Whether you ride horses or just admire them from afar, at some point you might have wondered how they sleep. Maybe you saw a pony lying in a field and wondered if they sleep lying down or standing up. If you have pets, you probably already know that the sleepRead More →
End-of-life options This article focuses on what the end-of-life options are for horses, and the advantages and disadvantages of these options. It further discusses some of the welfare problems associated with slaughter and how some of these could be addressed. Article Highlights There is an array of welfare issues associatedRead More →
Some people might think they know all too well how Gypsies and Travellers treat their horses… right? (Insert their eye roll, nodding, and even perhaps a judgmental smirk?) Actually, maybe they don’t. Despite popular belief, many Gypsies/Travellers have a good understanding of equine welfare needs and how to care for theirRead More →
Whip use in equestrian sports is currently a highly debated topic, not just within racing but across the entire industry, and a recent study into the use and perception of the whip in equestrian sports suggests there is an appetite for changes in regulation and education. Dr Jane Williams andRead More →
box stalls and welfare A gilded cage is still a cage. For horses, “gilded cages” come in the form of luxurious box stalls, clean and maintained, with modern sliding doors, windows to the outside, padded mats, wide aisles between the rows of stalls, and riding facilities just outside the mainRead More →
Playtime Builds a Foal’s Bones A playful foal hops, leaps, rears, attacks, threatens to bite and kick, and flees imaginary predators. But his behavior isn’t just a cute and charming show for his breeders (or seemingly a nuisance for his dam who gets caught in his line of fire everyRead More →
Horse whips Vow And Declare’s post-race whip welts contradict racing’s official line that padded whips don’t hurt. The welts show up on a number of images we have obtained, as a series of blisters (raised skin lesions), grouped into almost parallel linear patterns that match the site of the whipRead More →
In light of the findings of several recent noseband-related studies, this 2019 position statement by the International Society for Equitation Science replaces a previous version (2012) and reflects additional scientific evidence of potential adverse effects of restrictive nosebands on horses. For the purpose of this position statement, a restrictive nosebandRead More →
Call for National Horse Register. The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has called upon the Australian government to implement a nationwide welfare standard and a register to protect the welfare of all horses, not just the racehorses. Their official statement reinforces that the footage as reported on the ABC’s ‘The 7.30Read More →
In the wake of a shocking ABC report on the dismal end of many racehorses’ lives in slaughterhouses, many Australians are questioning whether the horse racing industry can operate ethically. Some people will never agree that animals should be used for human entertainment. Others argue horse racing is ethical andRead More →
