Contemplating the Five Domains model of animal welfare assessment: UK horse owner perceptions of equine well-being
Authors: Fletcher KA, Cameron LJ, Freeman M
Journal: Animal Welfare
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Equine Welfare Assessment and Owner Perception The Five Domains model—which integrates nutrition, environment, health, behaviour and mental state into a comprehensive welfare framework—remains largely unfamiliar to UK horse owners despite growing recognition in animal welfare science that psychological well-being is as critical as physical health. Fletcher and colleagues surveyed 259 equestrians to establish baseline welfare knowledge, then exposed them to a simple educational infographic based on the Five Domains model, reassessing their perception of their own horses' quality of life before and after the intervention. The infographic produced measurable shifts in perception: whilst Likert scale scores for health, behaviour, human interactions and overall welfare decreased significantly, emotional well-being scores increased substantially, suggesting owners began recognising hitherto-overlooked psychological factors but struggled to objectively evaluate emotional states in their own animals. The research highlights a critical gap between equine welfare science and practitioner application—horse owners appear willing to adopt a more holistic welfare perspective when presented with accessible, evidence-based information, yet lack the practical tools to consistently assess emotional well-being in practice. For farriers, vets, physiotherapists and coaches, this underscores the value of proactively translating welfare science into transparent, visual formats that help owners move beyond traditional health-focused assessment and recognise horses as sentient individuals with species-specific psychological needs.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Educational resources about the Five Domains model should be communicated to horse owners in simple, engaging visual formats—infographics proved effective at changing welfare awareness
- •Be prepared that horse owners may struggle to objectively assess emotional well-being even after learning about its importance; practitioners should provide practical, observable indicators of good mental health
- •Proactive communication of equine welfare science to caregivers is essential—current knowledge gaps between research and practice suggest owners need more accessible guidance on recognizing horses as sentient beings with psychological needs
Key Findings
- •An educational infographic based on the Five Domains model significantly changed UK horse owners' welfare assessments, with lower health and behaviour scores but higher emotional well-being scores post-intervention
- •259 equestrians demonstrated increased awareness of emotional state importance after exposure to evidence-based welfare education
- •Horse owners showed inconsistency in objectively assessing equine emotional states despite increased knowledge of welfare factors
- •Gap exists between scientific understanding of equine welfare and lay horse owner perceptions, potentially compromising animal welfare