Abstract：
Despite an increase in awareness of their essential needs, many stallions continue to be kept in conditions limiting their social interactions and movement. To supplement the studies which highlight the effects of these practices on selected aspects of equine mental and physical wellbeing, we aimed to monitor a group of 32 adult intact stallions during their transition from tethered housing with limited outdoor access to free group housing through the lens of their overall welfare, perceived emotional status, and docility toward humans. Over three visits (before the management change, two weeks, and three months after, respectively), their welfare, qualitative behavior, and docility were assessed. Analysis of the data collected showed an improvement in the stallions\' overall welfare and no decrease in their docility after their group-release, with a constant correlation between these two aspects. The evaluation of their emotional states was less relevant, lacking consistency between the assessments for most of the descriptors used, warranting further research in similar conditions. Although our study covered a relatively short period of time, our results provide encouraging support for stallion owners in deciding on a similar management change for the welfare of their animals.
摘要：
尽管人们对其基本需求的认识有所增加，许多种马继续保持在限制其社会互动和运动的条件下。为了补充强调这些做法对马的精神和身体健康的某些方面的影响的研究，我们的目的是通过整体福利的镜头，监测一组32个成年完整的种马，从有限的户外进入免费的集体住房过渡，感知的情绪状态，对人类的温顺。超过三次访问(在管理层变更之前，两周,三个月后,分别)，他们的福利,定性行为，和温顺性进行了评估。对收集的数据的分析表明，种马的总体福利有所改善，而在集体释放后，它们的温顺性没有下降，这两个方面之间有着恒定的相关性。对他们情绪状态的评估不太相关，对于大多数使用的描述符，评估之间缺乏一致性，保证在类似条件下进行进一步研究。虽然我们的研究涵盖了相对较短的时间，我们的结果为种马所有者决定对其动物福利进行类似的管理变更提供了令人鼓舞的支持。
