Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art.
Abstract: Animal welfare is defined as a chronic state reflecting an individual's subjective perception of its situation. Because it is possible to be in a good welfare state and nevertheless experience acute fear or pain, and conversely, short-term positive emotions can be experienced during impaired welfare states, welfare as a chronic state has to be clearly distinguished from temporary states related to emotions, pain or stress. The evaluation of non-verbal individuals' welfare state, particularly in interspecific situations, is a real challenge that necessarily implies animal-based measures and requires multidisciplinary scientifically validated measures. In the last decade, studies investigating horses' welfare flourished together with new measures that were not always scientifically tested before being used. At a time were legal decisions are made on animal welfare, it is crucial to rely on reliable welfare indicators in order to prevent false evaluation. The aim of this review is to identify the scientifically tested and reliable indicators of horses' welfare (e.g., body lesions, apathy, aggressiveness, stereotypic behaviours) from signals of temporary states related to acute pain emotions or stress and from popular beliefs, in order to give the scientific community and the horse industry accurate evaluation tools.
Publication Date: 2020-02-13 PubMed ID: 32069888PubMed Central: PMC7070675DOI: 10.3390/ani10020294Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The researchers explore the complex topic of animal welfare, specifically the welfare of horses. They distinguish between chronic welfare states and temporary states of distress, and argue for the need to use reliable, scientifically-validated indicators when making welfare assessments.
Understanding Animal Welfare Distinguishment
- The researchers clarify that animal welfare is a chronic state reflecting an animal’s subjective experience of its condition. It is possible for an animal to be in a good welfare state yet experience temporary fear or pain or enjoy positive emotions during periods of poor welfare. Thus, long-term welfare states must be distinguished from short-lived states related to emotions, pain, or stress.
Challenges in Assessing Horse Welfare
- Assessing the welfare state of non-verbal creatures, particularly in interspecies contexts, presents a significant challenge. This demands the use of animal-based measures and multidisciplinary, scientifically validated measures.
- There has been a surge of studies examining horse welfare in the last decade, with new measures emerging that weren’t always scientifically tested before being implemented.
Need for Reliable Welfare Indicators
- The researchers underscore the importance of relying on trustworthy welfare indicators, particularly when legal decisions related to animal welfare are being made. Using unreliable or untested measures could lead to incorrect welfare evaluations.
Goals of the Review
- The purpose of this review is to identify the scientifically tested and reliable indicators of horse welfare, such as body lesions, apathy, aggression, and stereotypic behaviours. The researchers aim to distinguish these from signals of temporary states related to acute pain, emotions, or stress, as well as from popular misconceptions.
- Their ultimate goal is to provide the scientific community and the horse industry with accurate evaluation tools for assessing equine welfare.
Cite This Article
APA
Lesimple C.
(2020).
Indicators of Horse Welfare: State-of-the-Art.
Animals (Basel), 10(2), 294.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10020294 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine)-UMR 6552, F-35380 Paimpont, France.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The author declares no conflict of interest.
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