This year, the RSPCA’s annual Animal Welfare Seminar focused on Horses. ACA’s Horse & Livestock Representative attended talks by predominantly Equitation Science speakers over 2 days in February.
Following opening welcomes from the hosts at RSPCA, Prof Paul McGreevy of University of New England spoke about how the animal protection movement has failed to benefit horses, particularly in sport. With horses lagging behind the animal training advancements that other animals have enjoyed for decades, horses are still primarily trained using only negative reinforcement, and pressure based cues. Excessive use of aversives is also impacting the horse industry’s Social Licence to Operate.
McGreevy then spoke about the formation of the International Society for Equitation Science, and how the organisation aims to apply objective research to equestrian practices and improve horse welfare in sport and training. The association has published statements on restrictive nosebands and the misuse of dominance concepts in horse training.
Dr Kat Littlewood from Massey University (NZ) outlined recent research into the cardiorespiratory systems of exercising horses. She explained how physiology, athletic performance and management factors (such as rein and bit use) impact and can cause equine breathlessness during exercise, and the welfare issues that need to be addressed by the industry as a whole.
Dr Cathrynne Henshall (PhD candidate) from Charles Sturt University presented research in cognitive and affective neuroscience research in humans and other animals, that could be applied to benefit horses in training. Research is lacking into how horses experience the world, their training, and how they learn. The addition of neuroscience to inform horse training and management techniques could provide a mechanism to develop truly horse-centered training approaches that could improve welfare outcomes for horses and enhance human safety.
Ashleigh Brown is the Global Animal Welfare Advisor from Broke (UK) and spoke about working donkeys and mules in the developing world, and face multi-factorial challenges to effecting welfare improvement, be they socio-economic, cultural, educational or geo-political. Advances in animal behaviour and welfare science benefit horses in the first world, but are not reaching those that need it most. Brown talked about what action is being taken from international organisations and how welfare is being prioritised.
Julie Fielder (PhD candidate) from University of Melbourne spoke about Social Licence to Operate, and how important public trust is to the horse sport sector. Without acknowledging the changing societal expectations towards animal welfare, horse activities risk losing relevance, a real threat to long-term sustainability. Fiedler presented the concept of “animal safeguarding” reflecting the standards of child safeguarding and the community wide responsibilities that go towards achieving this. Public trust is forward looking. It’s not only what is said could be done, and to what standard, but the ‘doing’ of welfare that will maintain the horse sector’s Social Licence to Operate.
Tom Reilly (CEO Thoroughbred Breeders Association) then spoke about the Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group – an independent panel established by Thoroughbred Breeders Australia. Reilly outlined a report TAWWG published in 2021 on how to improve welfare of horses in breeding, racing and retiring from the industry.
Cristina Wilkins (author, Horses & People) then posed the question: Will Paris 2024 be a ‘Games Changer’ for Sport Horse Welfare? The Olympics are a highly visible demonstration of how horses are treated in equestrian sports, and public opinion is turned quickly when poor horsemanship and welfare is under the spotlight. Paris promises to prevent incidents of the past, highlighting “shortcomings in the current regulations” and proposing to raise the welfare standards of horses at the Olympics. The stakes are high, and potentially, the future of horse sports could depend upon it.
The final speaker was Dr Andrew McLean from Equitation Science International speaking about social licence to operate and what this means for ethical training of horses. As we look toward our future with horses, sustainability implies that horse management, training and horse sports need to rethink an equine-centric future: welfare from the horse’s perspective. McLean presented the ways this can be achieved, and why it is necessary as well as urgent.
The conference then had a discussion panel with several of the speakers. The talks were short, but informative, and very interesting, with an underlying theme of animal welfare science. We couldn’t help but wonder if the hosts required their own RSPCA inspectorate to attend? We certainly hope so.
By: Karri Nadazdy – Animal Care Australia Horse & Livestock Representative. Originally published: March 2023 ACE Newsletter.
