Horse behaviour: Comparative study of different bedding materials

This research was conducted to compare various types of bedding commonly used for sport horses housed in stables in Italy. The main objective of this study was to evaluate how different bedding materials affect the well-being of horses, as these animals spend a significant amount of time in their stalls. A lack of soft material covering the stall floor can lead to serious injuries, respiratory issues, and behavioural problems in horses. During the trial, the four types of bedding were tested with six subjects, all of whom were kept under similar conditions. The materials, which are easily found in Italy and commonly used in stables, were examined over two weeks each: dedusted wood chips, sawmill shavings, straw pellets, and coconut fibres. To evaluate the effectiveness of these materials, we assessed their impact on behavioural aspects. The horses were monitored with infrared cameras, and their actions were categorized into seven different categories. Statistical analysis were performed using ANOVA and post hoc Bonferroni correction to assess differences in the duration of actions performed by horses across different types of bedding. The analysis revealed that straw pellets were the most used bedding material among the six subjects, particularly for the sternal decubitus (SR) and lateral decubitus (LR) positions, both in terms of duration and frequency of use. In conclusion, straw pellets are the most used material, followed by coconut fibres. Further research is needed to evaluate the chemical aspects of each bedding material and analyse how each material reacts chemically during use in stalls.