Fabrice Reigner, who are you?
I work as an assistant engineer at the Unité Expérimentale en Physiologie Animale de l'Orfrasière (UEPAO), at the INRAE Val de Loire research centre in Nouzilly (37). After obtaining a Bac Pro in equine breeding, I worked as the manager of a private horse farm before joining INRAE as a technician in 1998. In 2011, I took charge of the equine team, a herd of almost 150 horses and donkeys. Being in contact with the animals, ensuring their welfare and applying the 3Rs (Replace, Reduce, Refine) is at the heart of my daily life and work. My current tasks include :
-
Managing the team and organising the work (6 people),
-
Planning and monitoring the correct execution of experimental protocols (feasibility studies and management of human and animal resources, estimation of experimental costs and preparation of tenders),
-
Maintaining and improving the facilities (spread over 5 breeding sites capable of housing the 150 horses under experimental conditions)
-
Optimisation of housing conditions and animal care.
Tell us about the 3Rs and the culture of care at the UEPAO
Together with the 6 other members of the equine team, we look after the experimental herd in collaboration with scientists from the INRAE and IFCE (Institut Français du Cheval et de l'Equitation), who carry out studies on subjects such as reproduction, ethology, behaviour, parasitism, animal welfare and agroecology. We develop innovative practices whose impact on animal welfare is then rigorously assessed through behavioural and physiological measurements carried out by the INRAE Cognition Ethologie, Bien-Être animal research team:
The animals, which live on 500 hectares of arable land and 120 hectares of woodland, benefit from a unique environment and monitoring to ensure their well-being. They live in groups, which encourages social contact. Enrichments such as automatic scratching brushes, tree trunks and games are placed in the paddocks and boxes, and we have shown that this improves their welfare (Lansade et al., 2014).
We have developed a progressive weaning method aimed at reducing animal stress by gradually accustoming the foal to separation from its mother (Mach et al. 2017), and have refined our castration procedure to significantly reduce post-operative animal stress (Cognié et al., 2023 ; Rouge et al., 2023).
The welfare of the horses at UEPAO is a priority, as is the welfare of the people on my team. It quickly became clear that the two were linked and had a major impact on the quality of the scientific results obtained. Therefore, as soon as possible, we introduced participative horse-human procedures based on positive reinforcement, thus putting an end to the traditional methods of restraining horses (nose bit). Today, for example, blood samples can be taken in the middle of the pasture, without restraint, in a calm environment, without stress for the animal, while at the same time facilitating and reducing the working time of the handler. We have also been involved in the development of a refined method to collect saliva without constraint, with the aim of developing non-invasive diagnostic tools as an alternative to blood sampling (Goudet et al, 2024).
In addition, the unit has conducted unique studies on the emotional sensitivity of horses and their understanding of human emotions (Jardat et al. 2023; Trösch et al. 2020). This work is revealing unexpected cognitive abilities in equids. These discoveries made at UEPAO contribute to a more respectful view of animals and to the improvement of their living conditions, by profoundly changing the way we perceive horses and emphasising the importance of their well-being.
Finally, the replacement of horses used in experiments is also one of our priorities. All UEPAO horses end their experimental careers at the age of 12 (with a life expectancy of 25-30 years) and are re-homed with private owners selected for their respect for animal welfare. These horses therefore continue their lives in a pleasant, appropriate environment, with horse/horse and/or horse/human interaction.
How do you share these advances with the scientific community?
We try to share our methods as much as possible so that they can benefit animal welfare in other experimental units, even those using different animal models. The effects of our approaches are scientifically tested, published in scientific journals and presented at conferences for the general public or included in training courses for professionals. Our team carries out 15 to 20 protocols per year, in collaboration with French and international teams, on subjects as diverse as reproductive management (ultrasound, artificial insemination, embryo freezing and transfer), imaging (in utero imaging, MRI), behavioural measurements, etc. These methods have been the subject of around forty scientific articles published in open access (or available in the HAL archive) and have led to the publication of over a hundred articles in the fields of animal welfare, behaviour and reproduction.
What does the FC3R 'Culture of care' Prize mean to you?
We're really very happy and touched. Our research colleagues surprised us with this nomination. It's a great recognition on their part of the work we've been doing for 26 years to improve animal welfare, and a great opportunity to share it with the rest of the community. We've also been awarded the EquuRES label, the first national approach to environmental quality and horse welfare developed specifically for businesses in the equine industry. And as part of the SAFRAN project (SAuvegarde de la FeRtilité de l'ANe), supported by the Centre-Val de Loire region, we were recently entrusted by private individuals and breeders of rare animals with a research project aimed at safeguarding endangered donkey breeds such as the Âne Grand Noir du Berry (there are fewer GNB donkeys than pandas!). This vote of confidence is a great endorsement of our expertise and the welfare of our experimental animals.