Industry Perceptions of Thoroughbred Racehorse Emotions and Quality of Life: Implications for the Development of an Equine Quality of Life Assessment Tool.

Overview

• This study investigates how professionals in the horseracing industry perceive the emotions and quality of life (QoL) of thoroughbred racehorses.
• It aims to inform the development of tools that assess horses’ emotional states and overall QoL to enhance their welfare.

Background and Importance

• Quality of Life (QoL) frameworks focus on measuring the balance between positive and negative experiences across time, crucial in understanding animal welfare.
• Assessing the emotional states of racehorses is particularly important given the physical demands and stressors in high-performance environments like racing.
• There is limited evidence on how racing industry professionals currently judge horse emotions and overall QoL, especially regarding positive emotions.

Study Design

• An international online survey was conducted with 230 participants from the racing industry.
• The survey explored several themes: confidence in assessing emotions, perceived importance of emotions on performance and welfare, beliefs about racehorse QoL, and how these perspectives have changed over time.

Key Findings

• Confidence in Emotional Assessment:
  • 92.5% of respondents felt highly confident in their ability to judge racehorse emotions.
• Importance of Emotional State for Performance:
  • 94.8% of those confident in assessing emotions considered emotional state to be important or very important for racehorse performance.
• Perceptions of Quality of Life:
  • 87.7% believed racehorses experience a good life at least sometimes.
  • Perceived QoL varied based on several factors including horse management practices, individual horse traits, and human influences.

Factors Influencing Quality of Life

• Turnout: Time spent outdoors and freedom to move were seen as important for QoL.
• Social Contact: Opportunities for interaction with other horses positively influenced welfare.
• Health Management: Quality of veterinary care and physical health monitoring were crucial factors.
• Staff Experience: The knowledge and empathy of caretakers impacted how well horses’ needs were met.
• Regulatory Environment: Industry rules and standards affected care practices and welfare outcomes.

Trends and Implications

• There is a growing recognition within the racing industry of the importance of horses’ emotional states and overall QoL.
• Perspectives are shifting toward more individualized and welfare-focused management strategies rather than treating horses uniformly.
• The study supports the development of practical assessment tools that incorporate emotional states to evaluate equine QoL effectively.
• Such tools could help guide management and welfare decisions, leading to improved well-being for racehorses.