Recent Advances in Equine Behavior and Welfare
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 46
Special Issue Editors
Interests: veterinary physiology; equine welfare; horse management; behavior; health; nutrition and exercise physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: oxidant/antioxidant equilibrium; veterinary physiology; animal welfare; animal management; behavior; health; nutrition and exercise physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There are approximately 60 million equines worldwide, and the behavior and welfare of horses are increasingly the focus of research and societal interest. Enhancing equine welfare involves developing stable conditions and management practices that cater to horses’ needs, minimizing negative experiences and suffering, while promoting positive emotional states. Horses are exposed to diverse management systems and environments, each significantly influencing their behavior and welfare. Refining these systems is essential to improving equine welfare while supporting their roles in sport, leisure, and companionship.
Numerous stressors affect equines. Transport poses multiple challenges, including loading, unloading, confinement, exposure to unfamiliar environments, temperature fluctuations, poor ventilation, and deprivation of food and water. Pain management is another critical welfare challenge. Issues such as lameness and back pain are prevalent in ridden horses, but pain recognition remains difficult, especially for owners. This often results in horses being used in sports despite discomfort, leading to behavioral issues such as aggression and heightened stress. In turn, these behaviors may provoke harsh training methods, worsening the pain and perpetuating a harmful cycle.
This Special Issue welcomes high-quality articles advancing equine behavior and welfare research. Topics may include the effects of stabling systems, training practices, transport, social stressors, and novel tools for welfare assessment. We look forward to your contributions to fostering innovative approaches to equine welfare.
Dr. Maria Rizzo
Dr. Francesca Arfuso
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- equine welfare
- horse management
- behavior
- health
- nutrition and exercise physiology
- stress indicators
- welfare assessment tools
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
