Could posture reflect welfare state? A study using geometric morphometrics in riding school horses.
Authors: Sénèque Emilie, Lesimple Clémence, Morisset Stéphane, Hausberger Martine
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Geometric morphometrics—a quantitative method for analysing body shape from photographs—has revealed that horses exhibiting stereotypic behaviours display a characteristically flatter or hollow dorsal profile, particularly through the neck and croup, compared with horses showing normal behavioural patterns. Researchers assessed 85 riding school horses of varying welfare status, using postural analysis alongside established welfare indicators including the prevalence of repetitive abnormal behaviours, depressed-like posturing, and ear carriage. The findings demonstrated a significant relationship between poor welfare state and postural changes, with horses displaying stereotypic or abnormal behaviours showing the most pronounced alterations in back profile, and those with depressed-like postures showing more modest but measurable differences. Because geometric morphometrics provides an objective, reproducible tool for identifying these postural shifts, it offers practitioners—including farriers, physiotherapists and yard managers—a practical field-based screening method that requires only photographs and no specialised equipment. This approach could enable earlier recognition of welfare concerns in riding school populations, potentially prompting intervention before more serious behavioural or physical problems develop.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Monitor dorsal profile changes—a flatter or hollow neck and croup outline may signal poor welfare, stereotypic behaviour, or depression in your horses and warrant investigation of management conditions
- •Use posture assessment as a quick, non-invasive screening tool in the field; combine observation of dorsal profile with ear position and behaviour monitoring for a complete welfare picture
- •Address underlying welfare issues (stalling duration, social contact, work intensity) if you observe these postural changes, as they correlate with maladaptive behaviours
Key Findings
- •Horses with stereotypic or abnormal repetitive behaviours displayed significantly flatter or hollow dorsal profiles, particularly at the neck and croup levels compared to horses with good welfare
- •Depressed-like posture was associated with altered dorsal profiles, though to a lesser degree than stereotypic behaviours
- •Geometric morphometrics successfully distinguished populations differing in welfare states through objective posture measurement
- •Postural changes (flattened/hollow dorsum) represent detectable indicators of compromised welfare in riding school horses