How does the horse owner’s attitude towards horse ownership affect horse welfare?
Research from the University of Melbourne, Australia, examined
the relationships between horse owner background factors (such as age, income,
place of residence, knowledge and experience) and their attitudes towards horse
husbandry and management behaviour.
Lead researcher Lauren M. Hemsworth, of the Animal Welfare
Science Centre, in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, used
a questionnaire to assess the owners’ attitude to horse ownership and
management, together with an on-site inspection of horse husbandry and
management on premises in Victoria, Australia. Data from 57 owners and 98 horses
were included in the study.
She found relationships between horse owner background
factors and the owners’ attitudes towards horse husbandry and management
behaviour in areas such as parasite control, hoof care, and dental care. For
example, favourable behavioural beliefs towards appropriate parasite control were
associated with a young age and frequent riding instruction.
A full account of the work is published in the journal
Animals.
The authors report that, “generally, belief variables
correlated significantly with background factors that were primarily related to
knowledge and experience. Further, beliefs concerning three key husbandry
practices (parasite control, hoof care, and dental care) all appear to be
predicted to some degree by background factors associated with knowledge and
experience.”
So, they suggest that an educational strategy to improve the
horse owner’s appreciation of the welfare implications of their behaviour may
be important in safeguarding recreational horse welfare, but further research
is warranted.
For more details, see:
Lauren M. Hemsworth, Ellen C. Jongman and Grahame J. Coleman
Animals (2021),11, 278.
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