2by2 Track Livery

23/01/2025

Even in the winter, when the weather is too wet for loose haynets to roll along on the ground, we can get creative with haynets at different heights using the pole barn.
These different height haynets are activating different muscle groups through the body. The stretching and twisting actions to get the hay out of these small holed Nibbleze nets, is mimicking the browsing actions of horses in the wild, when browsing on high trees or stretching into and around low brush or bushes, for example when they pick gorse flowers from a spikey gorse bush 😋

21/01/2025

Cora's cute little fluffy legs tucked in, she sleeps like a cat 🥰

20/01/2025

This is a very interesting study, I hope they continue their work in this area and expand it into adult horses, would be very interesting to see the changes in horses who have been stabled long term and are then turned out with others.

INDIVIDUAL STABLING FOUND TO ALTER IMMUNE RESPONSE

Research has found that horses moved from group housing to individual stabling showed changes in their white blood cell counts and plasma cortisol levels. These changes could mean they are at a higher risk of infectious disease.

Equine scientists at the University of Hohenheim in Germany studied 12 warmblood geldings aged 2-3 years old during several management changes, monitoring their behaviour and immune response.

The horses used were all living in a group, turned out at pasture. For the first part of the study the group was then split into two, each kept in a separate paddock so that the horses in one group could not see the others. After a trial period of eight days all the horses were returned to their original group, living together. They were then were left out at pasture for eight weeks.

For the second part of the study the horses were all moved into individual stables, where they could see and touch their neighbours through bars. During the first week of being stabled, the horses were given 30 minutes of turnout in an indoor area. From the second week onwards, the horses were lunged.

Throughout the study the research team collected blood samples from the horses to analyse their immune cell numbers and cortisol concentrations.

The results showed that moving the horses to individual stabling led to acute stress-induced immune changes. However, dividing the larger group into two smaller groups at pasture did not.

“The number of eosinophils, monocytes and T cells declined, whereas the number of neutrophils increased resulting in an increased N:L ratio. This pattern of change resembles the well-known picture of an immunomodulation induced by acute social stress."

The plasma cortisol concentrations didn’t change after dividing the group into the two smaller groups at pasture, but there was an increase in cortisol concentrations one day after stabling which then returned to the previous levels eight days later. However, the researchers reported that “Although cortisol concentrations returned to baseline level after 8 days, the alterations in most immune cell numbers persisted, pointing to a longer-lasting effect on the immune system of the horses."

The team also found that some of the horses started to perform stereotypical behaviours as soon as one week after stabling.

The team reported that the results “strongly indicate that social isolation is a chronic stressor with negative impact on welfare and health of horses and highlight the advantage of group housing systems in view of immunocompetence."

The researchers concluded that “relocation to individual stabling represented an intense stressor for the horses of the present study, leading to acute and lasting alterations in blood counts of various leukocyte types. In contrast, fission of the stable group did not result in behavioural, endocrine or immunological stress responses by the horses."

This sudden change from group turnout to individual stabling with training being introduced is a very common scenario for horses being started for the first time. This study gives us yet more evidence that stabling horses individually is stressful for them and detrimental to their physical and psychological wellbeing. The majority of the horses I see are stabled for the bulk of the day. I do wonder how much evidence is needed before horse owners, yard owners and professionals act on this information and change their management to increase turnout and group living...

The research is free to access and is a very interesting read: Schmucker S, Preisler V, Marr I, Krüger K, Stefanski V (2022) Single housing but not changes in group composition causes stress-related immunomodulations in horses. PLoS ONE 17(8): e0272445.

13/01/2025

Photos from throughout the last week, everyone is looking in full Teddy 🧸 bear winter mode! Fluffy friends 🥰

09/01/2025

Good morning 🌅 it's a beautiful one ❄️

04/01/2025

The little grooms have been on duty this morning (and the cold but dry mornings make it much easier to encourage little people outdoors!) 🩵👋🏼👋🏼

03/01/2025

A beautiful afternoon on track 2, cool, calm, crisp fresh air. Absolute winter perfection ❄️

25/12/2024

Merry Christmas one and all ⛄🧑🏼‍🎄🎁 We hope Santa brought you a carrot 🥕

21/12/2024

Wel hello 👋🏼 Mr Elf, I expect your very busy this time of year, helping Santa with all the gifts, so thank you for taking the time to enter our Christmas Decorated Pony competition, your this year's Winner 🏆 🧑🏼‍🎄 🎊
(Great outfit Little Frank!)

16/12/2024

Sleepy like Monday Afternoon 💤😴

13/12/2024

Urrrr human?!!! We need one more haynet!!! Where's miiiiiiiiiiine? 😁👋🏼😁

12/12/2024

I'm terribly sorry for interrupting nap time with your dinners gang 😴

12/12/2024

Appreciating this chilly but dry weather, it's been a busy few weeks with the storms and snow but that wind is blowing the ground dry nicely 😃

03/12/2024

Such beautiful morning light 🌄

22/11/2024

Good morning snow ❄️
🫣

21/11/2024

Snow day ❄️ it's so beautiful.... but it's also hiding all the poops 🫣 🤣 💩

20/11/2024

The light just hit right yesterday, such beautiful autumn colours 🍂