An Exploratory Observational Study of Rearing Behaviour in Horses

Rearing is a behaviour in which a horse stands on its hind limbs while lifting its forelimbs off the ground. Although it can occur as part of the normal behavioural repertoire, repeated or contextually inappropriate rearing may compromise horse welfare and rider safety. This exploratory observational study described horses with and without reported rearing behaviour on horse farms in Adana, Mersin and Konya, Türkiye. Data were collected for 80 horses through farm records, semi-structured interviews with owners, consultations with farm veterinarians and observations in stables and paddocks. The study included 59 horses with reported rearing behaviour and 21 horses without reported rearing behaviour. The sample comprised 32 Thoroughbreds, 24 Arabians, 16 Belgian horses and 8 ponies. The observations underline the importance of evaluating potential health problems, management conditions, training practices and rider-horse interactions when a horse exhibits rearing behaviour. Differences in distributions were observed for sex (exact p=0.004; Holm-adjusted p=0.014), intended use (exact p<0.001; Holm-adjusted p<0.001) and recorded health status (exact p=0.003; Holm-adjusted p=0.014). No evidence of distributional differences was observed for breed (exact p=0.436; Holm-adjusted p=0.873) or age (exact p=0.444; Holm-adjusted p=0.873). Health problems were recorded in eight horses overall: two of the 59 horses with reported rearing behaviour and six of the 21 horses without reported rearing behaviour. Limited field-based information is available regarding the characteristics of horses exhibiting rearing behaviour in Türkiye. Therefore, the present exploratory observational study aimed to describe horses with and without reported rearing behaviour and to provide a basis for future analytical studies. Further studies with larger, prospectively selected samples and standardised behavioural assessments are required to identify factors associated with rearing behaviour.