A new, updated version of the Five Domains Model, the gold standard in animal welfare assessment and monitoring, has just been published in the Open Access journal Animals. Read a 2019 interview with Professor Emeritus David Mellor, the architect of the Five Domains Model and lead author of this newRead More →
The new framework aims to improve the lives of working equids in Nepalese brick kilns and beyond. Horses, donkeys, and mules working in the brick-building factories of Nepal have generally good body condition, and most are sound. But more than half have scars, wounds, and other skin issues, and manyRead More →
A new program to teach horse handling methods based on learning theory to equine vets will make treatments safer. Horses aren’t always the easiest of patients. They kick; they bite; they bolt. They rear; they stomp their feet; they raise their heads so high you need a ladder. They pullRead More →
Only 66% of Thoroughbred foals entered training in Australia and 5% were exported to other countries. What happened to the other the other 28%? You see the ones that win. You even see the ones that lose. But if you’ve ever wondered where the rest of the racehorses are—the onesRead More →
Tough question time. Which horses have better health and welfare: leisure-riding horses? Or competition horses? A recent Swiss study has just shown that competition horses generally face greater limitations on their movement freedom. But leisure horses tend to be more obese and have slightly poorer-fitting saddles. And meanwhile, both groupsRead More →
That last truck ride. It’s like they know it’s their last. Horses loading into trucks headed for the slaughterhouse often rear, kick, paw, defecate, refuse to move, or charge abruptly the opposite direction, leading to injuries to themselves, to other horses, and to handlers, scientists say. High stress levels alsoRead More →
Tight Noseband? A poorly fitted bridle can give your horse as much discomfort as a poorly fitted bit. Even today, many riders are not fully aware that bridle fit can also influence the breathing and biomechanics of your horse, potentially changing the way they move and perform. The International CollegeRead More →
It is possible for horse people to get along? Horse people! We have a reputation for being a bit, well, crazy. But not just in the eccentric way. I mean in the way that we don’t get along very well with one another. It’s quite ironic that if anyone wasRead More →
Can sport horses be happy? The first ever Equitation Welfare Workshop took place on 1st & 2nd August and was attended by delegates from Australia, Ireland, Sweden, Canada, The Netherlands and Italy. Owing to COVID-19, this technology-driven, collaborative workshop was a ‘pivot’ from the originally planned ‘Happy Athlete’ conference proposedRead More →
Weaning foals Six months old. That landmark age when your baby foal isn’t a baby anymore. Time to wean… As in, time to take him away from his dam, lock her up so she doesn’t injure anyone trying to get to her baby. And time to make him try toRead More →
