Equine Welfare in England and Wales: Exploration of Stakeholders’ Understanding.

The research article explores the perceptions and understanding of horse welfare among various stakeholders in England and Wales. It indicates that their varied conceptualization of welfare could be a potential obstacle to improving horse welfare.

Methodology

• The study employs qualitative methodology and uses in-depth interviews as the data collection instrument.
• 31 equine stakeholders were interviewed. The selection of the participant group reflects the people who are directly responsible for the care of horses and hence can provide valuable insight.

Findings

• The research identifies four major ways in which the stakeholders understand the concept of horse welfare.
• The first is the provision of basic resources such as food, implying that if the horses have the necessary supplies, their welfare is ensured.
• The second perception is a ‘horse-centered’ view, which extends beyond just the physical to include the horses’ mental state and natural behavior. Interviewees in this group perceived welfare as providing conditions where the horses can behave naturally for their mental well-being.
• The third view associates the word welfare with negative connotations. Here, good welfare is boiled down to the avoidance of negative states. This group believes that if no harm or negative impact is inflicted upon the horses, they are in a good welfare state.
• The fourth understanding revolves around the dismissal of incidents that occur in familiar contexts as welfare problems, meaning any issues arising in their everyday care of the horses are not seen as impacting horse welfare.

Implications and Recommendations

• The diversity in the stakeholders’ understanding of welfare suggests that these differing interpretations could be acting as barriers in improving equine welfare.
• The study argues for the need of well-informed strategies that take into account these varied interpretations of welfare.
• In devising such interventions, it is also important to understand how these constructs are formed and acted upon by the stakeholders.
• This knowledge could prove beneficial in dealing with potential resistance to welfare improvement measures.