only represent a small portion of dogs undergoing training. Finally, the empirical studies have concentrated mainly on the effects of shock-collar training, which is only one of several tools used in aversive-based training, and, in some studies, the description of the training methodologies lacks details. Here we present a description of the published studies, discuss their limitations, debate other aspects that, in parallel with the nature of the training methods, may affect dog welfare, and point to future directions for research on the topic. Ana Catarina Vieira de Castro was funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia with an individual post-doc grant (SFRH/BPD/111509/2015). The work undergoing the present review paper did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or notfor-profit sectors.

One Welfare describes the interconnection between animal welfare, human wellbeing and their physical and social environment. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the cause of COVID-19 and emerged as a human pathogen in 2019 although is thought to have a zoonotic source. The original wildlife reservoir and any potential intermediate hosts have not yet been identified. The combination of the virus zoonotic condition together with the impacts of disease control measures has exposed clear interconnections between animals, people and their environment from both a health and a welfare perspective. The One Welfare Framework comprises five sections that can help understand the different One Welfare levels on which the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world. This paper uses the One Welfare Framework to provide an overview of examples, within each of the five sections, where evidence is and/or can be made available to document COVID-19 impacts on One Welfare. The paper identifies a number of areas where further research and evidence gathering is required to better understand the different One Welfare impacts. Based on evidence summarised in this paper the author recommends that those responsible for managing the COVID-19 impacts and for planning the future recovery phase of the pandemic should consider adopting a holistic approach, including both health and welfare, by adopting & One Health, One Welfare& policies.

All non-human great apes are endangered, and for these animals, captive individuals play an important role in the species’ conservation management plan. Therefore, information about their current enrichment activities is essential for maintaining a healthy captive population. This paper reviews research where digital media is used as cognitive enrichment for great apes with a particular focus on orangutans, and assesses its appropriateness and relevance for current and future enrichment programs. The paper provides a holistic overview of topical issues surrounding primates in captivity, including a discussion of primate cognitive abilities, current institutional enrichment strategies and practices, and a chronological review of how digital media technologies have performed within this paradigm. The paper also covers issues in enrichment such as the concept of the power of control, natural versus non-natural enrichment, naturalism/anthropomorphism, stimulation versus stereotypy, and respecting individualism in great apes. This review reveals that as technologies advance interactive digital applications will become increasingly relevant for captive great apes and other primates because of its ability to provide improved solutions where traditional non-digital enrichment may have either failed or proven less efficient. It also highlights the importance of considering the preferences and differences in cognitive abilities of each individual when selecting particular digital enrichment activities. A wide variety of factors including life history, species, sex, age, previous enrichment experience, training routines and methods, and housing conditions will all affect the success of digital media enrichment. With this in mind, this paper identifies gaps in current knowledge, highlighting the need for further studies.

Tail biting in pigs is a multi-factorial problem, and the early rearing environment has been proposed as a potential previously unidentified factor. The aim of this study was to test whether access to chewable material from birth to weaning reduces later tail biting. Undocked litters of 59 sows were allocated to two treatments. In the rope-and-paper treatment ( N =30), the farrowing pens were furnished from birth to weaning with 10 pieces of sisal rope and one plastic ball suspended on the wall, and the piglets were given newspaper and wood shavings twice a day. In the control treatment ( N =29), plastic ball and wood shavings were provided. The average group size was 11 piglets per pen. The piglets were weaned during week 4 after birth and transferred to growing pens, combining two or three litters from the same treatment to each pen, on average 18 pigs per pen. The growing pens were identical for both treatment groups: each had three pieces of sisal rope and a plastic chewing toy. Wood shavings were given twice a day. Behaviour was recorded on video during weeks 2, 3 and 9 after birth. Tail damage was scored during week 9. During weeks 2 and 3 after birth, oral-nasal manipulation of other piglets was less frequent in the rope-and-paper pens than in the controls ( P P P =0.001). During week 9, when both treatment groups had spent five weeks in identical post-weaning environments, oral-nasal manipulation of pen mates and objects no longer differed significantly between the treatment groups ( P >0.1), but there was a significant difference in tail damage. Severe tail damage (part of tail missing, or wounds with inflammation) had a mean prevalence of 9.8% in the pigs that had paper and ropes before weaning, and 32.1% in the controls ( P P =0.002). In undamaged tails, there was no significant difference between the treatment groups ( P >0.1). It is concluded that providing chewable materials in early life has promising potential for reducing the severity of later tail biting.

Tension banding castration of cattle is gaining favour because it is relatively simple to perform and is promoted by retailers of the banders as a humane castration method. Two experiments were conducted, under tropical conditions using Bos indicus bulls comparing tension banding (Band) and surgical (Surgical) castration of weaner (7–10 months old) and mature (22–25 months old) bulls with and without pain management (NSAID (ketoprofen) or saline injected intramuscularly immediately prior to castration). Welfare outcomes were assessed using a range of measures; this paper reports on some physiological, morbidity and productivity-related responses to augment the behavioural responses reported in an accompanying paper. Blood samples were taken on the day of castration (day 0) at the time of restraint (0 min) and 30 min (weaners) or 40 min (mature bulls), 2 h, and 7 h; and days 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 post-castration. Plasmas from day 0 were assayed for cortisol, creatine kinase, total protein and packed cell volume. Plasmas from the other samples were assayed for cortisol and haptoglobin (plus the 0 min sample). Liveweights were recorded approximately weekly to 6 weeks and at 2 and 3 months post-castration. Castration sites were checked at these same times to 2 months post-castration to score the extent of healing and presence of sepsis. Cortisol concentrations (mean ± s.e. nmol/L) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the Band (67 ± 4.5) compared with Surgical weaners (42 ± 4.5) at 2 h post-castration, but at 24 h post-castration were greater in the Surgical (43 ± 3.2) compared with the Band weaners (30 ± 3.2). The main effect of ketoprofen was on the cortisol concentrations of the mature Surgical bulls; concentrations were significantly reduced at 40 min (47 ± 7.2 vs. 71 ± 7.2 nmol/L for saline) and 2 h post-castration (24 ± 7.2, vs. 87 ± 7.2 nmol/L for saline). Ketoprofen, however, had no effect on the Band mature bulls, with their cortisol concentrations averaging 54 ± 5.1 nmol/L at 40 min and 92 ± 5.1 nmol/L at 2 h. Cortisol concentrations were also significantly elevated in the Band (83 ± 3.0 nmol/L) compared with Surgical mature bulls (57 ± 3.0 nmol/L) at weeks 2–4 post-castration. The timing of this elevation coincided with significantly elevated haptoglobin concentrations (mg/mL) in the Band bulls (2.97 ± 0.102 for mature bulls and 1.71 ± 0.025 for weaners, vs. 2.10 ± 0.102 and 1.45 ± 0.025 respectively for the Surgical treatment) and evidence of slow wound healing and sepsis in both the weaner (0.81 ± 0.089 not healed at week 4 for Band, 0.13 ± 0.078 for Surgical) and mature bulls (0.81 ± 0.090 at week 4 for Band, 0.38 ± 0.104 for Surgical). Overall, liveweight gains of both age groups were not affected by castration method. The findings of acute pain, chronic inflammation and possibly chronic pain in the mature bulls at least, together with poor wound healing in the Band bulls support behavioural findings reported in the accompanying paper and demonstrate that tension banding produces inferior welfare outcomes for weaner and mature bulls compared with surgical castration.

Tension-band castration of cattle is gaining favour because it is relatively simple to perform and is promoted by retailers of the devices as a humane castration method. Furthermore, retailers encourage delaying castration to exploit the superior growth rates of bulls compared with steers. Two experiments were conducted, under tropical conditions, comparing tension banding and surgical castration of weaner (7–10 months old) and mature (22–25 months old) Bos indicus bulls with and without pain management (ketoprofen or saline injected intramuscularly immediately prior to castration). Welfare outcomes were assessed using a wide range of measures; this paper reports on the behavioural responses of the bulls and an accompanying paper reports on other measures. Behavioural data were collected at intervals by direct observation and continuously via data loggers on the hind leg of the bulls to 4 weeks post-castration. Tension-banded bulls performed less movement in the crush/chute than the surgically castrated bulls during the procedures (weaner: 2.63 vs. 5.69, P < 0.001; mature: 1.00 vs. 5.94; P < 0.001 for tension-band and surgical castration, respectively), indicating that tension banding was less painful then surgical castration during conduct. To 1.5 h post-castration, tension-banded bulls performed significantly (all P < 0.05) more active behavioural responses indicative of pain compared with surgical castrates, e.g., percentage time walking forwards (weaner: 15.0% vs. 8.1%; mature: 22.3% vs. 15.1%), walking backwards (weaner: 4.3% vs. 1.4%; mature: 2.4% vs. 0.5%), numbers of tail movements (weaner: 21.9 vs. 1.4; mature: 51.5 vs. 39.4) and leg movements (weaner: 12.9 vs. 0.9; mature: 8.5 vs. 1.5), respectively. In contrast, surgically castrated bulls performed more immobile behaviours compared with tension-banded bulls (e.g., standing in mature bulls was 56.6% vs. 34.4%, respectively, P = 0.002). Ketoprofen administration appeared effective in moderating pain-related behaviours in the mature bulls from 1.5 to 3 h, e.g., reducing abnormal standing (0.0% vs. 7.7%, P = 0.009) and increasing feeding (12.7% vs. 0.0%, P = 0.048) in NSAID- and saline-treated bulls, respectively. There were few behavioural differences subsequent to 24 h post-castration, but some limited evidence of chronic pain (3–4 weeks post-castration) with both methods. Interpretation, however, was difficult from behaviours alone. Thus, tension banding is less painful than surgical castration during conduct of the procedures and pain-related behavioural responses differ with castration method (active restlessness in response to tension banding and minimisation of movement in response to surgical castration). Ketoprofen administered immediately prior to castration was somewhat effective in reducing pain, particularly in the mature bulls.

Cats are one of the world’s most populous companion animals, yet little is known about how the home environment is adapted relative to their needs. Outdoor access is thought to be beneficial for both the physical and mental wellbeing of cats, yet as urbanisation increases, reducing owner access to outdoor spaces, an increasing number of cats are kept strictly indoors. The impact of an indoor lifestyle on feline behaviour and welfare is little explored and poorly understood. This study used a systematic review to assess scientifically validated knowledge concerning social and physical environments and their implications for indoor cats. A total of 61 papers were analysed. Only n = 21 papers directly addressed at-home indoor scenarios with the remainder consisting of shelter/cattery (n = 27) or laboratory (n = 16) (some papers explored multiple environments). Across studies there was little evidence of rigour or systematically controlled approaches. Methods frequently used were cat-stress-scores (CSS) and ethograms, neither of which were consistently standardised, substantially reducing the ability to compare findings among studies. Numerous studies explored similar variables (i.e. provision of hiding space (n = 9)) yielding little additional knowledge. Measures of welfare and behaviour were often assessed using single parameters in controlled environments. Although this may be useful and applicable to cat experiences within shelters, catteries and laboratories, the findings do not necessarily translate to dynamic and variable household environments. Major findings include the benefits of enrichment such as hiding boxes and vertical resting spaces, as often recommended by veterinarians and feline charities. However, other advice provided, such as the provision of feeding enrichment for psychological welfare, although not necessarily disputed, appears to be scientifically untested. Additionally, despite the social environment being likely to have a substantial effect on cat welfare, it is particularly under-studied in the home, especially in terms of its complexity (e.g. presence of young children or dogs). Overall, the review identified substantial gaps relative to cat experiences and welfare in multifactorial home environments. Understanding the impact of indoor lifestyles and promoting mechanisms to minimise any negative impacts whilst promoting positive ones, remains an important, yet underexplored, area of research.

In order to understand the impact of different experimental and husbandry procedures on fish, and ensure that the behavioural and physiological needs of fish used in research are met, it is necessary to have detailed knowledge of their behaviour. This knowledge is largely lacking for Atlantic salmon. Results from behavioural studies of rainbow trout are often extrapolated to Atlantic salmon even though this may not be correct. Pre-smolt Atlantic salmon show diurnal variation in behaviour in the wild, but there are no published descriptions of behaviour during the dark hours for salmon held in the laboratory. Thus, the first aim of this paper was to describe the time budget of singly-held salmon both during the light and dark hours on the first and seventh day after introduction to a new environment. Statistical differences in time budget between morning, afternoon and night are described. In addition, three environmental enrichments were provided, and the time spent using each resource was scored. In general, no behaviours differed in frequency between morning and afternoon registrations, but there were significant differences in the time-budget between day and night and also between day 1 and 7. Fish hid less and displayed more behaviours during the night than during the day, and also after 7 days in the tank compared to at the first day. The exceptions were bottom behaviours which were displayed with the same frequency during day and night and during day 1 and day 7, and hovering, which was unchanged at night from day 1 to day 7. Thus, different behaviours seem to be influenced by light and by the novelty of the surroundings to different degrees. Of the three enrichments included in the study, the hiding place and the inlet current were used most frequently. As far as the authors know, this is the first paper describing the daytime and night time behaviour of parr Atlantic salmon in a research facility in detail.

European wild boars (Sus scrofa) are kept in Swedish enclosures for hunting and meat production purposes. The sows are known to undergo behavioural changes in connection with farrowing and their natural behaviours may be compromised by the limited area of the enclosure. The general aim of this thesis was to provide detailed quantitative data on wild boar sows when farrowing in captivity and to report whether possible needs can be compromised by the limitations of an enclosure. Specifically, it was aimed to provide a quantitative and functional account of the occurrence of infanticide, and its possible relations to welfare of confined wild boars. A field study was carried out in a hunting enclosure, where 1200 hours of behavioural recordings and data from 22 farrowings were collected. The farrowing period could be divided into three phases: pre-farrowing, isolation and sociality phases (in relation to farrowing: day -14 to -1, day 1 to 8, day 9 to 14 respectively). The activity decreased during isolation and increased in the sociality phase. The average distance to other individuals increased during isolation and decreased in the sociality phase. Habitat use changed towards more protective habitats after farrowing (Paper I). Non-maternal infanticide was documented in 14 out of 22 litters. Infanticide, typically performed by an older and larger sow than the mother, caused the deaths of all neonates in all but one affected litters. We found no effect of relatedness. A questionnaire sent to 112 owners of enclosures in Sweden and Finland resulted in 62 responses. Although the owners were often not able to provide exact figures on reproduction and mortality, nonmaternal infanticide was reported to be the most common cause of piglet mortality. The occurrence of infanticide was unrelated to size of enclosure and to variations in husbandry routines. All together results may suggest that non-maternal infanticide is part of the normal behavioural repertoire in wild boars (Paper II). The studies of this thesis reveals the farrowing period as the most dynamic and perhaps most challenging for wild boar sows in enclosures. There are serious welfare concerns in the husbandry of wild boars in Swedish enclosures. The most obvious welfare problem is non-maternal infanticide, where both sows and piglets are assumed to suffer, and where the outcome from the action must be considered unacceptable. If wild boar husbandry shall be equated with other animal husbandry in our society, it needs to be regulated to overcome many of the presented potential welfare problems in this thesis.

Wallowing, i.e. coating the body surface with mud, is a natural behaviour of pigs, commonly observed in feral pigs and wild boar, but rarely provided for in current housing systems for domestic pigs. Furthermore, in welfare science the subject has not been receiving much attention. This paper reviews wallowing in pigs and related species. The behaviour is described and its motivational basis is examined. Underlying the review was a literature search for scientific citations. In total 48 papers were identified containing citations about wallowing behaviour in pigs and wild boar, and 12 papers contained citations about wallowing in related species. Wallowing is observed in many related species including rhino's, elephants, bovids (e.g. American bison) and deer. Pigs also share several taxonomic characteristics with water-loving mammals such as water buffalo's, hippo's and whales. The common perception is that pigs wallow mainly for cooling, sunburn protection and the removal of ecto-parasites. Little scientific evidence exists for other functions than thermoregulation. Pigs lack functional sweat glands and wallowing in mud is an effective behavioural control mechanism in pigs to prevent hyperthermia. Wallowing, however, may also serve other functions, e.g. in scent-marking and sexual behaviour. In addition, wallowing in pigs, like dustbathing in poultry, may be indicative of positive welfare and, perhaps, the performance of the behaviour is ‘hardwired’ and rewarding in itself. If so, wallowing could be an important element of a good life in pigs.

The field of applied animal behaviour science has seen significant changes since David Wood-Gush and others began to study the behaviour of domesticated animals in the 1950s. This paper looks at these changes in order to provide a perspective on where the science has come from and where it might be going. Applied behaviour science for much of the Wood-Gush era was primarily interested in the study of the biology of domestic animal behaviour rather than directly in animal welfare. The post-Wood-Gush era has been characterised by an increasing global concern for animal welfare. This has had widespread socio-political effects including a marked shift in funding priorities towards support for research on animal welfare issues. Consequently research output on animal welfare is currently on a steep incline, but there is evidence from literature searches that the contribution of applied animal behaviour science to this output maybe declining probably reflecting in part the wider suite of disciplines (including socio-economics) now contributing to welfare research. Despite the likelihood that there will continue to be demand for research on animal welfare, applied behaviour science should not be complacent over its future. One issue highlighted in this paper is the risk that the focus on applied welfare issues may limit the strategic development of applied behaviour science. This could be particularly detrimental where there is a need to address complex issues such as the development of approaches to assessment of subjective states in animals. It is proposed that International Society for Applied Ethology (ISAE) could help counter these influences by developing a strategic plan for the future of applied behavioural science, and the developments within the science that are required to meet future demands. Examples taken from this paper would be to raise awareness of the potential benefits in integrating the different biological approaches to welfare research, and the need for theoretical and strategic research including a wider use of quantitative modelling. In addition there is a growing need for approaches that link animal welfare with other societal issues in order to better understand the trade-offs between welfare and other concerns. Such a strategy would help focus the applied behaviour science community on meeting future challenges and should help sustain the legacy of David Wood-Gush and the other early pioneers in applied behaviour science into the future.

Many farm, laboratory, zoo and companion animals experience some form of maternal deprivation. This is typically via separation from their mothers earlier than would happen in free-living populations, in some cases even while young are still dependent upon milk. Maternal deprivation may also occur in a qualitative way, via inadequate maternal care, perhaps caused by inexperience or by restrictive environments that limit maternal behaviours. In this paper we review evidence on the link between early separation from the mother and abnormal behaviour from a wide range of sources, including the early primate studies in this field, more recent examples from zoo and commercially reared animals, and human examples from studies of institutionalised children. We discuss factors that seem to influence the magnitude of later effects, such as developmental stage and age at separation, and whether separation is gradual (i.e. more similar to natural separation) or abrupt (as often the case in captivity). In these instances, however, maternal deprivation is just one aspect of a suite of changes that occur when infants are separated from their mothers. In the second part of the paper we therefore review the few cases where maternal loss per se has been investigated, and studies showing lasting affects of qualitative aspects of maternal care. We then look at the possible mechanisms underlying maternal deprivation-induced stereotypic behaviours including potential frustration of specific motivations, and lasting, more pervasive changes for instance in temperament or motor control. Finally, we discuss the practical and welfare implications of the effects of maternal deprivation, and suggest some topics for future research.

The aim of this paper is to provide a discussion about the significance of using a theoretical framework from behavioural ecology in solving problems in applied ethology. The theoretical approach in behavioural ecology involves costs and benefits of behavioural decisions made by an individual of a particular species in one particular environment. Optimality models seek to predict which trade-offs between costs and benefits will give the maximum net benefit to the individual. Game and ecological theories on habitat choice, resource defence and use of space according to resource distribution and competitive abilities are examples of theoretical frameworks that could serve as useful approaches when studying farm animal behaviour. The main differences between wild and domestic species are different selection pressures and environmental constraints. However, there is little evidence that domestication has resulted in loss of behaviours from the species repertoire, that addition of new behaviours has occurred or that farm animals are incapable of making optimal decisions in their environment. In nearly all cases, behavioural differences between wild and domestic stocks are quantitative in character and best explained by differences in response thresholds (differences in frequencies of behavioural components). Except for animals kept on pasture, groups of domestic animals are most commonly kept in a closed space where there is no or little option to leave or modify the environment. Individuals in these groups are not able to choose their flock mates, nor can they manipulate the group size, and resources in the environment are often limited and defendable. Still, the fact that they live in an artificial environment is not in itself an argument against using domestic species as model animals for basic research questions. It is possible to make a similar framework and economical models as the ones used in behavioural ecology that include assumptions fitted to the domestic species and the artificial environment, and the present paper provides some examples of that.

Social dominance is a multidimensional phenomenon occurring in all gregarious farm animals and finds its reflection in a dominance hierarchy. Hence, numerous studies have tried to analyse dominance relationships as well as to correlate outcoming results (mostly individual ranks) with other behavioural and/or physiological features of the animals. Although the concept of dominance, once established, has been developed continuously and several sociometric measures were cumulatively introduced, a consistent analysing approach has not been achieved, especially in farm animals. Thus, considerable inconsistencies in the used methodology may impair obtained results and interpretations. The present paper is a plea for a more standardised and complex approach when analysing dominance relationships, not only in farm animals. First, derived from a structural definition of dominance, we suggest in detail the preferably consistent use of appropriate sociometric measures at all social levels of analysis: the dyad as the starting level, the group as the highest level, and the individual as the basic level. Second, we applied this procedures in a case study to analyse social dominance in a group of dwarf goats ( n =12) and pigs ( n =10), respectively, to comparatively demonstrate benefits and problems of such an approach in two different farm animal species. It is concluded that the use of individual ranks is actually only reasonable when fundamental sociometric measures both at the dyadic level (e.g. percentage of dyads which have a significant asymmetric outcome) and at the group level (e.g. the strength of hierarchy) are successfully tested by statistical methods as also presented in this paper. The calculated sociometric measures deliver not only a more comprehensive “picture” of the social relationships within a group as simple ranks do, but also indicate possible reasons of differences in the behavioural development. For instance, whereas the dwarf goats maintained a quasi-linear dominance hierarchy over time with a high rate of overt agonistic behaviour, pigs after the establishment of their hierarchy showed a reduced agonistic behaviour which makes it questionable to calculate reliable sociometric measures. These species-dependent variations may be primarily caused by different kinds of the fighting behaviour in goats (i.e. ritualised, low costs) and pigs (i.e. more seriously, high costs). Overall, a more consistent and standardised approach of analysing social dominance in (farm) animals may improve the scientific value of single studies and makes it easier to compare various studies within a species and between species.

We assessed the pecking behaviour of caged White Leghorn hens towards feather-shaped stimuli varying in colour (red or blue), material (paper or feather) and movement (stationary or movable) attached to a board placed in the feed trough. Each of the eight stimulus combinations was presented to two replicate groups of 5 young hens for 15 min at 45 and 57 days of age. We predicted that the birds would be especially attracted to red movable feathers simulating a live bird with bloodstained feathers. Severe (forceful) pecks were directed more frequently at feather than paper stimuli (P

A distinction is made between consciousness as a subjective notion and of awareness as a physical notion: consciousness including such things as pleasure and pain, awareness including such things as neurological processes and nerve stimuli. This paper addresses the philosophical problems involved in relating consciousness and awareness. It begins with a brief survey of the history of solutions to the problem. This includes solutions offered by Rene Descartes, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Nicolas Malebranche. Next, the paper addresses the current debate. Four contemporary solutions to the problem are discussed: the theory that consciousness can be identified with awareness, the theory that they are functionally equivalent, the dualist theory that consciousness and awareness are two entirely different aspects of the world, and the theory of eliminative materialism: that our talk about consciousness is misguided and will eventually be replaced entirely by the materialist language of awareness. Lastly the paper addresses the issue of consciousness in animals. Two positions are considered which argue that animals are aware but not conscious. J.S. Kennedy argues that it is unlikely as well as methodologically misleading to think of animals as conscious. Peter Carruthers argues that animals may have mental states, but that they are not conscious in the way that humans are. These views are criticized on the basis of empirical work on animal behaviour. In particular, the work of John Webster and Patrick Bateson is used to support the claim that animals are conscious. It is concluded that the question of consciousness among animals is largely philosophical and that the practical questions concern what the needs of animals really are and how they are to be met.

This special issue contains 14 papers addressing the nature of animal sentience and suffering as experienced by the animals themselves and how practitioners in the field can incorporate this understanding to ensure the proper treatment of animals. The simplest definition of animal sentience is "feelings that matter". Therefore sentient animals are those that experience emotions associated with pleasure and suffering and are motivated to promote their evolutionary fitness, not as part of a well-planned, long-term strategy to ensure the well-being of future generations, but through the simpler, but no less intense, need to feel good about themselves. Most of the papers in this issue are comprehensive, fully referenced scientific reviews. However, it also includes a number of short. The papers in this special issue may be categorized under four headings. Section 1 addresses the nature of sentience. Section 2 deals with the study of sentience. Section 3 deals with cognition, communication and higher emotions and presents convincing evidence to illustrate that advanced features of cognition and affect (or emotion) are not unique to humans but widely shared within the animal kingdom. The fourth and last section is on the respect of sentience in farm and working animals, consisting of two comprehensive reviews and two short communications that consider how our scientific understanding of animal sentience may be incorporated into the practice of good animal husbandry.

In “Life in a variable world”, Mike Appleby asserts that environmental stimulation forms a large and infinitely variable continuum. This property is reflected in the organisation of behaviour; Appleby argues that there are no distinct optimal states or ‘needs’ towards which an animal’s behaviour is directed. Animals merely respond towards the range of stimuli available to them, sometimes in adaptive, sometimes in maladaptive fashion. The distinction between natural and artificial environments, and normal and abnormal behaviour, thus loses much of its meaning. Well-being becomes a relative value, emerging out of a complex multiplicity of underlying factors affecting the animal’s behaviour. This would make it impossible to predict with any amount of certainty under which circumstances well-being may or may not arise. Appleby therefore proposes that an external frame of reference is needed to establish desirable features of environmental design. He concludes that cost-benefit analysis may provide the ‘optimal’ logical framework for informed decision-making on problems of animal welfare. The value of this paper is that it puts forward variability and complexity as issues which, in an animal welfare context, need in-depth consideration in their own right. The interaction of animals with their environment, the paper argues, is too multifaceted and complex to warrant a definition of welfare in terms of distinct ‘needs’. Such an argument is timely, given the growing scientific interest in animal cognition and decision-making. It also may positively affect practical issues of environmental design, implying that man-made housing environments, though artificial by definition, could be made sufficiently complex to generate a satisfactory level of welfare. This may stimulate institutions which formerly felt forced to create wildlife safari parks on their premises (with all the accompanying resentment), to take a more constructive attitude in designing appropriate housing systems. Despite my sympathy with the overall theme of the paper, however, I do not agree

A survey of papers published in Zoo Biology between 1989 and 1994 showed that 40% of papers were behavioural studies, but only 35% of these reported basic research. Most papers were authored by zoo researchers (58%), either with or without an academic collaborator. A similar survey of Animal Behaviour in 1993–1994 revealed only three zoo-based studies, even though 160 of the 344 studies published used captive animals. Possible reasons why so few academic researchers study the behaviour of zoo animals are discussed, including the perception that zoo populations are abnormal, the current theoretical emphasis in behavioural biology on functional rather than causal explanations of behaviour, and the methodological difficulties of zoo work. Nevertheless, examples are given of published basic behavioural work undertaken in zoos, and the conclusion drawn that more structured collaboration between zoo and academic researchers is necessary to make full use of zoos' research potential.

The number of published studies which use operant conditioning techniques with farm animals is rapidly increasing. A wide range of journals carry such articles and some of the information is in abstract form only. This paper provides an overview of the scientific work done with cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, horses, dogs and hens and includes a general section where technological reports or papers on operant methods and apparatus designed for farm species are cited. The progress at Ruakura where the operant techniques have been directly applied to a range of on-farm problems is outlined, as are the lessons learned from such work. A bibliography covering the field of practical and theoretical operant papers with farmed species contains references additional to those cited in the overview.

In an effort to mitigate piglet acute responses to surgical castration, the procedure can be preceded by injections of a local anaesthetic. Regardless of potential benefits at castration, the impact of local anaesthetics on piglet welfare following the procedure remains under-documented. The present paper is based on data collected in two separate castration studies investigating the impact of injection with procaine, using different injection methods, different volumes of injected drug and different timing of injection, on behavioural responses of 3–4 day old piglets, as measured by indicators of social motivation immediately after castration (Study 1 and 2), as well as behaviours recorded continuously for 10 min upon return to the home pen (Study 2 only). Study 1 involved 597 piglets, and 13 treatments: castration without anaesthesia (CC), local anaesthesia followed by castration involving all combinations of two methods of injection (intra-funicular and intra-testicular) and four intervals between injection and castration (2.5, 5, 10 and 30 min), and sham handling separated by the same four intervals (SH). Study 2 involved 290 piglets and 5 treatments: castration without anaesthesia (CC), castration after intra-testicular injections of 0.5 or 0.3 mL of procaine per testis, and sham handling with either one (SH1) or two stays in a castration bench (SH2). Across both studies, piglets injected with procaine showed signs of reduced motivation to approach their siblings in the social motivation test compared to controls castrated without anaesthesia or sham handled. The indicators of social motivation did not differ from the controls in case of castration 30 min after drug injection. In addition, responses shown in the social motivation test were less impacted after injection of 0.3 compared to 0.5 mL of procaine per testis. In Study 2, piglets injected with 0.5 mL of procaine appeared to be less active at the udder, and displayed more huddled up postures, immediately upon return to the home pen, as compared to piglets injected with 0.3 mL of procaine or the controls castrated without anaesthesia or sham handled. Altogether, the results suggest that injections with a procaine-based local anaesthetic negatively impact the responses of piglets in a test of social motivation as well as the home-pen behaviour of piglets in the early post-operative period. The present results call for attention towards the post-surgical phase, but understanding the potential welfare impacts as well as the motivational changes underlying these findings require further study.

Effective management of pain is critical to the improvement of animal welfare. For this to happen, pain must be recognised and assessed in a variety of contexts. Pain is a complex phenomenon, making reliable, valid, and feasible measurement challenging. The use of facial expressions as a technique to assess pain in non-verbal human patients has been widely utilised for many years. More recently this technique has been developed for use in a number of non-human species: rodents, rabbits, ferrets, cats, sheep, pigs and horses. Facial expression scoring has been demonstrated to provide an effective means of identifying animal pain and in assessing its severity, overcoming some of the limitations of other measures for pain assessment in animals. However, there remain limitations and challenges to the use of facial expression as a welfare assessment tool which must be investigated. This paper reviews current facial expression pain scales (“Grimace Scales”), discussing the general conceptual and methodological issues faced when assessing pain, and highlighting the advantages of using facial expression scales over other pain assessment methods. We provide guidance on how facial expression scales should be developed so as to be valid and reliable, but we also provide guidance on how they should be used in clinical practice.

Over the past two centuries, the typical life of dogs has changed dramatically, especially in the Global North. Dogs have moved into human homes, becoming human companions. In many respects, this change seems to have led to improvements in dog welfare. However, the shift into family homes from the free-roaming lifestyle characteristic of dogs as they lived and co-evolved with humans in the past, has created a typically more confined and isolated lifestyle for dogs. In addition, over the same period, selective breeding of dogs, largely driven by human aesthetic ideals and concepts of breed purity, has transformed dog populations. In this discussion paper, based on a narrative literature review, we compare the welfare of companion dogs with that of modern village dogs. We adopt this comparison because dogs have lived in ways resembling village dog life for most of their history. As such, the comparison may serve as a good basis for assessing the effects of the ‘petification’ of dogs. We argue that compared to the typical village dog, the typical modern suburban or urban companion dog experiences good welfare in a number of respects. This is especially the case when it comes to security, satisfaction of nutritional needs (though companion dogs have problems with a high prevalence of obesity), and proper veterinary care. However, in other ways the modern companion dog often suffers from a range of human-created challenges leading to poor welfare. We examine two key challenges for companion dogs: 1) unrealistic social demands that can lead to anxiety, depression, and aggression, and 2) ill devised breeding schemes that result in breeding-related diseases for many companion dogs.

Music can have powerful effects on human health and wellbeing. These findings have inspired an emerging field of research that focuses on the potential of music for animal welfare, with most studies investigating whether music can enhance overall wellbeing. However, this sole focus on discovering what effects music have on animals is insufficient for advancing scientific and practical understanding of how music can be used as an enrichment tool and can also lead to problems in experimental design and interpretation. This paper argues for a different approach to the study of music for welfare, where music is used to address specific welfare goals, taking account what animals hear in music and selecting or creating ‘musical’ compositions that test current hypotheses about how music is able to influence animal behaviour and physiology. Within this conceptual framework, we outline the process through which perceptual abilities influence welfare outcomes and suggest reframing music for welfare research as Auditory Enrichment Research which adopts a targeted approach that does not purpose music as an all-round welfare enhancer but rather investigates whether auditory enrichment can ameliorate specific welfare problems based on species-specific perceptual abilities, needs, and welfare goals. Ultimately, we hope that these discussions will help to bring greater unification, vision, and directionality in the field.

Transmission of fear and attenuation of fear within groups of farm animals remain relatively unexplored, despite the importance for human and animal safety. This paper reports the results of two separate experiments, aiming to explore social transmission of habituation in horses at group level. In Experiment 1, the effect of a same-age demonstrator was investigated in eight groups of four 2-yr old horses (n = 32). The socially highest-ranking horse (determined through feeding tests) in each group was used as demonstrator. Half of the demonstrators were habituated to the sudden appearance of a stimulus while feeding from a container in a test arena, and the other half remained non-habituated. During testing, each group member fed from containers placed in a semi-circle to control for position during stimulus exposure. Behavioural reactions (on a scale of 0 to 4; 0 being no reaction, and 4 being a flight response), latency to resume feeding after exposure, and heart rates were recorded for all naïve horses. Behavioural reactions were reduced (P = 0.024) in groups with habituated demonstrators, whereas latencies and heart rates were not significantly affected. In Experiment 2, a similar set-up was used to investigate the effect of adult, habituated demonstrators (n = 32, one adult and three 2-yrs old horses per group). Naïve horses grouped with a habituated, adult demonstrator showed reduced behavioural reactions (P < 0.001), latencies (P = 0.002) and a tendency towards lower heart rate responses (P = 0.065), compared to naïve horses grouped with non-habituated adult demonstrators. This suggests that social transmission of habituation from experienced group members can lead to attenuation of fear in groups of young horses. The result may have important practical applications since fear reactions in horses lead to a high number of serious injuries and human fatalities every year.

This study aimed to apply qualitative behaviour assessment (QBA) to horses farmed in single boxes, in order to investigate their emotional state and explore its association with indicators of human-animal relationship. A fixed list of 13 QBA descriptive terms was determined. Three assessors experienced with horses and skilled in measuring animal behaviour underwent a common training period, consisting of a theoretical phase and a practical phase on farm. Their inter-observer reliability was tested on a live scoring of 95 single stabled horses. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was conducted to analyse QBA scores and identify perceived patterns of horse expression, both for data obtained in the training phase and from the on-farm study. Given the good level of agreement reached in the training phase (Kendall W = 0.76 and 0.74 for PC1 and PC2 scores respectively), it was considered acceptable in the subsequent on-farm study to let these three observers each carry out QBA assessments on a sub-selection of a total of 355 sport and leisure horses, owned by 40 horse farms. Assessment took place immediately after entering the farms: assessors had never entered the farms before and were unaware of the different backgrounds of the farms. After concluding QBA scoring, the assessors further evaluated each horse with an avoidance distance test (AD) and a forced human approach test (FHA). A MANOVA test was used to assess the association of the AD and FHA tests with the on-farm QBA PC scores. The QBA approach described in this paper was feasible on farm and showed good acceptability by owners. In the analysis of on-farm QBA scores, the first Principal Component ranged from relaxed/at ease to uneasy/alarmed, the second Component ranged from curious/pushy to apathetic. Horses perceived as more relaxed/at ease with QBA showed less avoidance during the AD test (P = 0.0376), and responded less aggressively and fearfully to human presence in the FHA test (P

This paper presents data on the success rate of African elephants in human scent matching to sample performance. Working with equipment and protocols similar to those used in the training of forensic canine units in Europe, scent samples were collected on cotton squares from twenty-six humans of differing ethnic groups, sexes and ages, and stored in glass jars. Three African elephants were trained to match human body scent to the corresponding sample. In total, four hundred and seventy trials, during which the elephant handlers were blind to the experiment details, were conducted. Each trial consisted of one scent that served as the starting (target) sample to which the elephant then systematically determined a potential match in any of the nine glass jars presented. Elephants matched target and sample at levels significantly higher than indicated by random chance, displayed no loss of working memory, and successfully discriminated target odours. They also discriminated between related human individuals spanning three generations and including sibling pairs. In addition to demonstrating scent matching capabilities, this experiment supported the elephants’ significant ability to perform well at operant conditioning tasks.

The aim of the present follow-up study was to assess sibling competition during nursing on Day 1 post-partum (i.e., 24 h after the end of parturition), as well as whether sows respond to increased sibling competition. A total of 19 healthy sows and their piglets were directly observed and video recorded for 6 h on Day 1 post-partum. Piglet behaviours (presence at the udder, fighting and screaming) were scored at 15 s intervals, commencing 5 intervals (i.e., 75 s) prior to milk ejection, and continuing for 9 intervals (i.e., 135 s) after milk ejection. The proportion of piglets which missed the milk ejection, postural changes by the sow, and whether the nursing was without milk ejection (non-nutritive nursing) were also noted. The mean number of piglets per sibling exhibiting fights (FIGHTS), and exhibiting fights with screams (FIGHT-SCRES) was calculated for both before (pre-massage) and after milk ejection (post-massage). There was a significant correlation between the number of piglets exhibiting FIGHTS and the number of piglets exhibiting FIGHT-SCRES during pre-massage (ρ = 0.92), as well for post-massage (ρ = 0.93). Based on this high correlation, only the results for the number of piglets exhibiting FIGHTS were included in the paper. A higher number of piglets exhibiting FIGHTS (P

Temperament, i.e. consistent inter-individual differences in behavior, has been documented in many species. Especially, boldness-shyness continuum is the ecologically relevant trait most frequently used to describe temperament among species. Reactions along the bold-shy axis demonstrate an organism’s ability to cope with environmental conditions and reflect its response to environmental stress. Our study investigated the existence of boldness-shyness continuum in 16 captive Antillean manatees (Trichechus manatus manatus) housed in 2 zoological parks. We first aimed to establish a valid methodology to measure boldness and shyness using behavioral tests. Additionally, our study explored 2 other potential temperament dimensions: sociality and reactivity to humans, and their association with boldness. Finally, since animals were kept under human care, we investigated human perception on manatees’ temperament. We conducted behavioral tests i.e. novelty tests involving novel objects, a novel sound, and an unfamiliar human. We recorded behaviors related to exploration as well as social interactions (i.e. physical proximity, social contacts) and we assessed manatees’ reactivity to humans through a participation score during hand-feeding sessions. Finally, we collected keepers’ subjective impression about individuals’ temperament through traits rating method. To our knowledge, this is the first paper that tested manatees’ reactions to different novel stimuli in order to determine their temperament. Our results first allowed us to identify the most relevant stimuli and variables to measure boldness and to classify individuals as bolder or shier. Individuals characterized as bolder displayed significantly more approach, longer approach and more contact toward stimuli than shier individuals. Moreover, boldness score was significantly associated with physical proximity with conspecifics, as well as with the participation score to hand-feeding sessions in one zoo. Finally, surveys completed by keepers were reliable and positive associations were found between rated items and behavioral observations. These findings support that as many species, manatees demonstrate boldness-shyness traits. More investigations on a larger sample size are needed to explore manatees’ temperament dimensions, and how these traits could modulate their interactions with their conspecifics and their environment. Studying manatees’ temperament could help improving the management and welfare of the species under human care. It could also facilitate their management in wildlife reserves by understanding manatees’ movements and evaluate the anthropogenic impact on wild populations.

In England and Wales the welfare of animals, including horses, is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Welfare agencies play a role in the investigation of equine welfare concerns and catching, containing, transporting and boarding (caring for) horses that have been rescued. Horses regularly have to be rescued in difficult circumstances from challenging and potentially dangerous environments. Equitation science uses a multi-disciplinary approach to objectively explain horse-human interactions and determine the efficacy of horse training practices and their impact on the horse. This paper reviews common horse rescue practices used by welfare agencies in the UK and evaluates them using a learning theory-based equitation science framework to determine whether they are effective, humane and safe. Due to the debilitated state many horses are found in physical health is often prioritised over psychological well-being, and the rescue process itself has the potential to negatively impact on the horse’s mental state, for example through flooding and learned helplessness. Anecdotal evidence suggests that rescue personnel may not fully understand how horses learn, particularly with regards to the use of negative reinforcement. In addition, there may be a lack of appreciation that all horse-human interactions are potentially part of a learning process that result in the horse being trained. Rescue practices may inadvertently trigger fear responses and behaviours indicative of conflict, potentially putting human safety at risk and contributing to the development of fearful, dangerous and/or unwanted learned behaviours that require re-training at a later date. Ultimately, such practices may negatively impact on the horse’s recovery and affect the charity’s ability to successfully re-home the horse. This review highlights the need for welfare agencies to continue to develop their knowledge and skills in the light of new evidence, particularly with regards to the ethology of horses, their mental abilities and how they learn. Further research is also needed to elucidate the true impact rescue practices have on both the short and long-term welfare of the horse.

Ever since the phrase, ‘the happy athlete’ was introduced into the FEI rules for dressage (Article 401.1) there have been discussions about what this actually means and whether it is possible to recognize and reward positive emotions in working horses. For those interested in the study of equine behaviour, the use of such subjective terms for assessing horse emotion during training and performance, is interesting in that this suggests that horse trainers, riders and judges feel that there are meaningful behavioural expressions of emotional state that can be accurately assessed whilst the horse is at work and during competition. Although there has been much more research into the recognition of negative emotions such as pain, fear and stress in horses, recently there have been a number of studies attempting to look at what horses choose and how they may express pleasure or even happiness. ‘Putting the welfare of the horse as a happy athlete at the heart of everything we do’, is one of the main values quoted by equestrian bodies, however if we are to manage equine welfare we need to measure it and how successfully this can be done relies upon the development and validation of robust yet practical welfare indicators. Until recently, welfare assessment has traditionally focused on the absence of experiences that induce negative emotions. However, the notions of quality of life, a life worth living and the concept of the happy animal are starting to become more accepted within the animal welfare field with the assumption that if an animal is experiencing positive emotions, then its welfare needs can be said to be met, and if negative, then they are not and welfare is of concern. So the pertinent question is, what is welfare in the context of the horse used for equitation purposes? And what are the most useful welfare indicators for judging the emotional state of an individual horse within the context of the training and performance situation? In this review paper we will examine the results of recent work in this area, and the challenges such research poses both in relation to the science, but also to the use of horses for recreation and sport.

Research into the impact of sociality on stress has largely focused on social factors as stressors, but it is now well-known that the mere presence of a conspecific can reduce an animal’s stress – a phenomenon termed ‘social buffering’. Stress, in terms of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, is in itself a versatile mechanism appearing to optimise fitness. Reduction of the stress response would thus also be expected to serve some evolutionary end. Buffering requires that the focal animal registers its conspecific’s presence, and transduces that to a physiological result – the former can be via many sensory modalities, whilst the latter largely works through the oxytocin pathway. Simultaneously, many intrinsic and extrinsic variables may modulate the buffering process or block it completely. By examining the mechanisms of buffering, as well as how the effect is mediated by various factors, this paper discusses the nature of the process as well as its possible adaptive functions. Studying the mechanisms and functions underlying social buffering will not only deepen our understanding of both stress and sociality, but also inform our attempts to improve animal health, fitness and welfare.

The growing recognition of animals as individuals has broader implications for farm animal welfare research. Even under highly standardized on-farm conditions, farm animals show heterogeneous but individually consistent behavioural patterns towards various stimuli, based on how they appraise these stimuli. As a result, animal welfare is likely to be highly individual as well, and studying the proximate mechanisms underlying distinct individual behaviour patterns and appraisal will improve animal welfare research. We propose to extend the framework of affective styles to bridge the gap between existing research fields on animal personality and affective states. Affective styles refer to consistent individual differences in emotional reactivity and regulation and can be predicted by baseline cerebral lateralization. Likewise, animals with consistent left or right motor biases—a proxy measure of individual patterns in cerebral lateralization—have been shown to differ in their personality, emotional reactivity, motivational tendencies or coping styles. In this paper, we present the current knowledge of the links between laterality and stable individual traits in behaviour and affect in light of hypotheses on emotional lateralization. Within our suggested framework, we make recommendations on how to investigate affective styles in non-human animals and give practical examples. This approach has the potential to promote a science of affective styles in nonhuman animals and significantly advance research on animal welfare.

Traditionally, UK equines are kept in “gilded cages”; sanitised spaces which aim to provide every comfort, whilst shielding the horse from any form of harm or distress. Horses are typically provided with a “bedroom”; a private space where they may rest on a comfortable clean bed, wear fashionable and warm clothing, enjoy plentiful food, and perhaps play with some toys. These safe spaces may extend to the provision of individually isolated turnout in relatively small, sterile squares of grass. Yet, these spaces are a far cry from the natural lifestyle of the horse. Horses are grazing animals which would naturally live in herds and cover wide spaces while seeking food with their herd-mates, and inevitably many horses whose needs are not met display unwanted behaviours such as biting, bucking, or barging. Despite this, the equine community traditionally perceives isolated, comfortable lives as the ideal for horses, often describing them as “living like kings”. The COVID-19 pandemic presented an interesting turning point: during the initial lockdown (March-May 2020), horsepeople themselves experienced life in a gilded cage. Suddenly, the human population was plunged into many of the same conditions which are seen as optimal for our horses; we had to “stay at home”, experienced a lack of social contact, restricted movement and, perhaps most importantly, a lack of choice. In this paper, we review published equine welfare research to compare the ways in which human lockdown reflects standard equine management. We compare the ways in which published literature about human responses to lockdown give insight to common equine management issues, and finally we consider the literature around human-animal relationships during lockdown, and how the culmination of these fields might alter human-equine relationships and equine welfare as we move forward. These changes have implications for the long-term treatment of equines in the UK, as well as for other companion animals who traditionally live their lives in “gilded cages”.