In this pilot study, it was investigated whether there is a difference in the speed of learning a discrimination task when comparing domesticated horses with a wild type horse species. Further it was explored whether inbreeding has an influence on the cognitive abilities of the tested horses as suggested …

The present research has been conducted to make a first step towards bringing the wildlife research on free roaming horses and the research on domesticated horses closer together. Housing systems for horses should be arranged in a way, so that the animals are least constrained in their natural development …

The research objective was to compare the Swedish model of scoring 3-year old horses with the Dutch system of scoring 3 – year old horses.

Lameness in horses is a big problem in the equine industry, it is the most common health problem and causes horses to retire early or the horses are in need of special care and attention which takes a lot of time, effort and money. The aim of this study is to better understand the movement of a warmblood …

In comparison to feral horses which spend 12-16 hours with feed intake behaviour and travel up to 28 km a day, nowadays management of the horse by humans has shortened its feeding time and introduced unfamiliar feed types, especially cereals containing a large amount of starch, protein concentrates and …

Since 2010 the KNHS, the Dutch equestrian association, has allowed horse-rider combinations to use a bitless bridle during official dressage tests. The crossunder bitless bridle is one of the most commonly used bridles during these tests. Research has shown that horses wearing a crossunder bridle exhibit …

This study was conducted to find out if loose feeding systems (LFS) and automatic feeding systems (AFS) can be recommended for group housed horses. Influences of both feeding systems on the behaviour of horses kept in groups was studied. Aggression, aberrant behaviour and daily activities such as feeding …

The space between the noseband and the skin of competition horses is a current welfare issue. The practices regarding the noseband tightness of Dutch horses was studied, as well as the intentions of Dutch equestrians when fastening the noseband. More than half (59%) of Dutch riders had their horses’ …

The aims of this study are first of all to investigate the reasons for choosing group or individual housing of horses. Moreover the study should give an overview about the opinions of horse owners on the concept of group housing and its advantages / disadvantages.

The present research investigates the perfect way to present a horse on a photo in order to sell it. Two studies were conducted in order to define the aspects of a good sales photo, to investigate where people look at in a photo and finally to define what potential customers consider attractive. For …