Effect of light on loading
| Effect of light on loading horses Does the lighting inside or outside the trailer make any difference to the horse's willingness to load? Loading horses for transportation can be a stressful experience both for the horse and the handler. A study conducted by Dr Nicola Cross and colleagues at the University of Queensland, Australia, investigated the influence of lighting conditions inside and outside the trailer on the horse's response to loading. |  |
Eight yearling horses took part in the study. They had been trained previously to enter a trailer in response to a friendly human voice and gentle scratching of the neck. Hay was given as a reward when they successfully entered the trailer.
For the study, the trailer was positioned in an arena. A wooden ramp led into the trailer. Straw was placed on the ramp and in the trailer. Two 500-watt lights were arranged; one in the arena and one inside the trailer, so that either or both could be illuminated.
The handler stood at the bottom of the loading ramp, gave a sharp tug on the horse's head collar towards the trailer and then released the horse.
The researchers monitored the heart rates of all the horses as they were loaded into the trailer. They also monitored the horses' behaviour during the loading process.
They found that the lighting conditions inside and outside the trailer had no significant effect on the time taken to load the horses. Neither did the lighting affect the number of steps the horses took before going into the trailer.
Generally, the horses showed an increase in heart rate as they went into the trailer. However, this change in heart rate occurred irrespective of the lighting conditions.
Although the horses showed no significant differences in time taken to load, they did show signs of unease when loading under certain lighting conditions. When loaded from a well-lit arena they were more likely to turn away from the trailer or lower their heads than when loaded from an unlit arena.
And when loading from a well-lit arena into a dark trailer they sniffed the ground more.
The researchers suggest that horses leaving a well-lit area and entering a confined dark space needed to explore the environment more.
They suggest that avoiding such lighting conditions may help reduce stress on horses during loading. As a consequence it might be possible to reduce the risk of injury to horse or handler.
For more details see:
Effects of lighting conditions on the welfare of horses being loaded for transportation.
N. Cross, F van Doorn, C Versnel, J Cawdell-Smith, C Phillips.
Journal of Veterinary Behavior (2008) 3, 20 - 24.
Reproduced with kind permission of Mark Andrews BVM&S CertEP MRCVS
© Copyright Mark Andrews - Equine Science Update 2008
Photograph supplied by Voices for Horses
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