How Happy Are Equine Athletes?
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Key finding:
How Happy Are Equine Athletes? Stakeholder Perceptions of Equine Welfare Issues Associated with Equestrian Sport The welfare of horses within equestrian sport is increasingly attracting attention from the public as well as those involved in the sector. To identify the main concerns and discuss the potential to improve the welfare of these equine athletes, an AWRN workshop was held involving participants from equestrian sports and animal welfare research. Forty-eight of the participants took part in two focus group sessions, 38 from a selection of equestrian sports and 10 animal welfare researchers. Participants discussed their perceptions of current welfare issues within equestrian sport and whether they felt that there is scope for change, as well as exploring attitudes towards welfare assessment. Participants concluded that the main welfare challenges for equine athletes arise from conflicts between competition demands and the basic needs of the horse. The physical health of equine athletes tends to be monitored closely within the sector; however, their mental wellbeing is often overlooked. To enable those involved in equestrian sport to monitor the impacts of management, training, and competition on the welfare of equine athletes, the use of formal welfare assessment tools was discussed, alongside interventions which would promote positive welfare across equine athletes’ lives.
Links to Open Access Publications or DOI:
Citation:
Furtado, T.; Preshaw, L.; Hockenhull, J.; Wathan, J.; Douglas, J.; Horseman, S.; Smith, R.; Pollard, D.; Pinchbeck, G.; Rogers, J.; et al. How Happy Are Equine Athletes? Stakeholder Perceptions of Equine Welfare Issues Associated with Equestrian Sport. Animals 2021, 11, 3228.
