Inhysningssystem och dagliga rutiners påverkan på hästar och utvecklandet av stereotypier

Abstract: The horse has been in human service for about 6,000 years and has been a great asset in warfare and agriculture. Today, the horse is mainly used for leisure and equestrian sports. Horse holders keep horses housed in stables or in various forms of group housing. The most common housing-system in Sweden is an individual box with daily turnout to facilitate for the horse holder. This can lead to a situation where the horse is not able to perform its natural behaviours. This situation may lead to the horses developing stereotypic behaviours to cope with the frustration. The aim of this study was to learn which background factors that have an impact on the developing of stereotypic behaviours among horses and what the horse holders can do to prevent the occurrence and reduce the frequency at already developed stereotypic behaviours using two different research issues: What background factors contribute to the development of locomotor stereotypes in horses? How can the horse holder adjust the accommodation and care regarding background factors to reduce the frequency of already developed stereotypic behaviours? Studies have shown that background factors such as breed, feeding routines, social environment, access to daily turnout and method of weaning a foal has an impact on whether horses develop stereotypical behaviours. Thoroughbred horses and horses that are perceived as more easily stressed in the temper are at greater risk of developing behavioural disorders. Horses fed more than three times a day with a roughage of at least 6.8 kg per day are less likely to develop stereotypes. Straw as bedding means longer chewing time and contributes to less frustration around the natural behaviour of foraging. Weaving has been shown to have a strong connection to the horse's need for social contact. The horses in the studies did not weave as much when they had access to social contact with other horses. Enrichment in the form of a mirror or a picture of a horse's head in the box has been shown to function as a substitute for social contact and can reduce the frequency of weaving in horses who have already developed the stereotype. Horses kept in a group or with a longer turnout weave less frequently than horses placed on a box with less access of daily turnout. The conclusion of the study is that contributing background factors that increase the risk of developing behavioral disorders are breed, method of weaning, feeding with too little amount of roughage, lack of social contact with other species relatives and inability to move freely during turnout. The horse holder can reduce the frequency of stereotypical behaviours and prevent them from developing by taking these factors into account in the daily management. The frequency of weaving can be reduced by enrichment in the horse's box.