Special Issue: Emerging Practices and Technologies for the Other 23 Hours of Equidae Management (EPTOEM)

Background
With increasing emphasis on furthering our knowledge of how to enhance equine welfare through improvements in management and husbandry practices, innovative areas of investigation are increasing. Emerging studies often successfully utilise behavioural observation as a non-invasive method but can lack funding to employ additional physiological measures that can complement behaviour data. Limitations to funding can also reduce the sample size that researchers are able to engage with due to the resource-intensive analysis of behavioural data required. These limitations can hamper attempts at publication, even though they offer innovative recommendations for further study through insights into the strengths and weaknesses of novel approaches or metrics. 

Quotidian elements of the environment that are often overlooked are increasingly receiving attention. For example, bioacoustics is a growing area of interest for captive animal collections but very little is known about the soundscape of the environment of stabled horses and how this influences welfare. Previous research shows how noise such as music can affect behavioural profile of stabled horses, and whilst light as a zeitgeber of sleep has begun to be investigated relative to equine sleep, other sleep cues such as exercise and temperature have received little attention. The reduction in agency that stabled horses experience compared to counterparts kept at pasture offers avenues for exploration in terms of preferences and choices made within the confines of a stable. Finally, the majority of studies on management of Equidae focus on domestic horses, with little attention paid to the nuances of managing captive Equidae species.  

This issue therefore aims to advance knowledge and guide best practices for the care and management of all Equidae, promoting their welfare across various environments. Contributions aim to offer novel considerations in management practices to help mitigate stress, enhance health and sustainability, and overall improve management across different environments. 

Aims
The field of welfare is exponentially increasing with respect to how Equidae are managed beyond equitation, or their usual role, to promote a good life rather than avoiding negative experiences. However, funding pots to create large-scale outputs to enhance this area of knowledge are limited.  Projects that investigate elements of equine welfare but with a small N often do not get shared even though they offer valuable insights. Therefore, the aims of this special issue in IJES are to highlight how journals can provide a platform for emerging studies on management-related topics that move this type of research from the grey literature into peer-reviewed and citable spaces.

Potential Topics
•    The influence of acoustic enrichment on equine behaviour. 
•    The influence of changing exercises routines on equine rest/sleep patterns.
•    The influence of under-rug temperature on the behaviour of stabled horses. 
•    Human perceptions of under-rug temperature against novel technology.  
•    A review of our understanding of agency within stables.
•    Management challenges and solutions in Equidae. 
•    The integration of technology into management practices.

Special Issue Editorial Board 
Lead Guest Editor
Dr. Linda Greening, Hartpury University and Hartpury College, Gloucester, United Kingdom
Institutional Webpage; Google Scholar
Contact Lead Guest Editor

Guest Editors
Dr. Ivana Schork, Hartpury University and Hartpury College, Gloucester, United Kingdom
Institutional Webpage; Google Scholar
Prof. Hayley Randle, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia
Institutional Webpage; Google Scholar

Associate Editors
Prof. Inga Wolframm, Van Hall-Larenstein University of Applied Sciences, Velp, Netherlands
Institutional Webpage
Dr. Lorna Cameron, Hartpury University and Hartpury College, Gloucester, United Kingdom
Institutional Webpage

Submissions to Special Issues are all under the comprehensive supervision of the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Jane M. Williams.

Special Issue Information
Submission Deadline: 30 June 2025
Publication Dates: Each accepted article will be published within 2–3 weeks of its acceptance date.
Average Time to 1st Editorial Decision: 6 weeks

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For any inquiries, please contact us at ijes@rasayely-journals.com