Infrared thermography as a tool in welfare assessment of equines handled in paddock and stall

Azevedo, D.R.O.E.; Dallago, B.S.L.; Silva, A.C.; Pereira, J.R.M.; Ferreira II, R.F.; Borges, T.S.; Bisol, T.B.; V. Sobrinho, L.; Fernandes, T.O.; Bernal, F.E.M.

doi:10.1590/1678-4162-13037

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Original Article - Veterinary Medicine • Arq. Bras. Med. Vet. Zootec. 76 (4) • Jul-Aug 2024 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-4162-13037 linkcopy

Infrared thermography as a tool in welfare assessment of equines handled in paddock and stall

[Termografia infravermelha como ferramenta na avaliação do bem-estar de equinos manejados soltos ou estabulados]

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

ABSTRACT

This study aims to describe the effects of stabling on thermographic characteristics of adult equine limbs, to compare the level of animal welfare between horses kept loose and those under continuous stabling and to investigate whether the Infrared Thermography (IRT) can be an effective tool to evaluate the welfare of equines. 24 gelding horses of Brazilian Sport Horse breed, aged between 5 and 9 years and weighing 500 ± 50kg were used in a 6-week trial. They were divided into 2 groups: 1) Paddock - equines kept in paddocks and ridden exclusively on urban patrol; 2) Stall - animals that ridden exclusively on urban patrol, but were kept in continuous stabling, housed in 12m² with concrete and bedless stables. Every animal was evaluated once a week over six weeks. Animal behavior and temperature of the eyes and distal extremities of the limbs as well as blood samples were collected. The confined horses showed stereotyped behavior and higher serum cortisol, indicating lower animal welfare when compared to those managed in a pasture. Limb IRT showed predictive potential for identifying chronic stress as the discriminating analysis showed 74.5% hits while eye temperature was not efficient for this purpose.

Keywords: physiological parameters; lairage; thermography; behavior

Variable	PG		SG
Variable	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
T_air	22.8	1.99	22.9	2.40
RH	69.7	9.70	58.5	10.80
T_maxhoof	33.3	2.97	30.1	4.03
T_mhoof	30.2	2.81	27.1	3.26
T_maxeye	36.5	0.56	36.1	0.65
T_meye	34.5	0.76	34.0	0.83
T_maxA	31.1	2.01	28.6	2.89
T_mA	29.7	2.06	27.2	2.77
T_maxP	31.9	1.77	29.9	2.69
T_mP	30.2	1.96	28.4	2.73
T_maxfetlock	31.4	2.22	28.8	3.01
T_mfetlock	29.7	2.27	27.2	2.85

Region	Comp	T_air (°C)				SE	Regression
Region	Comp	18	21	24	26		Linear	Square
Tarsus	R/L	1.3	< 1	< 1	< 1	0.741	0.0014	ns
Metacarpus	R/L	1.2	1	< 1	< 1	0.001	ns	0.0337
Metatarsus	R/L	1.3	1	< 1	< 1	0.370	0.0037	ns
Fet_F	R/L	1	< 1	< 1	< 1	0.001	ns	0.0393
Hoof_H	R/L	1.7	1.3	< 1	< 1	0.002	ns	0.0238
Carpus/Tarsus	A/P	2.7	2	1.2	< 1	0.001	ns	0.0001
Fetlock	A/P	2.8	1.2	< 1	1.1	0.021	0.0003	0.0021
Hoof	A/P	1.3	1	< 1	< 1	0.061	0.0353	ns

Analyte	Group	Experimental Day												Reference Value (mean ± SD)¹
		D1		D2		D3		D4		D5		D6
		M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD	M	SD
ALT (U/L)	PG	7.1	1.7	8.8	2.4	8.2	2.0	8.6	1.9	6.7	2.5	8.6	1.7	11 - 40 (27 ± 14)
ALT (U/L)	SG	10.5	2.2	11.3	2.6	10.8	5.0	9.9	1.8	9.7	1.2	9.1	2.6	11 - 40 (27 ± 14)
AST (U/L)	PG	283.2	36.7	281.7	46.5	295.7	85.7	291.8	64.9	279.5	43.1	310.9	41.9	226 - 366 (296 ± 70)
AST (U/L)	SG	288.9	50.8	286.6	49.9	343.1	126.4	280.1	50.8	286.3	55.6	268.5	76.1	226 - 366 (296 ± 70)
CK (U/L)	PG	278.3	212.0	226.6	70.7	258.6	126.5	274.1	69.8	310.2	165.6	281.7	100.5	2.4 - 23.4 (12.9±5.2)
CK (U/L)	SG	237.4	117.0	278.0	90.3	292.7	125.7	212.1	46.4	222.3	58.8	265.5	124.8	2.4 - 23.4 (12.9±5.2)
Lac (mmol/L)	PG	1.5	0.2	1.2	0.2	1.6	0.2	1.5	0.3	1.7	0.5	1.9	0.3	1.11-1.78 (ni)
Lac (mmol/L)	SG	0.9	0.3	1.3	0.2	1.5	0.2	1.4	0.2	1.7	0.2	1.5	0.2	1.11-1.78 (ni)
LDH (U/L)	PG	301.4	74.3	295.1	57.4	264.7	74.2	280.5	60.7	289.8	65.5	314.5	65.7	162 - 412 (252 ± 63)
LDH (U/L)	SG	277.4	82.7	298.2	71.8	297.4	89.2	291.6	80.8	300.4	90.7	308.0	93.6	162 - 412 (252 ± 63)
Mg (mg/100mL)	PG	1.8	0.2	2.0	0.1	2.1	0.1	2.0	0.2	2.0	0.2	2.1	0.2	2.2-2.8 (2.5±0.25)
Mg (mg/100mL)	SG	1.7	0.1	2.0	0.2	2.0	0.1	2.2	0.2	2.2	0.2	2.1	0.2	2.2-2.8 (2.5±0.25)
CORT (µg/100mL)	PG	13.2	6.6	12.7	6.7	13.7	7.0	13.5	6.4	16.1	7.4	13.9	4.9	1.30 - 2.93 (ni)
CORT (µg/100mL)	SG	10.9	2.3	10.6	2.3	13.5	3.2	10.2	3.3	11.8	4.2	15.0	6.4	1.30 - 2.93 (ni)

Behavior	Morbidity (%)	Frequency		Duration (s)
Behavior	Morbidity (%)	Mean	SD	Mean	SD
Bite	9.72	9.71	6.97	16.14	13.11
Lick	5.56	2.75	0.96	3.50	1.73
Random Head Moviment	26.39	8.00	9.48	11.26	20.53
Aerophagy	4.17	2.00	1.00	3.67	2.08
Lick Lips	16.67	30.67	50.60	28.58	37.59
Walking in Bay	11.11	2.62	2.07	17.37	10.34
Dig	2.78	24.50	27.58	18.00	21.21
Weaving	1.39	1.00	-	1.00	-

Experimental Group		STEPDISC variables			Thermographic variables
Experimental Group		SG	PG	Total	SG	PG	Total
SG	(n)	23	6	29	24	17	41
SG	(%)	79.31	20.69	100	58.54	41.46	100
PG	(n)	5	60	65	10	55	65
PG	(%)	7.69	92.31	100	15.38	84.62	100
Total	(n)	28	66	94	34	72	106
Total	(%)	29.79	70.21	100	32.08	67.92	100
Error Rate		0.2069	0.0769	0.117	0.4146	0.1538	0.255
Priors Probability		0.3085	0.6915	-	0.3868	0.6132	-

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Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinária Caixa Postal 567, 30123-970 Belo Horizonte MG - Brazil, Tel.: (55 31) 3409-2041, Tel.: (55 31) 3409-2042 - Belo Horizonte - MG - Brazil
E-mail: abmvz.artigo@gmail.com

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[TFN1] PG - Paddock group; SG - Stall group; SD - standard deviation; T_air - Air temperature; RH - Relative humidity; T_maxhoof - maximum hooves temperature; T_mhoof - mean temperature of hooves; T_maxeye - maximum temperature of eyes; T_meye - mean temperature of eyes; T_maxA - maximum temperature of forelimbs; T_mA - mean temperature of forelimbs; T_maxP - maximum temperature of pelvic limbs; T_mP - mean temperature of pelvic limbs; T_maxfetlock - maximum temperature of fetlocks; T_mfetlock - mean temperature of fetlocks