Time Budgets in Domesticated Male Icelandic Horses on Pasture Turnout in Winter and Spring
Daisy E. F. Taylor, Bryony E. Lancaster, Andrea D. Ellis

TL;DR
This study tracks the daily activities of Icelandic horses in winter and spring, finding they spend more time foraging and moving in spring, and less time standing.
Contribution
The study provides a rare 24-hour continuous time budget for domesticated horses at pasture, comparing seasonal behavioral patterns.
Findings
Horses foraged longer and stood less in spring compared to winter.
All horses lost body condition in winter but regained it in spring.
Grazing time exceeded recommended minimums for stabled horses in both seasons.
Abstract
Recording the behaviour of horses over 24 h is time-consuming and can be difficult during hours of darkness. A behavioural time budget is normally compiled by sampling the behaviour of individuals at specific intervals (e.g., every 5–10 min), but this can risk missing certain behaviours. In this study, a 24 h time budget of continuous behaviour over 3 h periods was conducted in winter and spring during fair weather to examine seasonal variation for a mixed-age herd of eight male domesticated Icelandic horses (seven geldings, 1 stallion). Individual behaviour and herd location were continuously observed during 3 h periods to cover 3 days (72 h) in both seasons. In spring, horses spent longer foraging, moving, and lying down, but spent less time standing compared to winter. There was little behavioural difference between adult and young horses. All horses lost body condition over winter…
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Taxonomy
TopicsVeterinary Equine Medical Research · Reproductive Physiology in Livestock · Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive Physiology
