title: [Stress parameters and behaviour of horses in walkers with and without the use of electricity].
abstract: In order to investigate stress responses of horses in walkers with and without electricity, 12 horses were trained during 3 weeks in a horse walker with and without the use of electricity (3.7 kV). To evaluate the stress response, cortisol levels in the blood were measured, the heart rate was monitored using the Polar® system and the behaviour was evaluated. Neither the cortisol levels nor the heart rates showed any relevant statistically significant difference between horses moved in the horse walker with or without the use of electricity. The highest cortisol levels and heart rates were recorded during the first week (habituation period). A significant difference could be observed regarding spontaneous compartment changes: while this happened mainly during the first week and before the first use of electricity, no horses changed compartments in the periods when electricity was used and thereafter. The results of this study indicate that the use of electricity in the horse walker does not seem to cause significant detectable stress in the horses.
authors.affiliation: Institut suisse de médecine équine ISME, ALP-Haras und Universität Bern, Avenches.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giese
authors.affiliation: Institut suisse de médecine équine ISME, ALP-Haras und Universität Bern, Avenches.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gerber
authors.affiliation: Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen BLV, Bern.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Howald
authors.affiliation: Agroscope, Schweizerisches Nationalgestüt, Avenches.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bachmann
authors.affiliation: Institut suisse de médecine équine ISME, ALP-Haras und Universität Bern, Avenches.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burger
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004560:Electricity; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006736:Horses / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Cortisol; Führanlage; Herzschlagfrequenz; Pferd; Stress; cortisol; heart rate; horse; horse walker; stress