The Challenges of Using Horses for Practical Teaching Purposes in Veterinary Programmes.
Authors: Gronqvist Gabriella, Rogers Chris, Gee Erica, Bolwell Charlotte, Gordon Stuart
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Equine Handling in Veterinary Education Urban-origin veterinary students frequently begin their degrees with minimal prior horse experience, yet curriculum pressures consistently erode time dedicated to practical equine handling instruction—a concerning gap given that poor handling skills compromise both student safety and animal welfare. Gronqvist and colleagues conducted a literature review and conceptual analysis examining how this mismatch between educational priorities and available teaching time results in self-reported low competency levels, particularly among those without foundational equine experience. The authors highlight a critical blind spot in veterinary education research: whilst equine behaviour interpretation and appropriate handling procedures are essential safeguards, there exists minimal published evidence addressing welfare outcomes for teaching horses or systematically evaluating student injury risk during practical classes. Their findings underscore that inconsistent or anxious handling not only increases injury likelihood for inexperienced handlers but also elevates equine stress responses and potentially compromises the wellbeing of animals subjected to repeated interactions with nervous students. The authors propose a conceptual model to optimise welfare standards and safety protocols during practical sessions, emphasising that structured, behaviour-focused instruction cannot be deprioritised without consequences for both the animals in teaching facilities and the professionals-in-training who must ultimately work safely with horses throughout their careers.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Ensure veterinary training programmes prioritize hands-on equine handling instruction and allocate adequate protected time despite competing curriculum demands, as inadequate training directly impacts horse and handler safety
- •Implement systematic behavioural assessment and handling skill evaluation before students work independently with horses to identify gaps and reduce welfare and injury risks
- •Develop standardized protocols and mentoring systems for equine handling in teaching facilities to ensure consistent, welfare-focused practices that benefit both student learning and horse welfare
Key Findings
- •Urban-background veterinary students commonly lack prior horse handling experience and report low self-assessed competency in equine handling skills
- •Curriculum time pressure reduces allocation for practical equine handling classes, compromising student skill development
- •Poor equine handling by inexperienced students increases injury risk to both students and horses, and compromises equine welfare through increased anxiety
- •Authors propose a conceptual model to optimize equine welfare and student safety during practical handling instruction