Comparison of working equid welfare across three regions of Mexico

Haddy, Emily Charlotte; Burden, Faith; Prado‐Ortiz, Omar; Zappi, Humberto; Raw, Zoe

doi:10.1111/evj.13349

Cited by 27 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…Poor body condition and wounds were the most common welfare problems observed across all study locations and this suggests that the interventions put in place have been effectively targeting these most prevalent issues. Previous research in the study area has demonstrated that role, location and species have an effect on equid welfare [ 42 ] although the natural covariance of these factors means that it is not possible to isolate their relative effects. In order to ensure that the influence of location and role were not confounding the effect of intervention level on welfare, a separate analysis of riding equids in the state of Veracruz only was conducted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico

et al. 2021

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Working equids play an essential role in supporting livelihoods, providing resilience and income security to people around the world, yet their welfare is often poor. Consequently, animal welfare focussed NGOs employ a range of initiatives aimed at improving standards of working equid welfare. However, there is debate surrounding the efficacy of welfare initiatives utilised and long term monitoring and evaluation of initiatives is rarely undertaken. This study compares equid welfare and the social transmission of welfare information across Mexican communities that had previously received differing intervention histories (veterinary treatment plus educational initiatives, veterinary treatment only and control communities) in order to assess their efficacy. Indicators of equid welfare were assessed using the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping tool and included body condition score, skin alterations, lameness, general health status and reaction to observer approach. Owners were interviewed about their involvement in previous welfare initiatives, beliefs regarding equid emotions and pain, and the social transmission of welfare knowledge, including whether they ask advice about their equid or discuss its health with others and whether there is a specific individual that they consider to be ‘good with equids’ in their community. In total 266 owners were interviewed from 25 communities across three states. Better welfare (specifically body condition and skin alteration scores) was seen in communities where a history of combined free veterinary treatment and educational initiatives had taken place compared to those that had only received veterinary treatment or control communities. The social transfer of welfare knowledge was also higher in these communities, suggesting that the discussion and transfer of equid welfare advice within communities can act as a mechanism to disseminate good welfare practices more widely. Our results suggest that using a combined approach may enhance the success of welfare initiatives, a finding that may impact future NGO programming.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico

et al. 2021

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“…As women did not generally use their equids, they did not view themselves as ‘owners’ of equids and therefore often weren’t able to access the social and educational benefits of ownership or have involvement in decision making regarding their equids.The demographic of working equid ‘owners’ has been reflected in studies globally [ 30 , 42 , 43 ], with recognised differences between predominantly female ‘caregivers’ and male ‘owners’ [ 4 , 44 ]. This theme is mirrored in agriculture, where women are often described as ‘caregivers’ to food-producing livestock [ 45 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘All My Animals Are Equal, but None Can Survive without the Horse’. The Contribution of Working Equids to the Livelihoods of Women across Six Communities in the Chimaltenango Region of Guatemala

Vasanthakumar¹,

Upjohn

Watson³

et al. 2021

Animals

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It is widely assumed that working equid husbandry is carried out by men, and women are often not recognised as facilitating equid welfare. The aim of this study is to investigate how working equids contribute to women’s livelihoods in six of the World Horse Welfare programme target communities in Guatemala and determine what roles women have in their care. Thirty-four face-to-face interviews were carried out and data were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. This study found that working equids support women by reducing domestic drudgery, generating income, feeding livestock and saving time. Thirty-two women played a major role in the care of one or more equids, and overall, women did not feel that they knew enough about equid husbandry. Thirty-one women said they would attend training opportunities if the advertising was clear and they felt that women were able to join. This study recognises the contribution of working equids to women’s livelihoods, describes the roles women play in equid husbandry and addresses the discrepancies between women’s roles and their capacity to undertake these tasks. This emphasises the need for extension services to include and cater for women, improving equid welfare and their ability to continue supporting women’s livelihoods.

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“…It is important to ensure appropriate management and routine care to maintain good health among donkeys. Different types of nutrition, stabling facilities, activity, environment, health care, and culture can influence the welfare, development of disease and average breeding life of horses and donkeys (7,(13)(14)(15). However, donkeys often suffer significant health problems owing to physiologic characteristics and stoical behavior which are often misinterpreted by owners (16).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Donkeys often do not exhibit obvious clinical signs despite suffering from severe or even life-threatening conditions (17). The characteristics in behavior, physiology and health have been recognized by some donkey researchers, para-Governmental bodies and owners, who have developed management guidelines for disease prevention (18,19) and applied improved management practices to control disease risks (15,17).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Survey of Smallholder Farms Regarding Demographics, Health Care, and Management Factors of Donkeys in Northeastern China

Liang

Shi

et al. 2021

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Essential information on the population dynamics and the health and welfare of Chinese donkeys is scarce. The objectives of this study were to describe the demographic characteristics, management and health care of a sample of donkeys under smallholder farm conditions of northeastern China. A cross-sectional survey of 731 randomly selected donkey owners on smallholder farms (1,658 donkeys) in 40 villages of northeastern China was conducted. Data on the composition and management of the donkeys and their routine health care were analyzed. The surveyed donkey population consisted of mostly (83.8%) jenny/filly donkeys with a mean age of 6.2 ± 5.0 years. Most (91.2%) of the farms kept 1–4 donkeys. The majority of donkeys were used for breeding and labor. Most (93.8%) of the farms did not have bedding, and their mean stable size was 17.7 ± 10.1 m2. All of the animals were turned out for at least part of the year. The mean size of the turnout areas on the farms was 17.8 m2. The condition of 12.5% of the donkeys was evaluated as “poor” with a body condition score of 1 on a scale of 5. More than one third (37.9%) of the donkeys had never been dewormed. Also, none of them were ever vaccinated or received dental care from a veterinarian. Their hoofs were trimmed once (45.9%) or twice (27.6%) a year. Forty percent of the donkeys were reported to suffer from at least one medical problem in the preceding year. The most common medical problems were colic, respiratory disorders and skin conditions. Owners seemed to underestimate some of the most prevalent diseases in donkeys, suggesting that their knowledge of the management of donkeys, including routine healthcare practices should be improved to ensure the health and welfare of donkeys in northeastern China.

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Comparison of working equid welfare across three regions of Mexico

Abstract: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Cited by 27 publications

References 22 publications

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico

Evaluation of long-term welfare initiatives on working equid welfare and social transmission of knowledge in Mexico

‘All My Animals Are Equal, but None Can Survive without the Horse’. The Contribution of Working Equids to the Livelihoods of Women across Six Communities in the Chimaltenango Region of Guatemala

A Survey of Smallholder Farms Regarding Demographics, Health Care, and Management Factors of Donkeys in Northeastern China

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