Improving working equine welfare in ‘hard-win’ situations, where gains are difficult, expensive or marginal

Pritchard, Joy; Upjohn, Melissa M.; Hirson, Tamsin

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0191950

Cited by 24 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(28 reference statements)

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“…Most horses had a positive general attitude, which agrees with previous studies on the attitude of working equids towards humans [13,18]. Those horses reported with a negative general attitude were more likely to have neglected hooves and there was a tendency for them to have more wounds.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…This is the process of abandoning the horse and terminating all feeding and husbandry obligations. Pritchard et al [13] stated that euthanasia of working equines is rarely an option in LMIC due to cultural attitudes, a lack of trained personnel, a lack of availability of appropriate methods and financial reasons, resulting in abandonment and a prolonged, painful death. It is likely that owners "let their horses go" when these horses are old and in poor condition at the end of their working life and they may ultimately starve to death or be fatally struck by vehicles while wandering near major roads.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Welfare Assessment and Husbandry Practices of Working Horses in Fiji

Fröhlich

Sells

Sommerville

et al. 2020

Animals

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Research shows that working equids in low and middle-income countries play an essential role in supporting the livelihoods of their owners. The objective of the study was to provide the first description of the welfare status of working horses in Fiji by analysing animal-based parameters alongside owner knowledge and perceptions of horse management. Trained assessors used a structured interview to question 279 horse owners on their knowledge and management practices, while their horses (n = 672) were assessed on health and welfare parameters. Horse owners supporting five or more dependent family members had horses with an increased prevalence of wounds than those with less dependents. The presence of wounds was associated with draught work and “carrying people or goods on back” while hoof neglect was associated with draught and breeding/other work. A lower body condition score was found in horses with neglected hooves and the presence of hoof neglect and wounds was associated with a negative general attitude in these horses. However, this study also found indicators of good welfare in these horses. These findings suggest that intervention, in the form of targeted veterinary services alongside training programs for owners, is required in order to improve the welfare of working horses in Fiji.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Welfare Assessment and Husbandry Practices of Working Horses in Fiji

Fröhlich

Sells

Sommerville

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…Donkeys and mules have been associated with poverty and low status for many hundreds of years (3) and are commonly the draft animals of choice for people working in brick kilns. Working donkeys in brick kilns have had many decades of resource provision, though long-term sustainable improvements to working donkey welfare has been largely unsuccessful (4) and policy makers rarely recognize their socio-economic and cultural value (5)(6)(7).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural “Blind Spots,” Social Influence and the Welfare of Working Donkeys in Brick Kilns in Northern India

Watson¹,

Kubasiewicz²,

Chamberlain³

et al. 2020

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) work across the globe to improve the welfare of working equids. Despite decades of veterinary and other interventions, welfare issues persist with equids working in brick kilns. Engagement with all stakeholders is integral to creating abiding improvements to working equid welfare as interventions based purely on reactive measures fail to provide sustainable solutions. Equid owners, particularly those in low to middle-income countries (LMICs), may have issues such as opportunity, capacity, gender or socioeconomic status, overriding their ability to care well for their own equids. These "blind spots" are frequently overlooked when organizations develop intervention programs to improve welfare. This study aims to highlight the lives of the poorest members of Indian society, and will focus on working donkeys specifically as they were the only species of working equids present in the kilns visited. We discuss culture, status, religion, and social influences, including insights into the complexities of cultural "blind spots" which complicate efforts by NGOs to improve working donkey welfare when the influence of different cultural and societal pressures are not recognized or acknowledged. Employing a mixed-methods approach, we used the Equid Assessment Research and Scoping (EARS) tool, a questionnaire based equid welfare assessment tool, to assess the welfare of working donkeys in brick kilns in Northern India. In addition, using livelihoods surveys and semi-structured interviews, we established owner demographics, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, religion and their personal accounts of their working lives and relationships to their donkeys. During transcript analysis six themes emerged: caste, ethnicity, inherited knowledge; social status, and impacts of ethnic group and caste; social status and gender; migration and shared suffering; shared suffering, compassion; religious belief, species hierarchy. The lives led by these, marginalized communities of low status are driven by poverty, exposing them to exploitation, lack of community cohesion, and community conflicts through migratory, transient employment. This vulnerability influences the care and welfare of their working donkeys, laying bare the inextricable link between human and animal welfare. Cultural and social perspectives, though sometimes overlooked, are crucial to programs to improve welfare, where community engagement and participation are integral to their success.

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“…In low income communities, the owner´s livelihood is limited by factors such as poverty, low status and limited access to resources. Therefore, working horses enhance capital and secure sustainable livelihoods [48]. In central Ethiopia, where horses are used as cart taxis, the loss of working horses restricted business and signified a major economic crisis for the local community [49].…”

Section: Socioeconomic Impact Of Working Horsesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Horses as a Crucial Part of One Health

Lönker

Fechner

Wahed

2020

Veterinary Sciences

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One Health (OH) is a crucial concept, where the interference between humans, animals and the environment matters. This review article focusses on the role of horses in maintaining the health of humans and the environment. Horses' impact on environmental health includes their influence on soil and the biodiversity of animal and plant species. Nevertheless, the effect of horses is not usually linear and several factors like plant-animal coevolutionary history, climate and animal density play significant roles. The long history of the relationship between horses and humans is shaped by the service of horses in wars or even in mines. Moreover, horses were essential in developing the first antidote to cure diphtheria. Nowadays, horses do have an influential role in animal assisted therapy, in supporting livelihoods in low income countries and as a leisure partner. Horses are of relevance in the spillover of zoonotic and emerging diseases from wildlife to human (e.g., Hendra Virus), and in non-communicable diseases (e.g., post-traumatic osteoarthritis in horses and back pain in horse riders). Furthermore, many risk factors-such as climate change and antimicrobial resistance-threaten the health of both horses and humans. Finally, the horse is a valuable factor in sustaining the health of humans and the environment, and must be incorporated in any roadmap to achieve OH.Vet. Sci. 2020, 7, 28 2 of 17 crucial part in developing the first antidote to cure diphtheria. Since then, the rate of contact between domesticated horses and humans steadily increased. Nowadays, for example, horses play an important role in animal-assisted therapy. Furthermore, the detection of infectious diseases that affect both humans and horses are crucial, especially in cases of highly transmissible diseases. Beside infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as skeletal and joint diseases or metabolic disorders are of concern to both. Several risk factors concerning the health of humans and horses exist. Therefore, this article will give an overview of OH with a focus on horses and their relation to the environment and humans, along with the influence of other factors such as climate change (see Figure 1). Vet. Sci. 2020, 7, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 15 crucial part in developing the first antidote to cure diphtheria. Since then, the rate of contact between 46 domesticated horses and humans steadily increased. Nowadays, for example, horses play an 47 important role in animal-assisted therapy. Furthermore, the detection of infectious diseases that affect 48 both humans and horses are crucial, especially in cases of highly transmissible diseases. Beside 49 infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as skeletal and joint diseases or 50metabolic disorders are of concern to both. Several risk factors concerning the health of humans and 51 horses exist. Therefore, this article will give an overview of OH with a focus on horses and their 52 relation to the environment and humans, along with the influence of other factors such a...

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Improving working equine welfare in ‘hard-win’ situations, where gains are difficult, expensive or marginal

Cited by 24 publications

References 22 publications

Welfare Assessment and Husbandry Practices of Working Horses in Fiji

Welfare Assessment and Husbandry Practices of Working Horses in Fiji

Cultural “Blind Spots,” Social Influence and the Welfare of Working Donkeys in Brick Kilns in Northern India

Horses as a Crucial Part of One Health

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