Takahashi Yuji, Niwa Hidekazu, Ebisuda Yusaku, Mukai Kazutaka, Yoshida Toshinobu, Raidal Sharanne, Padalino Barbara, Ohmura Hajime
Sports Science Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Tochigi, Japan.
Microbiology Division, Equine Research Institute, Japan Racing Association, Tochigi, Japan.
Front Vet Sci. 2024 Oct 4;11:1477653. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1477653. eCollection 2024.
Protection of horse welfare during transport is crucial. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of head and neck restraint on behavior and airway bacteria.
In a randomized crossover study, six healthy Thoroughbreds were transported by road for 22 h in an individual bay with tight head restraint (50 cm short-rope) or loose head restraint (95 cm long-rope). Behavioral parameters relating to head position, eating, and stress were monitored during transportation. Tracheal wash samples were obtained 6 days before and immediately after transport for bacterial culture and metagenomic analysis.
Compared to before transport, bacterial load (CFU/mL) after transport was significantly increased in the short-rope group ( = 0.04), whereas no changes were observed in the long-rope group. Transport significantly reduced Simpson index at phylum, class, order, and family levels in both groups ( < 0.001) of tracheal microbiota. In both groups, this reduction was associated with increases in the dominant members of relative abundance at phylum (Firmicutes: +24% in long-rope and +14% in short-rope), class (: +20% in long-rope and +22% in short-rope) and family (: +22% in long-rope and +23% in short-rope) levels. Licking behavior during transportation with short-rope restraint was more frequent than in horses with long-rope restraint. These results suggest loose head restraint during transportation is likely to ameliorate stress and mitigate the associated increased bacterial load in the lower airways associated with transport. Further, head position during transportation is likely a more important determinant of airway hygiene and distress than duration of travel.
在运输过程中保护马匹福利至关重要。本研究的目的是确定头部和颈部约束对行为和气道细菌的影响。
在一项随机交叉研究中，六匹健康的纯种马通过公路在单个隔栏中运输22小时，分别采用紧密头部约束（50厘米短绳）或宽松头部约束（95厘米长绳）。在运输过程中监测与头部位置、进食和应激相关的行为参数。在运输前6天和运输后立即采集气管冲洗样本进行细菌培养和宏基因组分析。
与运输前相比，短绳组运输后的细菌载量（CFU/mL）显著增加（ = 0.04），而长绳组未观察到变化。运输显著降低了两组气管微生物群在门、纲、目和科水平的辛普森指数（ < 0.001）。在两组中，这种降低与门（厚壁菌门：长绳组增加24%，短绳组增加14%）、纲（ ：长绳组增加20%，短绳组增加22%）和科（ ：长绳组增加22%，短绳组增加23%）水平上相对丰度的优势成员增加有关。短绳约束运输过程中的舔舐行为比长绳约束的马匹更频繁。这些结果表明，运输过程中宽松的头部约束可能会减轻应激，并减轻与运输相关的下呼吸道细菌载量增加。此外，运输过程中的头部位置可能比旅行时间更重要地决定气道卫生和痛苦程度。
