The topic of ethics and horses encompasses the study and evaluation of moral principles and standards as they apply to human interactions with horses. This area of research involves examining the welfare, treatment, and management of horses in various contexts, including sport, leisure, work, and scientific research. Ethical considerations may address issues such as humane training methods, living conditions, and the use of horses in competitive events. Researchers in this field analyze the implications of human decisions on equine well-being and explore frameworks for ensuring ethical practices. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate ethical theories, welfare assessments, and policy discussions related to the ethical treatment and management of horses.
Fine AH, Andersen SJ.The field of human-animal interactions and, more specifically, animal-assisted interventions and equine assisted interactions (equine assisted interactions have significantly evolved over the past half century. The primary purpose of this paper is to provide a brief commentary of both fields and the challenges they are presently experiencing as they move forward in their future. More specifically within this commentary, attention will be given to highlighting some of the directions taken in both fields, including clarifying their terminology as it applies to scope of practices, trends in resea...
Lochner HL, Martinson KL, Bianco AW, Hutchinson ML, Wilson ML, Johnston LJ, Dentzman KE.Challenges associated with burial, rendering, and cremation have forced horse owners to seek alternative mortality disposal methods. While equine mortality composting has been successfully demonstrated, industry-wide adoption has been limited. Therefore, evaluation of horse owners' and veterinarians' perceptions and experience with mortality composting is needed. Two surveys were developed to evaluate industry practices and decisive factors regarding equine euthanasia and mortality disposal methods. Each survey was designed for a separate audience: horse owners or veterinarians serving equines...
Clough H, Roshier M, England G, Burford J, Freeman S.There is a lack of research exploring how the horse-human relationship influences horse owners' decision-making. The aim of this study was to investigate how an owner's relationship with their horse affects decisions around key events during their horse's lifetime. An online survey and semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with horse-owners. The online survey asked horse owners about their experiences of decision-making and their relationship with their horse and identified interview participants. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 horse owners on their experie...
Clough H, Roshier M, England G, Burford J, Freeman S.This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate factors affecting horse owners' purchase and euthanasia decisions that had been identified in a qualitative study. An online survey on horse owners' purchase and euthanasia decisions and experiences was distributed using snowball sampling. Inclusion criteria were previous experience of purchase or euthanasia decisions. Descriptive data analyses (mean, median, mode and frequency percentages) were performed. There were 451 participants from the UK and Ireland, 97% were female with a median age of 45 years. Participants most frequently did not seek ...
Cooney K, Dickinson GE, Hoffmann H.Euthanasia of animals plays a significant role in veterinary practices and is a pivotal experience for veterinarians and their clients. It is good animal welfare to have a humane method of euthanasia, correctly applied, and a well-educated individual regarding such techniques. The purpose of this research was to determine how US veterinary medicine schools are preparing students to perform euthanasia. A survey of the 30 US veterinary schools was electronically mailed by the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) in the fall of 2019, with a return rate of 10. Findings revea...
Jones McVey R.This article describes the virtue of bravery in British equestrian culture and suggests that riders' tactics for bolstering bravery may have negative implications on equine welfare. These observations are based on 14 months of ethnographic research among amateur riders and the professionals who support them (n = 35), utilising participant observation and Dictaphone recordings. Riders suffering from 'confidence issues' could be belittled and excluded. Instructors' approaches towards bolstering bravery involved encouraging riders to 'get tough'-on both themselves and on their horses. Narrative t...
Toma M, Pandya YH, Dongre D, Nizich M.There is a multitude of whips and riding crops. It is assumed that the whip in Thoroughbred racing must be padded and designed to be energy-absorbing. The new whips have a cushion made of softer material to be presumably more ethical when used on the horses. This study quantifies the forces exerted on a flat target plate using three different riding crops. The goal is to comparatively determine which one is less likely to leave a mark on the equine skin when the same bending level of the crop cores is achieved. Counterintuitively, it is shown that the riding crop even when its popper is made o...
Tong L, Stewart M, Johnson I, Appleyard R, Wilson B, James O, Johnson C, McGreevy P.The current project aims to build on knowledge of the nociceptive capability of equine skin to detect superficial acute pain, particularly in comparison to human skin. Post-mortem samples of gluteal skin were taken from men ( = 5) and women ( = 5), thoroughbreds and thoroughbred types (mares, = 11; geldings, = 9). Only sections that contained epidermis and dermis through to the hypodermis were analysed. Epidermal depth, dermal depth and epidermal nerve counts were conducted by a veterinary pathologist. The results revealed no significant difference between the epidermal nerve counts of human...
Crawford KL, Finnane A, Greer RM, Phillips CJC, Woldeyohannes SM, Perkins NR, Ahern BJ.Musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) remain a concerning cause of racehorse morbidity and mortality with important ethical and welfare consequences. Previous research examining risk factors for MSI report inconsistent findings. Age is thought to affect MSI risk, but, to date, there have been no prospective studies comparing MSI in two-year-old versus older horses. This study aimed to: (1) determine the incidence of MSI for two-year-old and older horses, and whether this was affected by training track, season, or rainfall, and (2) determine the types of MSI affecting two-year-old and older horses, an...
Thompson K, McManus P, Stansall D, Wilson BJ, McGreevy PD.The idea that whip use is critical to thoroughbred racing integrity is culturally entrenched but lacks empirical support. To test the longstanding beliefs that whip use aids steering, reduces interference, increases safety and improves finishing times, we conducted a mixed-method analysis of 126 race reports produced by official stewards of the British Horseracing Authority, representing 1178 jockeys and their horses. We compared reports from 67 "Hands and Heels" races, where whips are held but not used (whipping-free, WF), with 59 reports from case-matched races where whipping was permitted (...
Fenner K, Dashper K, Serpell J, McLean A, Wilkins C, Klinck M, Wilson B, McGreevy P.The Equine Behaviour Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ) is a questionnaire instrument developed to obtain quantitative data on the domestic equine triad of training, management, and behaviour of horses. The E-BARQ was developed to identify how changes in training and management impact behaviour over time, to define normal behaviour in horses, and to discover how to improve rider safety and horse welfare, leading to ethical equitation. During the development of the E-BARQ, we also investigated how best to motivate stakeholders to engage with this citizen science project. The pilot v...
Fenner K, Hyde M, Crean A, McGreevy P.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 questi...
Pérez-Manrique L, León-Pérez K, Zamora-Sánchez E, Davies S, Ober C, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Restrictive nosebands are used in equestrian sports to hold the bit in place and reduce mouth-opening, a response that can attract penalties in some sports and is thought to reduce the rider's control of the horse. Sustained pressure from such tightly fitted (restrictive) nosebands denies normal behaviour and thus, causes frustration and distress that can jeopardise horse welfare. It also may push the cheek against the molar teeth, compress soft tissues including blood vessels and nerves, and possibly induce chronic changes to underlying bone. This study of mature cavalry horses (n = 144) was ...
Bergmann IM.The idea of what is natural has particular relevance in the thoroughbred racing and breeding discourse. It guides breeding regulations; influences how the thoroughbreds' behaviour is perceived and has implications for husbandry, handling, training and racing practices. This study investigates how key industry and animal advocacy informants based in the US, Australia and the UK conceptualise naturalness within the context of common racing practices that potentially impact the horses' welfare. The informants were interviewed using semi-structured interviewing and photo-elicitation. Four common i...
Lofgren EA, Rice BMG, Brady CM.Horse welfare is a sensitive topic that often results in a variety of strong feelings when discussed in the horse-owning public. This study used a scenario-based questionnaire in a positive psychology approach to assess the public's feelings and discussions about horse welfare. Results indicated themes in important welfare qualities such as turnout, shelter, and ability to express natural behaviors, as well as a positive discussion about welfare. This study provides future implications for further research techniques in this area as well as communicative strategies surrounding equine welfare p...
Górecka-Bruzda A, Jaworski Z, Jaworska J, Siemieniuch M.To prevent abuse and to assure the welfare of domestic horses, attempts to assess welfare in a standardized way have been made. Welfare-assessment tools often refer to the physical and social environments of feral domestic horses as examples of welfare-friendly conditions for horses. However, free-roaming horses are often exposed to conditions or states that may be regarded as welfare threats or abuse. The aim of this review was to present cases of welfare compromises as well as natural ways to restore high standards of welfare to Konik polski horses (Koniks) living in semiferal conditions in ...
Annand EJ, Reid PA, Johnson J, Gilbert GL, Taylor M, Walsh M, Ward MP, Wilson A, Degeling C.Hendra virus (HeV) is endemic in Australian flying foxes, posing a threat to equine and human health. Equine vaccination remains the most effective risk mitigation strategy. Many horses remain unvaccinated - even in higher-risk regions. Debate surrounding the vaccine's use is characterised by conflicting perspectives, misunderstanding and mistrust. Private veterinary practitioners are critical to early identification of public health risk through recognition, sampling and management of suspect-equine-HeV-cases. However, managing such cases can be burdensome, with some veterinarians opting not ...
Fröhlich N, Sells PD, Sommerville R, Bolwell CF, Cantley C, Martin JE, Gordon SJG, Coombs T. Fiji; working horse; welfare, intervention; husbandry; healthcare.
Hausberger M, Lerch N, Guilbaud E, Stomp M, Grandgeorge M, Henry S, Lesimple C.Although the question of animal welfare has been an important source of concern in the scientific community for several decades, many aspects are still under debate. On-farm assessments have to be rapid, acceptable to farmers and safe for both the assessors and animals. They are thus very demanding, with multiple decisions to make, such as the choice of appropriate indicators, sampling methods and scoring. Research has moved from resource-based to animal-based criteria, which reflects the subjective welfare state of an animal rather than relying upon external indices. In the present review, we...
Mellor DJ, Burns M.This review outlines the processes followed by New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) when developing its Thoroughbred Welfare Assessment Guidelines. It accepted that guidance on welfare management must be based on up-to-date knowledge of how animal welfare is understood scientifically. NZTR established an expert panel to facilitate this process. First, major changes in animal welfare science thinking over the last 40 years were considered. For example, the separate biological function and affective state orientations were later accepted as dynamically interacting elements within the body oper...
Nagel C, Aurich J, Aurich C.Economic losses due to dystocia or neonatal death as well as animal welfare and ethical concerns demand a reliable prediction of parturition with the aim to improve survival of the dam and her offspring. In this review, estimation of gestational age by ultrasound and prediction of parturition based on clinical signs, behaviour changes and changes in body temperature, composition of mammary gland secretions as well as hormonal changes are discussed in comparison between horses and cattle. Based on the physiological changes associated with the end of gestation and onset of labor, several systems...
Kinaci A, Bergmann W, Bleys RL, van der Zwan A, van Doormaal TP.The biocompatibility, biodegradation, feasibility, and efficacy of medical devices like dural sealants and substitutes are often evaluated in various animal models. However, none of these studies explain the rationale for choosing a particular species, and a systematic interspecies comparison of the dura is not available. We hypothesized that histologic characteristics of the dura would differ among species. We systematically investigated basic characteristics of the dura, including thickness, composition, and fibroblast orientation of the dura mater, in 34 samples representing 10 animal speci...
Harvey AM, Beausoleil NJ, Ramp D, Mellor DJ.Knowledge of the welfare status of wild animals is vital for informing debates about the ways in which we interact with wild animals and their habitats. Currently, there is no published information about how to scientifically assess the welfare of free-roaming wild animals during their normal day-to-day lives. Using free-roaming horses as an example, we describe a ten-stage protocol for systematically and scientifically assessing the welfare of individual non-captive wild animals. The protocol starts by emphasising the importance of readers having an understanding of animal welfare in a conser...
Tarazona AM, Ceballos MC, Broom DM.Excessive human population growth, uncontrolled use of natural resources, including deforestation, mining, wasteful systems, biodiversity reduction by agriculture, and damaging climate change affect the existence of all animals, including humans. This discussion is now urgent and people are rethinking their links with the animals we use for clothing, food, work, companionship, entertainment, and research. The concepts of one health, one welfare, and one biology are discussed as a background to driving global change. Nothing should be exploited without considering the ethics of the action and t...
Visser EK, Kuypers MMF, Stam JSM, Riedstra B.Understanding equestrians' noseband tightening practices and intentions is necessary to target welfare improvement strategies. Firstly, we measured tightness in dressage and show jumping horses in The Netherlands, shortly after implementation of the two-finger rule by the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation. Noseband tightness decreased with age, was less tight in dressage horses than in show jumpers, and was dependent on the interaction between competition level and discipline. Fifty-nine percent of the riders tightened nosebands to such an extent that they adhered to the new regulation. Second...
Manteca Vilanova X, De Briyne N, Beaver B, Turner PV.Collection of blood from pregnant mares for extraction of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) is a critical but relatively unknown and poorly regulated practice in the countries in which it occurs. Equine chorionic gonadotropin is a hormone that is widely used to enhance reproductive performance and management of dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs kept under intensive housing systems. eCG is extracted from the blood of brood mares between days 40-120 of gestation. Although alternatives have been sought, there is currently no efficacious replacement, natural or synthetic, for eCG. Re...
Wolframm IA, Douglas J, Pearson G.Equestrianism is currently facing a range of pressing challenges. These challenges, which are largely based on evolving attitudes to ethics and equine wellbeing, have consequences for the sport's social licence to operate. The factors that may have contributed to the current situation include overarching societal trends, specific aspects of the equestrian sector, and factors rooted in human nature. If equestrianism is to flourish, it is evident that much needs to change, not the least, human behaviour. To this end, using established behaviour change frameworks that have been scientifically val...
Amann RP.Apparent fertility of a male or group of females is considered frequently by veterinarians or animal scientists. Unfortunately, concepts of experimental design and statistics impacting validity and interpretation of values for average pregnancy rate frequently are ignored. The magnitude of this problem was documented by examination of published papers; 51 of 67 (76%) were considered flawed for one or more reasons. The discussion considers why: (a) conclusions from most published fertility studies reporting no significant difference due to treatment(s) are suspect, because too few males and/or ...
Clough H, Roshier M, England G, Burford J, Freeman S.There is a lack of research exploring how the horse-human relationship influences horse owners' decision-making. The aim of this study was to investigate how an owner's relationship with their horse affects decisions around key events during their horse's lifetime. An online survey and semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with horse-owners. The online survey asked horse owners about their experiences of decision-making and their relationship with their horse and identified interview participants. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 horse owners on their experie...
Collins JA, More SJ, Hanlon A, Wall PG, McKenzie K, Duggan V.This paper explores the views of those in the Irish equine industry, organisations and government regarding necessary improvements to equine welfare in Ireland at unregulated gatherings and during the disposal process. Three qualitative research methods were employed, namely semistructured interviews, focus groups and a structured, facilitated workshop. Representatives from industry, welfare societies, socially disadvantaged groupings and government engaged with this process and shared their views regarding horse welfare and implementable solutions with merit to address welfare problems. A con...
Gibson TJ, Bedford EM, Chancellor NM, Limon G.Forty-six equines were observed during routine commercial slaughter in an abattoir. The animals were shot once with a .22 calibre long rifle with hollow point rounds. Indicators of sensibility/insensibility were evaluated immediately after the shot (prior to exsanguination) and the resulting pathophysiology of free-bullet injury was assessed. All animals were rendered immediately insensible, with only one pony showing signs of a shallow depth of concussion, with an intermittently positive palpebral reflex but no other signs of brainstem function. All animals (100%) had some degree of damage to...
Dyson S, Pollard D.The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) was applied to 1010 competition starts at British Eventing (BE) 90, 100 and Novice one-day events and compared with performance. The overall median RHpE score was 4/24 (IQR 2,6; range 0,12). There were moderate positive correlations between RHpE scores and dressage penalties (Spearman’s rho = 0.508, 0.468, 0.491, all p < 0.001 for BE 90, 100 and Novice, respectively). There were weak positive correlations between RHpE scores and final placings (Spearman’s rho = 0.157, p = 0.033, BE90; rho = 0.263, p < 0.001, BE 100; rho = 0.123, p = 0.035, Novice). In ...
Hood J, McDonald C, Wilson B, McManus P, McGreevy P.Whip use in horseracing is increasingly being questioned on ethical, animal welfare, social sustainability, and legal grounds. Despite this, there is weak evidence for whip use and its regulation by Stewards in Australia. To help address this, we characterised whip rule breaches recorded by Stewards using Stewards Reports and Race Diaries from 2013 and 2016 in New SouthWales (NSW) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). There were more recorded breaches at Metropolitan (M) than Country (C) or Provincial (P) locations, and by riders of horses that finished first, second, or third than by ri...
Campbell ML.Veterinarians have a key role in providing medical care for sports horses during and between competitions, but the standard client:veterinarian relationship that exists in companion and production animal medicine is distorted by the involvement of third parties in sports medicine, resulting in distinct ethical dilemmas which warrant focused academic attention. By comparing the existing literature on human sports medicine, this article reviews the ethical dilemmas which face veterinarians treating equine athletes, and the role of regulators in contributing to or resolving those dilemmas. Major ...
O'Rourke JP, Olsen JC, Bunnell BA.Gene transfer into hematopoietic cells may allow correction of a variety of hematopoietic and metabolic disorders. Optimized HIV-1 based lentiviral vectors have been developed for improved gene transfer and transgene expression into hematopoietic cells. However, the use of HIV-1 based vectors for human gene therapy may be limited due to ethical and biosafety issues. We report that vectors based on the non-primate equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) transduce a variety of human hematopoietic cell lines and primary blood cells. To investigate optimization of gene expression in hematopoietic ce...
Voigt MA, Hiney K, Richardson JC, Waite K, Borron A, Brady CM.The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of stock-type horse show competitors' understanding of welfare and level of concern for stock-type show horses' welfare. Data were collected through an online questionnaire that included questions relating to (a) interest and general understanding of horse welfare, (b) welfare concerns of the horse show industry and specifically the stock-type horse show industry, (c) decision-making influences, and (d) level of empathic characteristics. The majority of respondents indicated they agree or strongly agree that physical metrics should b...
McGowan CM, Ireland JL.Duration of ownership strengthens the human-horse bond, affecting decision-making about the horse's welfare, quality of life (QoL), and euthanasia. Most owners consider their geriatric horses to have good or excellent QoL; however, increasing age is negatively associated with QoL. Management factors are important. The most common reasons for euthanasia include musculoskeletal disorders or lameness, colic, and nonspecific chronic diseases. The decision to euthanize is difficult, so the advice of the veterinarian and QoL are important. This article focuses on the human-horse bond, assessment of ...
Jones McVey R.This article describes the virtue of bravery in British equestrian culture and suggests that riders' tactics for bolstering bravery may have negative implications on equine welfare. These observations are based on 14 months of ethnographic research among amateur riders and the professionals who support them (n = 35), utilising participant observation and Dictaphone recordings. Riders suffering from 'confidence issues' could be belittled and excluded. Instructors' approaches towards bolstering bravery involved encouraging riders to 'get tough'-on both themselves and on their horses. Narrative t...
Harvey AM, Beausoleil NJ, Ramp D, Mellor DJ.The mental experiences of animals are what characterises their welfare status. The Five Domains Model for assessing welfare aligns with the understanding that physical and mental states are linked. Following measurement of indicators within each of the four physical/functional Domains (1. Nutrition; 2. Physical environment; 3. Health; and 4. Behavioural interactions), the anticipated negative or positive affective consequences (mental experiences) are cautiously inferred and assigned to Domain 5. Those inferences derive credibility from validated knowledge of the underlying systems of physiolo...
Visser EK, Kuypers MMF, Stam JSM, Riedstra B.Understanding equestrians' noseband tightening practices and intentions is necessary to target welfare improvement strategies. Firstly, we measured tightness in dressage and show jumping horses in The Netherlands, shortly after implementation of the two-finger rule by the Royal Dutch Equestrian Federation. Noseband tightness decreased with age, was less tight in dressage horses than in show jumpers, and was dependent on the interaction between competition level and discipline. Fifty-nine percent of the riders tightened nosebands to such an extent that they adhered to the new regulation. Second...
Horseman SV, Hockenhull J, Buller H, Mullan S, Barr AR, Whay HR.The equine industry in Great Britain has not been subject to the same pressures as the farming industry to engage with welfare assessment, but this may change as concern about equine welfare increases. Stakeholder attitudes toward welfare assessment may impact the implementation of welfare assessment practices. Focus-group discussions regarding welfare assessment were conducted with 6 equine stakeholder groups: leisure horse owners (caregivers; n = 4), grooms (n = 5), veterinary surgeons (n = 3), welfare scientists (n = 4), welfare charity workers (n = 5), and professional riders (n = 4). Thre...
Rahman SA, Walker L, Ricketts W.In Asia and the Far East, livestock undergo major suffering due to malnutrition, overloading, and ill-treatment. At slaughter animals are handled roughly and watch other animals being killed; stunning is not practised. Cruelty to other animals such as elephants, horses, donkeys, bears, dogs, and circus animals has largely been prevented through the efforts of animal welfare organisations. Governments have taken initiatives to establish Animal Welfare Boards and enact laws for the prevention of cruelty to animals, but their efforts are far too limited to be of any significance and financial con...
Lagos J, Rojas M, Rodrigues JB, Tadich T.Mules are essential for pack work in mountainous areas, but there is a lack of research on this species. This study intends to assess the perceptions, attitudes, empathy and pain perception of soldiers about mules, to understand the type of human-mule relationship. For this, a survey was applied with closed-ended questions where the empathy and pain perception tools were included and later analyzed through correlations. Open-ended questions were analyzed through text mining. A total of 73 soldiers were surveyed. They had a wide range of ages and years of experience working with equids. Signifi...
Merkies K, Nakonechny L, DuBois C, Derisoud E.Training practices may impose restrictions on the equine behavioral repertoire through the use of training equipment. Presently, the prevalence of the use of training equipment in Canada is unknown. Through an online survey for horse enthusiasts (n = 654), this study evaluated the prevalence and predominant uses of whips, spurs, and head-control equipment by enthusiasts with direct contact with horses compared to perceptions held by enthusiasts with no direct horse contact using chi-squared analyses. Respondents primarily reported using whips and spurs to augment rider or trainer cues and re...
Gaughan EM, DeBowes RM.Many questions concerning heritability arise when a veterinarian is asked to supervise and treat disease of congenital origin. Genetic counseling, ethics, and legality are often confronted in discussions between animal health professionals and laymen in animal industry. Guidelines have been offered as in the 1984 statement of the Judicial Council of the American Veterinary Medical Association: "Performance of surgical procedures in all species for the purpose of concealing genetic defects in animals to be shown, raced, bred, or sold as breeding animals is unethical. However, should the health ...
Pérez-Manrique L, León-Pérez K, Zamora-Sánchez E, Davies S, Ober C, Wilson B, McGreevy P.Restrictive nosebands are used in equestrian sports to hold the bit in place and reduce mouth-opening, a response that can attract penalties in some sports and is thought to reduce the rider's control of the horse. Sustained pressure from such tightly fitted (restrictive) nosebands denies normal behaviour and thus, causes frustration and distress that can jeopardise horse welfare. It also may push the cheek against the molar teeth, compress soft tissues including blood vessels and nerves, and possibly induce chronic changes to underlying bone. This study of mature cavalry horses (n = 144) was ...
Fröhlich N, Sells PD, Sommerville R, Bolwell CF, Cantley C, Martin JE, Gordon SJG, Coombs T. Fiji; working horse; welfare, intervention; husbandry; healthcare.
Tong L, Stewart M, Johnson I, Appleyard R, Wilson B, James O, Johnson C, McGreevy P.The current project aims to build on knowledge of the nociceptive capability of equine skin to detect superficial acute pain, particularly in comparison to human skin. Post-mortem samples of gluteal skin were taken from men ( = 5) and women ( = 5), thoroughbreds and thoroughbred types (mares, = 11; geldings, = 9). Only sections that contained epidermis and dermis through to the hypodermis were analysed. Epidermal depth, dermal depth and epidermal nerve counts were conducted by a veterinary pathologist. The results revealed no significant difference between the epidermal nerve counts of human...
Price J, Marques JM, Welsh EM, Waran NK.This preliminary study investigated the attitudes, and evaluated the current practice of a sample of the veterinary profession in the UK in relation to the management of pain in horses. In June 2001, a questionnaire was posted to 260 veterinarians in specialised equine practice, and 140 veterinarians in general practice with a significant equine caseload. There was a 25 per cent response rate to the questionnaire, which recorded information about the availability and prescription of analgesic drugs, the factors influencing the selection of analgesics and their administration, and estimates of ...
Campbell ML, Sandøe P.Welfare problems related to the way horses are bred, whether by coitus or by the application of artificial reproduction techniques (ARTs), have been given no discrete consideration within the academic literature. This paper reviews the existing knowledge base about welfare issues in horse breeding and identifies areas in which data is lacking. We suggest that all methods of horse breeding are associated with potential welfare problems, but also that the judicious use of ARTs can sometimes help to address those problems. We discuss how negative welfare effects could be identified and limited an...
Merkies K, Copelin C, Small N, Young J.Recent concerns regarding horse welfare during competition has highlighted the occurrence of overtightened nosebands on competition horses. Current rules are often vague—e.g., “nosebands may never be so tightly fixed as to harm the horse.” To investigate the need and acceptance prior to any rule changes Equestrian Canada (EC) launched a pilot noseband measuring project. Nineteen officiating stewards measured noseband fit using the ISES taper gauge (TG) at 32 equestrian events of various disciplines in 2021. Additionally, stakeholder surveys collected data from 1528 EC members and 27 stew...
Clark JO, Clark TP.Critical to reducing patient morbidity as well as heightened ethical awareness, alleviation of pain in animals has become integral to medical case management and surgical procedures. Pharmacotherapy is directed at peripheral nociceptors, primary and secondary spinal neurons, and pain-processing areas in the CNS. Accordingly, three primary pharmacologic strategies have evolved: drugs that bind to and activate opioid receptors, drugs that bind to and activate alpha 2 receptors, and drugs that reduce de novo prostaglandin synthesis. In horses, the two predominant types of pain encountered are mus...
Satchell G, McGrath M, Dixon J, Pfau T, Weller R.Infrared imaging is becoming popular as an aid to traditional diagnostic tools, its repeatability under practically relevant conditions is still discussed. Objective: We hypothesise that time of day, ambient temperature and relative humidity affect thermography readings, and that there is no difference between values from left and right side. Methods: Repeated thermography in a convenience sample. Methods: Fifteen sound horses were thermographically imaged at 3 time points in the same day (08.00, 12.00 and 16.00 h). Images were taken of the following regions: neck, carpus, distolateral thora...
Shrestha K, Gilkerson JR, Stevenson MA, Flash ML.The destinations of Thoroughbred (TB) racehorses exiting the racing industry is a high-profile issue with ethical and welfare implications of interest to both animal welfare groups and racing regulators. This cross-sectional study investigated the reasons that TBs temporarily or permanently exited racing and training in Australia in the 2017-2018 racing season and the outcomes for these horses post-racing. An online questionnaire was sent to the last registered trainers of a representative sample of 2,509 'inactive' TBs. Inactive horses were defined as those horses that were recorded as 'activ...
Butler D, Valenchon M, Annan R, Whay HR, Mullan S.The purpose of this paper is to highlight some of the key challenges to racehorse welfare as perceived by racing industry stakeholders. The paper draws upon statements and transcripts from 10 focus group discussions with 42 participants who were taking part in a larger study investigating stakeholders' perceptions of racehorse welfare, which participants recognised as maintaining the physical and mental well-being of a performance animal. Analysis of the 68 statements participants identified as challenges produced nine themes. Among these, 26% (18 statements) of the challenges were health rela...
