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Equine welfare in a competitive setting: the human role
Equine welfare in a competitive setting is a critical issue to the horse industry. Social media shines an even brighter light on both the positive and negative aspects of animal welfare in conjunction with such activities. While the number and scope of studies of competitive equestrian activity is limited, the general areas of concern in equestrian sport parallel those in more traditional sports. Skelly and others conducted a survey at a Michigan Horse Show Ethics Extension workshop which determined that the top 5 ethical concerns pertaining to horse shows were matters of sportsmanship, horse welfare issues, violations of rules and regulations, concerns about fair judging, and parenting issues.
Animal Scientists are working tirelessly in the field of animal behavior and welfare to inform the literature with respect to the impact of competitive activity on animals, with Equitation Science focusing specifically on equine. Fewer studies, however, have taken into account the actions and motivations of the humans who put animals into competitive environments. Waite for example, found no relationship between the use of aggressive riding techniques and final run time in youth barrel racing, while Voigt employed Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory to examine human perspectives toward show horse welfare, within cognitive, behavioral, and environmental contexts.
By asking research questions designed to better understand the human influence in competitive equestrian activity, we may more effectively influence change where change is needed. Understanding, addressing, and resolving animal welfare issues requires a multi-faceted approach including Animal Science based teaching, research, and extension efforts, but also utilizing Psychology, Social Science, Education and other disciplines. This presentation will share current research with respect to the human impact on animal well-being and competitive equestrian activity, pose additional research questions, and share strategies for addressing these complex issues.
Keywords: Equine, Well-being, Competitive