Feeding related welfare issue: application of geometric morphometrics to assess horses behavioural posture according to different hay position

The purpose of this study is evaluate the horse's feeding behaviour and its relation with postural variation. Postural variation can affect horse's health and consequently horse's welfare. Primarily a review of existent literature about horse's feeding behaviour was collected. To study the effect of the feeding position on horse's posture a geometric morphometrics analysis was performed. Six horses were video-recorded in three different feeding positions and the horses' back and neck shape was analysed. The results of the geometric morphometrics analysis reveal how the feeding position modify horse's posture thorough the processing of tables and graphics. There is the possibility to differentiate each horse on the basis of the topline profile according to the different feeding height. The variation on the head and neck postures during the feeding time affects the kinematics of the horse's back. The horse feeding position has a great impact on horse's posture. In this study it was possible to define a common pattern of shape variation that suggest that there is a correlation between feeding position and posture.