The structure and regulation of the Irish equine industries: Links to considerations of equine welfare.
Abstract: The equine industries in Ireland are vibrant and growing. They are broadly classified into two sectors: Thoroughbred racing, and sports and leisure. This paper describes these sectors in terms of governance, education and training in equine welfare, and available data concerning horse numbers, identification, traceability and disposal. Animal welfare, and specifically equine welfare, has received increasing attention internationally. There is general acceptance of concepts such as animal needs and persons' responsibilities toward animals in their care, as expressed in the 'Five Freedoms'. As yet, little has been published on standards of equine welfare pertaining to Ireland, or on measures to address welfare issues here. This paper highlights the central role of horse identification and legal registration of ownership to safeguard the health and welfare of horses.
Publication Date: 2008-11-01 PubMed ID: 21851704PubMed Central: PMC3113872DOI: 10.1186/2046-0481-61-11-746Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article addresses the structure, regulation, and equine welfare considerations within the Irish equine industries, specifically in Thoroughbred racing, and sports and leisure.
Equine Industries in Ireland
- The paper presents an analysis of the equine industries in Ireland which are growing across two main sectors – Thoroughbred racing and sports and leisure.
- The characteristics of these sectors are explored in terms of governance, education and training in equine welfare, along with data regarding horse numbers, identification, traceability and disposal.
Attention on Equine Welfare
- The study underscores the increasing global attention toward animal welfare, especially equine welfare, and the general acceptance of concepts related to animal needs and the responsibilities of individuals toward animals under their care.
- These concepts are summed up in the ‘Five Freedoms’, a set of ideal states that should provide a comprehensive framework for analysis of welfare within any system in which animals are managed for human purposes.
Equine Welfare in Ireland
- The article states that there is not much literature available on the specific standards of equine welfare in Ireland or the measures taken to address welfare issues there.
- This paper aims to shed light on these matters and underscores the critical role of legal registration of horse ownership and identification in ensuring the health and welfare of horses.
Role of Horse Identification and Legal Registration
- The paper highlights that one of the key solutions could be in horse identification and legal registration of ownership which is integral in safeguarding the health and welfare of horses.
- By making this a key component, it can help ensure traceability and accountability which are critical in handling issues related to equine welfare.
Cite This Article
APA
Collins J, Hanlon A, More S, Duggan V.
(2008).
The structure and regulation of the Irish equine industries: Links to considerations of equine welfare.
Ir Vet J, 61(11), 746-756.
https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-0481-61-11-746 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. joe.collins@ucd.ie.
References
This article includes 52 references
Citations
This article has been cited 8 times.- Rioja-Lang FC, Connor M, Bacon H, Dwyer CM. Determining a Welfare Prioritization for Horses Using a Delphi Method.. Animals (Basel) 2020 Apr 9;10(4).
- Egan S, Brama P, McGrath D. Irish Equine Industry Stakeholder Perspectives of Objective Technology for Biomechanical Analyses in the Field.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Aug 8;9(8).
- Rowland M, Coombs T, Connor M. A Study of Traveller Horse Owners' Attitudes to Horse Care and Welfare Using an Equine Body Condition Scoring System.. Animals (Basel) 2019 Apr 12;9(4).
- DuBois C, Hambly Odame H, Haley DB, Merkies K. An exploration of industry expert perception of Canadian equine welfare using a modified Delphi technique.. PLoS One 2018;13(7):e0201363.
- Collins JA, Wall PG, Duggan VE. Use of registered donkeys on the areas of natural constraint scheme in Ireland.. Vet Rec 2018 Sep 8;183(9):298.
- Murray JMD, Hanna E, Hastie P. Equine dietary supplements: an insight into their use and perceptions in the Irish equine industry.. Ir Vet J 2018;71:4.
- Finney S, Collins JA, Duggan V. An investigation of the equine infectious disease threat represented by the presence of donkeys at mixed equestrian events in Ireland.. Ir Vet J 2015;68(1):11.
- Collins JA, Hanlon A, More SJ, Wall PG, Duggan V. Aspects of the owning/keeping and disposal of horses, and how these relate to equine health/welfare in Ireland.. Ir Vet J 2011 Sep 21;64(1):11.
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