Home Equine Research Bank Equine Vet J Suppl Perceptions and attitudes towards horses in European societi...

Equine veterinary journal. Supplement2001; (28); 38-41; doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05154.x

Perceptions and attitudes towards horses in European societies.

Endenburg, N

Abstract: In spite of the fact that horses were domesticated between 5000 and 3000 B.C., the relations between humans and horses constitutes a relatively unexplored area. This may be due to the fact that horses in middle class western society are seen as companion animals, of primarily social and recreational value. Horses, however, have historically enjoyed an enormously important utilitarian, economic and sporting significance and in many countries horse meat is also eaten. Nowadays, we can classify the different ways in which horses are used into four different fields: recreational and/or social purposes breeding sport and competition meat production In each category one can distinguish 4 main areas of concern: the behaviour and wellbeing of the horse feeding maintenance veterinary care All 4 fields make their own particular demands on these aspects of the care of horses. In addition, people have also approached these different fields of equine exploitation through the centuries with different attitudes. The goal of this article is to review the attitudes of people towards horses. The main conclusion of this article is that the diversity of uses for equines and corresponding organisations makes it difficult to get a clear overview and thereby inhibits scientific research into human-horse interactions.

Get Full Text

Publication Date: 2001-04-21 PubMed ID: 11314233DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05154.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup

The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.

Facebook X LinkedIn Email Copy

Summary
Cite This
Publication
Affiliations
MeSH
Citations

Journal Article
Review

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article dives into the understudied area of human-horse interactions, analysing human perceptions and attitudes towards horses in European societies, across different categories: recreational/social purposes, breeding, sport and competition, and meat production. It uncovers the challenges in conducting scientific research on this topic due to the diverse applications of horses and corresponding attitudes.

Understanding Human-Horse Relations

The research highlights that while horses were domesticated as early as between 5000 and 3000 B.C., the relationship between humans and horses remains largely unexplored. Though horses have historical significance in utility, economics, sports, and even as consumable meat, they’re currently perceived in middle-class western societies mainly as companion animals with recreational and social value.

Classifying Horses Uses

The paper classifies the different ways horses are used into four categories: for recreational and/or social purposes, for breeding, in sports and competition, and for meat production. In each usage category, four main areas of concern can be distinguished – horse behaviour and wellbeing, feeding, maintenance, and veterinary care. Each use-case has its distinct demands on these aspects of horse care.