Current Welfare Problems Facing Horses in Great Britain as Identified by Equine Stakeholders

Abstract

Despite growing concerns about the welfare of horses in Great Britain (GB) there has been little surveillance of the welfare status of the horse population. Consequently we have limited knowledge of the range of welfare problems experienced by horses in GB and the situations in which poor welfare occurs. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with a cross -section of equine stakeholders, in order to explore their perceptions of the welfare problems faced by horses in GB. Welfare problems relating to health, management and riding and training were identified, including horses being under or over weight, stabling 24 hours a day and the inappropriate use of training aids. The interviewees also discussed broader contexts in which they perceived that welfare was compromised. The most commonly discussed context was where horses are kept in unsuitable environments, for example environments with poor grazing. The racing industry and travellers horses were identified as areas of the industry where horse welfare was particularly vulnerable to compromise. Lack of knowledge and financial constraints were perceived to be the root cause of poor welfare by many interviewees. The findings give insight into the range of welfare problems that may be faced by horses in GB, the contexts in which these may occur and their possible causes. Many of the problems identified by the interviewees have undergone limited scientific investigation pointing to areas where further research is likely to be necessary for welfare improvement. The large number of issues identified suggests that some form of prioritisation may be necessary to target research and resources effectively.

Determining a Welfare Prioritization for Horses Using a Delphi Method

“…Large worm burdens, obesity and hunger all also appeared in the most important issues in our study for individual horses. Likewise, prolonged stabling, under-or over-feeding, inappropriate rugging and social isolation were identified in previous work [18] and were also considered important in our study for individual horses, and feeding of unsuitable diets was perceived to be prevalent. Use of poorly fitting tack was identified in both studies as a significant cause for welfare concern.…”

“…Other qualitative studies that have considered horse welfare have used varying techniques, and not all studies yielded outcomes that could be directly compared to our prioritization. However, a UK study using interviewing and focus groups of industry professionals [18] found that horses being underweight or overweight, poor foot care, internal worms and laminitis were the most frequently mentioned horse health issues. Large worm burdens, obesity and hunger all also appeared in the most important issues in our study for individual horses.…”

“…Use of poorly fitting tack was identified in both studies as a significant cause for welfare concern. In the study of Horseman et al [18], the most prevalent welfare issues (identified as the perception by stakeholders to be the situations in which welfare was most likely to be compromised) were keeping horses in unsuitable environments, inappropriate use, misunderstanding behaviour, disruption of social routines (e.g., through moving yards), abandonment, transport and delayed euthanasia. Of these, issues with delayed euthanasia, lack of owner understanding, issues with use and instability of social routines were also considered by the experts in our study to be prevalent with horses in the UK.…”

“…Although other studies did not appear to use a specific definition of welfare to direct respondents, participants may have utilized similar thinking about the impact on equine mental state and suffering of the welfare issues that were mentioned frequently. Other studies have also identified racehorses or competition horses [17,18] and horses owned by travellers [18] as areas of particular welfare concern. In our study, although these areas were mentioned in the initial rounds of developing the lists of horse welfare concerns, they were not included in the final prioritization.…”

The four priority welfare challenges

“…Our research findings suggested that a lack of knowledge on the part of horse‐owners and a lack of clear, consistent advice were both fundamental root causes of poor equine welfare in England and Wales (Horseman et al . ) further emphasising the need for veterinary surgeons, as key advisors to horse‐owners, to have relevant and up‐to‐date knowledge. However, it would be naïve to assume that so long as equine veterinary surgeons, and others advising horse‐owners, are giving ‘good’ advice, that these priority welfare challenges will be resolved.…”