I am often asked if horses are put under stress when they are in an electrified fence irrespective if they show no outward signs of stress. I was pleased to come across this scientific study from a Swiss University evaluating the stress levels of horses under the sort of situations they encounter.
"Most horses respect electric fences, but can they be a source of stress in their lives?
Swiss researchers have found no evidence of any stress response in horses as a result of being contained within electric fencing. It did not matter whether the enclosed area was large or small, with the smaller of the two areas assessed being no bigger than a conventional stable. Temporary electric fencing is increasingly used at some events to contain horses, providing them the opportunity to move and eat some grass.
Rupert Bruckmaier and his colleagues from the University of Bern said some concern existed that electric fencing systems could potentially affect horse behaviour, cause chronic stress and reduce the accessible space in a pasture.
Their finding may be summarised as follows;-
- No indication of stress in electrically fenced paddocks.
- Cardiovascular, endocrine, and behavioural parameters similar in all paddocks.
- Horses use less of the available area in electrically fenced and small paddocks.
- Horses avoid the area near the fence in electrically fenced paddocks.
They set out to measure stress responses in 20 horses kept in four different outdoor enclosures on pasture. They used two different-sized areas, with either wooden fencing or electric fencing.The smaller of the two sizes was 12.25 square metres – the size of a modest stable – and the larger enclosure was nearly three times that size, at 36 square metres.The researchers recorded the horses on video to later check for behavioural signs indicating stress, and determine whether there were any differences in pasture use between wooden fencing and electric fencing.The horses, aged between 6 and 18, were put through the four enclosures, with each getting 90 minutes in each one.
Periodic measurements of the animals’ heart rate and heart-rate variability were taken, and samples of saliva were also taken for cortisol analysis – all of which paint a picture of the stress response in the animals.“The total amount of stress-indicating behaviour did not differ between the two fence types,”
Salivary cortisol and heart-rate variability did not differ between the paddocks.Horses used the available area significantly less in the electrically fenced enclosures, and also in the smaller of the wooden-fenced areas.The border area – 50 centimetres – was used less both in electrically fenced and small paddocks.Horses moved less in the small and electrically fenced paddocks than in big and wooden-fenced ones. Horses rolled less in small paddocks.
Some stress-indicating behaviour tended to be more prominent in the small fenced areas, the research team noted, but they continued:
“Based on the measured physiological parameters, there is no indication for stress in electrically fenced paddocks.”
Twenty horses aged between 6 and 18 years were tested comparing two paddock sizes (12.25 m2/36 m2) either with wooden or electric fencing in order to evaluate physical and behavioural parameters. Each horse was tested in a randomised sequence in all four paddock types during 90 min per type. During the experiments the horses were continuously recorded on video for later analyses of behavioural patterns and the utilisation of the available paddock area. Additionally, periodic measurements of heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) as well as standardised salivary samplings for later cortisol determination were carried out. Horses used the available area significantly less both in electrically fenced and small paddocks (p < 0.001). The border area (50 cm) was used less both in electrically fenced and small paddocks (p < 0.001). The total amount of stress-indicating behaviour did not differ between the two fence types. Horses moved less in small (p < 0.001) and electrically fenced (p < 0.005) paddocks than in big and wooden fenced ones. Horses rolled less in small paddocks (p < 0.001). Fence contact was significantly less with electric fencing (p < 0.001). Stress-indicating behaviour tended to be more prominent in small paddocks. Salivary cortisol and HRV parameters did not differ between the paddocks but a slight tendency of alteration of the low frequency/high frequency ratio indicating stress reactions was observed with electric fencing. Based on the measured physiological parameters there is no indication for stress in electrically fenced paddocks. However horses use less of the available paddock area both in electrically fenced paddocks and small paddocks, especially by avoiding the area near the fence.
Mara nyingi mimi ni kuulizwa kama farasi ni kuweka chini ya mkazo wakati wao ni katika uzio electrified bila kujali kama wao kuonyesha hakuna ishara ya nje ya mkazo. Utafiti wa kisayansi uliofanywa na Chuo Kikuu cha Uswisi unaonyesha kuwa farasi wana wasiwasi sana wakati wa mazoezi. "Farasi wengi huheshimu uzio wa umeme, lakini je, waweza kuwa chanzo cha mfadhaiko katika maisha yao? Watafiti wa Uswisi hawajapata ushahidi wowote wa majibu ya mkazo katika farasi kama matokeo ya kuwa ndani ya uzio wa umeme. Haijalishi kama eneo lililofungwa lilikuwa kubwa au dogo, na eneo dogo kati ya maeneo mawili yaliyotathminiwa halikuwa kubwa kuliko kibanda cha kawaida. Mipango ya umeme ya muda hutumiwa zaidi katika matukio fulani ili kuzuia farasi, na kuwapa nafasi ya kusonga na kula nyasi. Rupert Bruckmeier na wenzake kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Bern wanasema kuna wasiwasi kwamba mifumo ya uzio wa umeme inaweza kuathiri tabia ya farasi, kusababisha mkazo wa muda mrefu na kupunguza nafasi inayopatikana katika malisho. Ugunduzi wao unaweza kufupishwa kama ifuatavyo; - - Hakuna dalili ya mkazo katika paddocks umeme fenced. - Cardiovascular, endocrine, na tabia vigezo sawa katika paddocks wote. - Farasi hutumia sehemu ndogo ya eneo linalopatikana katika mashamba madogo yaliyofungwa kwa umeme. - Farasi kuepuka eneo karibu na uzio katika paddocks umeme fenced. Watafiti hao walichunguza majibu ya farasi 20 waliofungwa katika vyumba vinne vya nje. Katika uchunguzi huo, farasi hao walipigwa na meza ya ukubwa wa mita 12.25 na meza ya ukubwa wa mita 36 na walipigwa na meza ya ukubwa wa mita 36 na meza ya ukubwa wa mita 36 na meza ya ukubwa wa mita 36 na meza ya ukubwa wa mita 12. "Kama vile, ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa moyo"" ni pamoja na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa moyo"" na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa moyo"" ni pamoja na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa wanyama"" na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa wanyama"" na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa wanyama"" na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa wanyama"" na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa wanyama"" na ""mfano wa kupima kwa moyo na moyo wa wanyama.""" Farasi walizunguka-zunguka kidogo katika mashamba madogo. "Wanafunzi wa utafiti walipata matokeo ya ""mtazamo wa juu"" katika maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho ya maonyesho." Kila farasi alipewa nafasi ya kuandamana na aina nne za paddock kwa muda wa dakika 90 kwa kila aina. Wakati wa majaribio farasi walikuwa kuendelea kumbukumbu juu ya video kwa ajili ya uchambuzi baadaye ya mifumo ya tabia na matumizi ya eneo la paddock inapatikana. Kwa kuongezea, vipimo vya mara kwa mara vya kiwango cha moyo (HR), tofauti ya kiwango cha moyo (HRV), na sampuli za saliva za kawaida kwa ajili ya kuamua baadaye ya cortisol zilifanywa. Farasi walitumia eneo lililopatikana kwa kiasi kidogo sana katika vyumba vidogo vilivyozungukwa kwa umeme na vyumba vidogo (p < 0,001). Eneo la mpaka (50 cm) lilitumiwa kidogo katika mabwawa ya umeme na mabwawa madogo (p < 0,001). Kiasi cha jumla cha tabia ya kuonyesha mkazo haikutofautiana kati ya aina mbili za uzio. Farasi walihama kidogo katika paddocks ndogo (p < 0,001) na fence umeme (p < 0,005) kuliko katika kubwa na fence mbao. Farasi walizunguka kidogo katika viwanja vidogo (p < 0,001). Mawasiliano ya uzio ilikuwa kwa kiasi kikubwa chini na uzio wa umeme (p < 0.001). Tabia inayoonyesha mkazo ilikuwa na mwelekeo wa kuwa maarufu zaidi katika viwanja vidogo. Cortisol ya saliva na HRV hazikuwa tofauti kati ya paddock, lakini mwelekeo mdogo wa mabadiliko ya uwiano wa masafa ya chini na ya juu, kuonyesha athari za mkazo, ulionekana na uzio wa umeme. Kwa msingi wa vipimo vya kisaikolojia vilivyopimwa hakuna dalili ya mkazo katika paddocks zilizofungwa kwa umeme. Hata hivyo farasi kutumia chini ya eneo la paddock inapatikana wote katika paddocks umeme fenced na paddocks ndogo, hasa kwa kuepuka eneo karibu na uzio.