Technologies for equine welfare and performance monitoring under field conditions - Where do we stand?

Abstract

The need for comprehensive equine welfare assessments has become particularly evident amid ongoing debates about the social licence to operate in equestrian sports. During exercise, multiple physiological systems, principally the cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, thermoregulatory, endocrine, and locomotory systems, undergo complex adaptations. To monitor and determine equine welfare, an approach that focuses on the quantitative monitoring of both physiological and psychological parameters to determine and understand the impact of equestrian sports on horses is essential. Existing and emerging technologies that allow for the quantitative assessment of such parameters have developed rapidly over the past two decades and have increasingly enabled precise monitoring of horses, though the available tools vary depending on the parameter of interest. This review explores current technologies for measuring parameters associated with these physiological systems and their practical applications in assessing equine well-being. The focus lies on validated technologies for which accuracy and precision have been determined. The aim of this review is to present an overview of current technologies available for the measurement of both physiological and psychological parameters in horses during exercise and to what extent they can be used under field conditions. The review concludes by discussing promising innovations that, while still in early development, could significantly contribute to equine welfare and the broader social licence to operate debate.