Table 3.
Frequency (%) of behavior and health parameters of working horses and mules (n = 200).
| Species | P-value* | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Observations (%) | Horses | Mule | |
| n = 160 | n = 40 | ||
| Behavior | |||
| General attitude | |||
| Alert | 89.31 (142) | 82.5 (33) | 0.24 |
| Apathic/severely depressed | 10.69 (17) | 17.5 (7) | |
| Responsetoobserverapproach a | |||
| No response | 3.13 (5) | 7.69 (3) | 0.11 |
| Friendly approach | 78.13 (125) | 61.54 (24) | |
| Avoidance/aggression | 17.5 (28) | 30.77 (12) | |
| Walkdownside b | |||
| Response | 84.47 (136) | 65.0 (26) | 0.10 |
| No response | 15.53 (24) | 35.0 (14) | |
| Avoids chin contact c | |||
| Accept | 83.95 (161) | 65.0 (26) | <0.0 1 |
| Avoid | 19.37 (39) | 35.0 (14) | |
| Body condition score (scales 1-5) | |||
| 1 | 6.88 (11) | 0 (0) | <0.01 |
| 2 | 38.75 (62) | 20.0 (8) | |
| 3 | 42.5 (68) | 52.5 (21) | |
| 4 | 11.88 (19) | 27.5 (11) | |
| Health c | |||
| Mucous membranes abnormal | 10.0 (16) | 7.69 (3) | 0.12 |
| Lesions at commissures of lipsd | 2.53 (4) | 5.0 (2) | 0.41 |
| Teeth missing | 8.18 (13) | 2.56 (1) | 0.06 |
| Molar hooks or sharp edges | 47.80 (76) | 44.74 (17) | 0.12 |
| Eyes(s) abnormale | 3.13 (5) | 7.5 (3) | 0.20 |
| Coat staring/matted/dry/uneven | 27.95 (45) | 5.0 (2) | <0.01 |
| Ectoparasites | 23.13 (37) | 10.0 (4) | 0.06 |
| Diarrhea under tail | 6.29 (10) | 0 (0) | 0.10 |
| Skin tent (loss of elasticity) | 16.77 (27) | 7.5 (3) | 0.14 |
| Heat stressf | 1.24 (2) | 2.5 (1) | 0.55 |
| Firing lesions or scarsd | 62.50 (100) | 47.5 (19) | 0.08 |
| Carpal lesions or scarsd | 11,80 (19) | 20.0 (8) | 0.17 |
| Hock lesions or scarsd | 11.80 (19) | 10.0 (4) | 0.75 |
| Swelling of tendons/joints | 11.25 (18) | 2.5 (1) | 0.09 |
| Limb deformityg | 4.38 (7) | 5.0 (2) | 0.86 |
| Cow hocked conformation | 15.63 (25) | 12.5 (5) | 0.62 |
| Hoof wall(s) too long | 43.59 (68) | 35.0 (14) | 0.09 |
| Hoof wall(s) too short | 8.23 (13) | 12.5 (5) | 0.09 |
| Hoof horn quality abnormal | 48.73 (77) | 42.5 (17) | 0.48 |
| Sole surface abnormal (RF) | 34.18 (54) | 31.58 (12) | 0.84 |
| Gait abnormalh | 12.82 (20) | 7.69 (3) | 0.65 |
| Lesions of skin and/or deeper tissues i | |||
| Head | 26.09 (42) | 12.5 (5) | 0.07 |
| Ears | 12.42 (20) | 7.5 (3) | 0.38 |
| Neck | 6.83 (11) | 0 (0) | 0.0 9 |
| Breast/shoulder | 16.88 (27) | 15.0 (6) | 0.77 |
| Withers | 35.4 (57) | 12.5 (5) | <0.01 |
| Spine | 30.43 (49) | 15.0 (6) | 0.05 |
| Girth | 13.04 (21) | 7.5 (3) | 0.09 |
| Belly | 7.45 (12) | 0 (0) | 0.07 |
| Ribs/flank | 23.13 (37) | 7.5 (3) | 0.03 |
| Hindquarters | 17.5 (28) | 7.5 (3) | 0.11 |
| Tail/tail base | 9.38 (15) | 7.5 (3) | 0.13 |
| Forelegs (except carpus) | 11.8 (19) | 2.5 (1) | 0.08 |
| Hindlegs (except hock) | 15.53 (25) | 2.5 (1) | 0.03 |
Response to the observer approaching the animal's head from 3 to 5 m away, at an angle of approximately 458 (more acute if the animal is wearing blinkers). Friendly approach: animal turns its head toward the observer. Avoidance/ aggression: animal does one or more of the following: turns head away, moves away, flattens ears, attempts to bite or kick.
Response to observer walking downside of animal's body at a distance of 30 cm from its side, turning at the tail and walking back to head. Response: any acknowledgment of observer's presence, e.g., ear turn, head turn, move away, kick.
Proportion of animals with signs of each condition.
Proportion of animals with lesions of any kind including hair loss, healed lesion, scar.
Proportion of animals with any abnormality of the eye including ocular discharge.
Proportion of animals showing most or all of the following: flared nostrils, increased respiratory rate, increased respiratory depth with head movement, apathy.
Proportion of animals showing lateral or flexural abnormalities of the limbs, excluding cow hocked conformation.
Proportion of animals showing abnormalities of gait or overt lameness.
Proportion of animals with full thickness skin or deeper lesions measuring at least 2 cm x 2 cm or 1 cm x 4 cm. Firing, tether, carpus, hock, and lip lesions scored previously were not included.
Significance of difference in proportion between species by Chi-squared test. Bold values: P < 0.05.