Opinions of trainers of Warmblood, Thoroughbred and Trotter horses in Germany on the pretraining management of yearlings and two-year-old horses – a qualitative analysis.

Overview

• This study qualitatively explores the perspectives and practices of German trainers regarding the early training and management of young Warmblood, Thoroughbred, and Trotter horses, focusing on welfare concerns related to housing, training onset age, and injuries.

Research Context and Objectives

• Concerns have arisen about animal welfare related to:
  • Early career start of racehorses
  • Pretraining of two-year-old Warmblood stallions aiming for licensing
  • Individual (solitary) housing of young horses
• The study aimed to:
  • Assess how yearlings and two-year-olds are pre-trained
  • Understand trainers’ opinions on housing approaches
  • Determine the minimum recommended age to begin training
  • Identify common pretraining injuries

Methodology

• Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 trainers:
  • 10 trainers of Warmblood stallions
  • 10 trainers of Thoroughbred racehorses
  • 10 trainers of Trotter racehorses

Key Findings on Training Practices

• Start of pretraining varied by breed/type:
  • Thoroughbreds and Trotters: training began at approximately 18 months of age
  • Warmblood stallions (for licensing purposes): training started later, at 29-30 months
• Responses to horses not reaching expected progress differed:
  • Warmblood stallions who did not succeed were often castrated and retrained for riding rather than racing/licensing
  • Thoroughbreds and Trotters remained in training but at a reduced intensity

Injury Reports and Welfare Concerns

• Warmblood trainers:
  • Reported no injuries significant enough to interrupt pretraining
• Thoroughbred and Trotter trainers:
  • Occasionally reported tendon damage during pretraining

Housing and Social Interaction

• Group housing was generally avoided due to:
  • Agonistic (aggressive or competitive) behaviors, especially among stallions, increasing injury risks
  • Challenges in feeding horses individually within a group setting
  • Disruptions caused when horses were removed and returned to the group
• Typical housing conditions:
  • Straw bedding used in 28 out of 30 yards
  • Horses fed 8–10 kg of hay daily
  • Most horses (except in three yards) had contact with neighbors via bars in stall side walls, allowing for some social interaction

Compliance with Welfare Standards and Trainers’ Opinions

• Trainers generally met legal welfare requirements
• However, horses’ free movement and social interactions were limited due to individual housing practices
• None of the interviewed trainers supported a minimum training start age of 30 months, even though this is suggested in some welfare discussions

Conclusions and Implications

• The study highlights differences in pretraining onset and management strategies between Warmbloods and racehorses relevant to welfare considerations
• Individual housing remains predominant despite concerns around restricted social interaction
• There is a clear reluctance among trainers to delay training start age up to 30 months, which poses challenges for welfare policy debates
• Recommendations for improving welfare might focus on balancing productivity goals with enhanced social opportunities and injury prevention in young horses