What’s the best bit for my horse? Well, I am glad you ask! It is a very important question that directly affects your horse’s well-being, but finding the answer involves considering and balancing many aspects, from the horse’s history, individual anatomy, conformation and training, to the rider’s skill and howRead More →
They’re all horses, yes. But that doesn’t mean that little horses act like big horses when they’re in pain. According to Dutch scientists, foals express pain differently from the way adult horses do. And because of that, they need their own pain-related facial expression scale that’s unique to baby horses.Read More →
Hot or hot and humid environmental conditions are a serious risk to health and performance unless properly managed. Research into the effects of heat and humidity on horses during competition has been ongoing since the Atlanta Olympic Games. Here is some practical information on effective horse cooling, as recommended byRead More →
There has been much in the press over the last year about the welfare of horses leaving the racing industry, raising questions about the sustainability and ethics of the current situation. In this article, Kate Fenner explains how we can all help to protect the welfare of off-the-track horses byRead More →
Five million horses live in Brazil. Nearly three-quarters of them work as ranch horses on beef cattle farms, spending long days driving, cutting, and transporting, sometimes across difficult terrains and in extreme weather. Researchers are helping ranchers recognise the signs of physical tiredness to prevent exhaustion. It can be aRead More →
10 reasons to stop whipping racehorses, including new research revealing the likely pain it causes Pressure is increasing on the global horse-racing industry to reconsider the use of whips in the sport. Our research, published in the journal Animals, shows horses’ skin is very similar to humans’ in both thicknessRead More →
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 →
