PSI-21 Public perception of equine and livestock management varies by classification of horses, industry experience, and animal welfare definitions

Abstract

Classification of horses as livestock or companion animals is often contested in cases of management and welfare concerns, legislation, and educational forums. Limited data are available regarding perception of equids in relationship to animal agriculture management practices. Therefore, our objective was to test associations between livestock management practices and perception of horses as companion animals or livestock. An online survey was administered for 6 weeks to U.S. residents over age 18. Participants provided demographic information, connection to the industry, and welfare definition of choice. Management questions included 2 scenarios each—one regarding horses and a direct comparison for another livestock species. Respondents then chose which scenario was most concerning or if the scenarios were equally non-concerning (i.e. no issue) or concerning. Analyses were performed using SAS (SAS Institute, Cary, NC), with significance set at α=0.05. Multinomial logistic regression (PROC GLIMMIX) was used to test factors affecting management scenario responses. Out of 1,334 respondents, 807 (60.5%) categorized equids as companion animals; 527 (39.5%) classified equids as livestock. Welfare definition, equid classification, and industry connection significantly affected responses to every management scenario (P < 0.01). People who classified horses as livestock had 2.8 times greater odds (OR=2.8; 95%CI:1.8, 4.5) to select lack of shelter during spring months as equally non-concerning for horses and cattle rather than selecting horses without shelter as a concern compared to respondents who classified horses as companion animals. Respondents heavily connected to the equine industry were less likely (OR=0.38; 95%CI:0.19, 0.75) to select that both species without shelter were concerning rather than selecting that only horses lacking shelter was concerning compared to respondents lightly connected to the industry. Understanding associations between public perceptions of livestock management and individual’s welfare definition, equine classification and industry connection may improve our ability to educate the public regarding animal agricultural practices.

Financial strain of COVID-19 and its impact on willingness-to-pay for equine care

“…Owners with more than five equids owned and not boarded are WTP 7% less ( P < 0.1) than those owning less than five equids. The majority of owners care for two to four equids, which aligns with previously reported industry ownership per person (Melvin et al, 2019; Wallace et al, 2019 ). The survey used relative changes in costs, but the absolute change in cost for an owner with five or more equids would be substantially more than if fewer animals were owned.…”

“…Annual household income was distributed across six ranges including less than or equal to $25,000 ( n = 49, 7%), between $25,001 and $50,000 ( n = 135, 20%), between $50,001 and $75,000 ( n = 112, 17%), between $75,001 and $100,000 ( n = 122, 18%), between $100,001 and $150,000 ( n = 134, 20%), and greater than $150,000 ( n = 113, 17%). Demographics were consistent with recent, previously published literature describing the equine industry within the United States (American Horse Publications, 2018, Heuscheule et al, 2018 ; Stowe, 2018 ; Wallace et al, 2019 ; Jaqueth et al, 2018 , Mastellar et al, 2018 , Melvin et al, 2020 ). It is important to note that since many of the respondents in the current study were from the South, a larger, more equal pool of U.S. residents may cause regional differences in prices and preferences.…”

“…In the United States, equids are typically viewed by the public as straddling the line between livestock and companion animals. The USDA designates equids as livestock though equine owners view their animals in several ways which can include livestock, companion animals, performance partners, and family members ( Hemsworth et al, 2014 ; Dubois et al, 2018 ; Wallace et al, 2019 ). The use of equids is often placed into five categories: racing, working animals used for farm and ranch work, production animals used for breeding, competition equids used in various riding styles/disciplines for sport, and/or as recreational or companion animals.…”