Wellness, Well-being, WELFARE || A Basic overview of equine welfare + what it means
Before we get started here let's firstly clarify the difference between ethics + welfare. This is NOT a blog about equine ethics. Ethics addresses questions relating to how people decide to regulate their behaviour (such as decisions they make about what is legitimate + acceptable in pursuit of their aims, what is not, + the grounds for those decisions), + that my friends, is a whole other post in + of itself. Equine welfare however, is very basically understood as the acceptable conditions of life + 'use' of domesticated horses.
The dictionary describes welfare as: 'the health, happiness, + fortunes of a person or group'. The term ‘welfare’ can be defined in a number of different ways, with some of those terms being 'well-being' or 'wellness'.
So why is equine welfare an important issue + topic to discus? Why as horse owners should we be thinking about + looking deeper into the well-being, or welfare of the horses in our care? Well, because first + foremost horses are sentient beings (they have the capacity to feel, perceive + experience subjectively). I believe that as our equine partners have not come into our care of their own free will, we are, by default, their stewards + as a consequence we should be striving to achieve the highest welfare standards for them.
Research shows that when we meet the biological needs, safety, + social needs of social animals, they are far less likely to display abnormal or stereotypic behaviours. We can achieve this by providing environments that focus on the horses physical + behavioural needs. The sad truth is that the equine industry as a whole has some very old + out dated belief patterns that really require some shaking up, some reevaluation + a different trajectory for the future. What’s really needed is more conversations around these topics, followed by implementation of change on a deeper level.
Now, what does equine welfare look like? Well, the Zoo Industry (in which I have been a part of for most of my working career) looks to Animal welfare as 'the degree to which an animal can cope with challenges in its environment as determined by a combination of veterinary health measures + measures of psychological well being'. We aspire to the 'Five Domains' model for animal welfare across the board.
Image courtesy of The World Zoo + Aquarium Animal Welfare Strategy (2015)
Opportunities for promoting positive animal welfare states aligned with this Five Domains model include:
Nutrition: the appropriate consumption of nutritious foods.
Environment: benign conditions offer ongoing comfort + safety.
Physical health: ongoing good physical health secures robustness + vitality.
Behaviour: activities involving variety, choice + benign challenge are rewarding.
Mental or affective state: survival-related negative experiences are minimal, + comfort, pleasure, interest + confidence are common positive experiences.
What I love about most zoological institutions these days is their commitment to building expertise, leadership + capacity in animal welfare. And whilst new science + ways of thinking are ever evolving, the Equine industry as a whole (+ ourselves as horse owners) could stand to learn a great deal from their strategies.
Similar to the Five Domains model, some of you may have heard of the 'Five Freedoms' for animal welfare (as originally developed for use in farm animals). These include:
1. Freedom from hunger + thirst
2. Freedom from discomfort
3. Freedom from pain, injury + disease
4. Freedom to express normal behaviour (species specific behaviours)
5. Freedom from fear + distress
Or, perhaps we could look at another take on the same concepts, a version from equine behaviourist Lauren Fraser, the 'Three F's' model for equine welfare.
1. Friendship
2. Forage
3. Freedom
See link in references to discover more on the 3 F’s.
All of these models or strategies can be contemplated + then implemented to begin your journey to discovering what is the very best welfare state for your four legged friend. However, I personally have broken Equine Welfare down into something I feel can be followed with ease. Something that is simple + flows.
I see two major features that contribute to a positive equine welfare state - Care + Welfare. The first (care) is meeting the horses basic survival needs for food, shelter, health + safety. And the second is to enhance their welfare above this survival minimum by increasing opportunities for positive experiences focused on their comfort, pleasure, interest + confidence. Take a look at the image below for a visual representation of this idea.
Adapted from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The pyramid directs attention towards the highest categories of Equine welfare. The base forms the critical foundational requirements for survival, including nutrition systems, understood through experience + science. The centre covers health care, or meeting the horses physical + safety needs, + the crown is where the most varied + complex welfare-related activities reside. Choice + retaining + encouraging natural behaviours + abilities. Once the first level of the pyramid is fulfilled the next level up is what we aim towards. We can’t move up the pyramid without first addressing the levels below.
1. Physiological needs - these are biological requirements for horse survival, e.g. air, proper nutrition, clean water, sleep, sufficient exercise.
A horses most basic need is for physical survival, + this will be the first thing that motivates their behaviour.
Does your horse have the right type of environment, including shelter, freedom to move, access to clean water + somewhere comfortable to rest? If these basic needs are not satisfied then the horse cannot function optimally. Physiological needs would have to be the most important to address as all the other needs become secondary until these needs are met.
2. Veterinary care – ensuring animals are diagnosed + treated rapidly should they fall ill or become injured. Good husbandry (the science of caring for animals) practises ensure cleanliness.
3. Safety needs – What does it take for your horse to feel safe? Freedom from pain, fear + distress. Ensuring your horses conditions + treatment avoid mental suffering.
4. Social needs - after physiological + safety needs have been fulfilled, the next level of equine needs is social + involves feelings of belongingness. Horses are a herd animal. They require affiliation, friendship + companionship. This innate need for interpersonal relationships motivates their behaviour.
5. Mental stimulation – Training + conditioning. Enrichment + behavioural management
6. Choice – retaining + encouraging natural behaviours
This model offers a progressive flow to work towards an optimal welfare state for our furry, four legged friends. As you satisfy the lower levels you then progress on to meet higher level growth needs. As mentioned previously progress can be disrupted by a failure to meet lower level, basic needs.
So, what are your personal ideas, thoughts or beliefs around what is the 'acceptable conditions of life + 'use' of horses? It's a super important question to ask yourself + get clear on.
I've been quietly watching our industry from the back seat over the past few years + have noticed an obvious increase in interest in equine welfare + management (AWESOME!), however any forward movement or evolution in this area still feels a little painfully slow. I guess changing perceptions + ingrained belief patterns takes time. I would love to see us all asking the hard questions, moving even further forward, digging even deeper, + implementing + sharing more of the ideas + strategies discussed here.
To accurately assess the welfare of our horses we first need to reflect on our current practices + move forward from there. I suggest starting with identifying for yourself what you personally see as good health, appropriate (species specific) behaviour, good nutrition + good housing for your horses.
REFERENCES
The World Zoo + Aquarium Animal Welfare Strategy (2015). World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. https://www.waza.org/
Lauren Fraser, CHBC. (2012). The Horse’s Manifesto: What do we want?? Friends, Forage and Freedom. International Association of Animal Behaviour Consultants. https://iaabc.org/horse/