Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis on a U.S. Perspective

Heleski, Camie R.; Stowe, C. Jill; Fiedler, Julie; Peterson, Michael; Brady, Colleen; Wickens, C.; MacLeod, James N.

doi:10.3390/su12051706

Cited by 48 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 59 publications

(92 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Injury and fatality in racehorses are issues of ongoing concern [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Extensive research has been performed for the thoroughbred, with primary focus on musculoskeletal injuries (MSI), the greatest source of loss.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It covers frequency and intensity of work, as well as characteristics of the work environment, from track surface and length to geographic location, regional track distribution, and horse movement, track and training center facilities, and prevailing economic circumstances. Finally, it encompasses the physiologic and psychologic dimensions of training and race intensity exercise [ 2 , 5 ]. These combine to create the environment in which racehorses work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Factors Associated with Mortality in Ontario Standardbred Racing: 2003–2015

Physick‐Sheard

Avison

Sears

2021

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Factors associated with mortality in standardbred racehorses were assessed through a retrospective annualized cohort study of all-cause mortality from 2003–2015 (n = 978) (identified in the Ontario Racehorse Death Registry). Race and qualifying data for official work-events were also gathered (1,778,330 work-events, 125,200 horse years). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed sex, age, and indices of workload and intensity and their interactions to be strongly associated with mortality. Track class, race versus qualifying performance, and work-event outcome (finish position, scratched, or failed to finish) also influenced mortality odds, which increased as performance slowed. Intense competition at higher performance levels and qualifying races at lower levels carried particularly high odds. Though occurring frequently, musculoskeletal injury was less frequent than all other presenting problems combined. Industry structure contributes to mortality through interaction between horse characteristics and the competition environment. This substrate may be amenable to management to minimize liability, but incident-specific triggers may represent chance factors and be relatively difficult to identify or control. Differentiating between substrate and trigger when studying specific clinical problems may provide greater clarity and yield in identifying underlying causes. Mortality may reflect a continuum of circumstances, cumulative impacts of which might be identified before a fatal event occurs.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Associated with Mortality in Ontario Standardbred Racing: 2003–2015

Physick‐Sheard

Avison

Sears

2021

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This is important because the traditional methods of animal handling, training, and management are increasingly being challenged [ 8 , 9 ]. Public attention has questioned whether industries, ranging from those using laboratory rodents to those using racing horses, maintain a SLO to use animals as they have done historically [ 10 , 11 ]. SLO is not a formal or written contract, rather society’s permission for an entity to continue to operate.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying Sources of Potential Bias When Using Online Survey Data to Explore Horse Training, Management, and Behaviour: A Systematic Literature Review

Fenner

Hyde

Crean

et al. 2020

Veterinary Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Owner-reported behavioural observations form an essential part of the veterinarians’ diagnosis and treatment plan. The way we train and manage horses affects their behaviour and, in turn, their health and welfare. Current horse training and management practices are largely driven by traditional techniques and longstanding methodologies. These approaches generally lack an evidence base for evaluation purposes. The absence of evidence and evaluation contributes to the persistent use of risky practices and this, in turn, increases risk of potential harms for both horse and rider, and fuels questioning of the equine industry’s current social license to operate. Objective evidence is required to make training and management decisions based on demonstrable best practice. Large-scale experimental or intervention studies using horses are generally not practical because of the associated costs and logistics of gaining ethical approval. Small studies generally lack statistical power and are subject to the effects of many forms of bias that demand caution in the interpretation of any observed effects. An alternative to collecting large amounts of empirical data is the use of owner-reported observations via online survey. Horse owners are ideally placed to report on the domestic equine triad of training, management, and behaviour. The current article highlights three sources of potential bias in a systematic review of literature on large-scale online studies of horse owners’ observational reports that met the following selection criteria: English-language, published, peer-reviewed articles reporting on studies with over 1000 respondents and open access to the survey instrument. The online surveys were evaluated for three common forms of bias: recall, confirmation, and sampling bias. This review reveals that online surveys are useful for gathering data on the triad of horse training, management, and behaviour. However, current use of online surveys to collect data on equitation science (including horse training, management, and behaviour) could be improved by using a standardised and validated tool. Such a tool would facilitate comparisons among equine and equitation science studies, thus advancing our understanding of the impacts of training and management on horse behaviour. The authors of the current review suggest the use of a standardised behavioural and management assessment tool for horses. Such a tool would help define what constitutes normal behaviour within geographically disparate populations of horses, leading to improvements in rider safety and horse welfare.

show abstract

“…Contextualised for human–animal relationships, basic adherence to animal welfare legislation or farm animal assurance schemes is no longer considered as sufficient to secure broad public acceptance. The concept of social licence is increasingly realised in sporting equestrian pursuits [ 16 ] and livestock production [ 17 , 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-Produced Care in Veterinary Services: A Qualitative Study of UK Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Pyatt

Walley

Wright

et al. 2020

Veterinary Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Changes in client behaviour and expectations, and a dynamic business landscape, amplify the already complex nature of veterinary and animal health service provision. Drawing on prior experiences, veterinary clients increasingly pursue enhanced involvement in services and have expectations of relationship-centred care. Co-production as a conceptualisation of reciprocity in service provision is a fundamental offering in the services sector, including human medicine, yet the role of co-production in veterinary services has been minimally explored. Utilising a service satisfaction framework, semi-structured interviews (n = 13) were completed with three veterinary stakeholder groups, veterinarians, allied animal health practitioners, and veterinary clients. Interview transcript data were subject to the qualitative data analysis techniques, thematic analysis and grounded theory, to explore relationship-centred care and subsequently conceptualise co-production service for the sector. Six latent dimensions of service were emergent, defined as: empathy, bespoke care, professional integrity, value for money, confident relationships, and accessibility. The dimensions strongly advocate wider sector adoption of a co-produced service, and a contextualised co-production framework is presented. Pragmatic challenges associated with integration of active veterinary clients in a practitioner–client partnership are evident. However, adopting a people-centric approach to veterinary services and partnerships with clients can confer the advantages of improved client satisfaction, enhanced treatment adherence and outcomes, and business sustainability.

show abstract

Thoroughbred Racehorse Welfare through the Lens of ‘Social License to Operate—With an Emphasis on a U.S. Perspective

Cited by 48 publications

References 59 publications

Factors Associated with Mortality in Ontario Standardbred Racing: 2003–2015

Factors Associated with Mortality in Ontario Standardbred Racing: 2003–2015

Identifying Sources of Potential Bias When Using Online Survey Data to Explore Horse Training, Management, and Behaviour: A Systematic Literature Review

Co-Produced Care in Veterinary Services: A Qualitative Study of UK Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About