The four priority welfare challenges

Horseman, Susan V

doi:10.1111/eve.12729

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Therefore, meeting an animal’s physical needs is necessary for good welfare, but not sufficient, because it overlooks the primary determinant of welfare, which is the animal’s mental state. This distinction is especially important for ridden horses, who are likely to have their physical needs met (because physical health is closely related to athletic performance) (Bolwell et al 2013 ; Araneda 2022 ), yet may experience a poor mental state, due to owners neglecting or overlooking this aspect of their welfare (Horseman 2017 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…High rates of wastage (the premature destruction or retirement of horses) are found in the racing industry where it is estimated 33% of racehorses are ‘wasted’ (killed) each year (Thomson et al 2014 ). Other welfare challenges include owners misinterpreting pain/stress/fear behaviour in horses (Rogers & Bell 2022 ), as well as misunderstanding horses’ nutritional needs (Furtado et al 2020 ), housing needs (Hockenhull & Furtado 2021 ) and delaying euthanasia (Horseman 2017 ; Bell & Rogers 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several authors have reported an anthropomorphic understanding of horse needs among horse owners. Horseman ( 2017 ) found some owners feel horses are not ‘safe’ when in a paddock, where they may be exposed to such phenomena as bad weather and toxic plants. More recently, a study found horse owners may construct horse needs in terms of human preferences such as equating stables to a bedroom that keeps the horse comfortable and safe, and rugs as ‘pyjamas’ that keep the horse warm (Hockenhull & Furtado 2021 ; p 2).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How equestrians conceptualise horse welfare: Does it facilitate or hinder change?

Luke,

Rawluk,

McAdie

et al. 2023

Anim. welf.

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More than ever the welfare of horses in equestrian sport is in the spotlight. In response to this scrutiny, one peak body, the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) has created an Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission to protect their sport’s longevity. However, for welfare-based strategies to be successful, the conceptualisation of horse welfare must align across various stakeholders, including the general public. The value-laden nature of welfare makes agreement on its definition, even among scientists, difficult. Given little is known about how equestrians conceptualise horse welfare, we interviewed 19 Australian amateur equestrians using a semi-structured format. Systems thinking and the Five Domains Model provided the theoretical framework and informed our methods. Using reflexive thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (1) good horse welfare is tangible; (2) owners misinterpret unwanted horse behaviour; and (3) equestrians publicly minimise horse welfare issues but are privately concerned. Our results highlight participants’ conceptualisations of horse welfare do not align with the Five Domains Model; participants’ ideal of prioritising horse welfare does not align with their practice; and there is inconsistency between what participants share publicly and what they think privately about horse welfare. These findings can inform the development of programmes to improve ridden horse welfare throughout the horse industry. As a starting point, programmes that provide a safe space for equestrians to explore their private horse welfare concerns, and programmes that build a partnership mindset to facilitate knowledge exchange between all stakeholders are needed.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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How equestrians conceptualise horse welfare: Does it facilitate or hinder change?

Luke,

Rawluk,

McAdie

et al. 2023

Anim. welf.

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“…This means that professionals and paraprofessionals such as veterinarians, riding instructors, animal behaviourists, and yard owners should be targeted with the new scientific information, provided support in understanding it, and encouraged to share their information with many horse owners. Lam et al [33] and Horseman et al [13,34] emphasise that veterinarians and other equine welfare professionals need to take advantage of current knowledge about human behaviour change to encourage owners to modify their behaviour to ensure the best welfare for their horse. Bard et al [35] found that veterinarians' communication with clients was mostly based on a directive style using the paternalism approach with the client having a passive role.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimising the Efficacy of Equine Welfare Communications: Do Equine Stakeholders Differ in Their Information-Seeking Behaviour and Communication Preferences?

Pickering

Hockenhull

2019

Animals

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Information on the management of animals within domestic environments is freely available to animal owners and caregivers either online, or in paper form by request. However, awareness is growing within the animal welfare sector that simply providing written guidelines or educational material is not enough to affect a positive change in owners in relation to animal welfare. In the quest to improve equine welfare, understanding the way that owners and other stakeholders seek information and their communication preferences is key to effective dissemination of up to date equine welfare information and research findings. Three UK equine stakeholder groups—horse owners, livery yard owners, and equine veterinarians—were surveyed online to find out where they sought equine information. Their awareness of equine welfare Codes of Practice, how they respond when they are asked to give advice to horse owners and their communication preferences were included within the survey. All three stakeholder groups tended to seek information from people rather than from organisations, or digital and printed resources. Veterinarians were the most used information source across all three stakeholder groups This highlighted the importance of ensuring that equine veterinarians have access to up to date, evidence-based equine welfare information. While the majority of participants were aware of the equine welfare Code of Practice, fewer had actually read it, this was true particularly amongst horse owners. The primary reasons for this were the features of the Code as well as the issuing organisation. The stakeholders expressed a preference for information to be communicated in a neutral or positive way rather than focusing on negative aspects. Our findings suggest that industry professionals, particularly veterinarians, have an important role to play in knowledge transfer and the dissemination of research findings to horse owners. The efficacy of equine welfare communication could be improved if the information delivery preferences of equine stakeholders are were taken into consideration.

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“…Explanation of the subtle signs of pain should be made. A recent article has highlighted the importance of unresolved stress and pain behaviour on the welfare of horses (Horseman 2017).…”

Section: Postoperative Carementioning

confidence: 99%