The Human-Horse Relationship: Identifying the Antecedents of Horse Owner Attitudes towards Horse Husbandry and Management Behaviour.
Authors: Hemsworth Lauren M, Jongman Ellen C, Coleman Grahame J
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Understanding what drives horse owners' management decisions is crucial for improving equine welfare across the recreational sector, and Hemsworth and colleagues investigated this by applying Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behaviour to examine how owner demographics, knowledge, and experience shape attitudes towards core husbandry practices. Using telephone surveys and on-site inspections with 57 Victorian horse owners, the researchers found that background factors—particularly knowledge and experience—significantly predicted owner beliefs about parasite control, hoof care, and dental care, three practices fundamental to equine health. Knowledge and experience emerged as the strongest correlates with positive attitudes across husbandry domains, suggesting that many poor management decisions stem not from neglect but from genuine knowledge gaps rather than behavioural resistance. These findings support targeted education and training programmes as a practical intervention strategy; rather than assuming horse owners lack commitment to welfare, the evidence indicates that structured knowledge transfer could meaningfully shift attitudes and consequently improve on-the-ground husbandry standards. For farriers, vets, nutritionists, and other equine professionals, this underscores the value of client education as part of routine practice—positioning expert advice as the mechanism to convert concern into informed, welfare-focused management.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Education and training programs targeting horse owner knowledge and experience can improve husbandry practices and ultimately horse welfare
- •Farriers, veterinarians, and equine professionals should prioritize owner education on parasite control, hoof care, and dental care as these are key areas where knowledge gaps exist
- •Understanding that owner attitudes drive management behaviour can help practitioners tailor their communication and recommendations to different owner experience levels
Key Findings
- •Horse owner background factors (knowledge and experience) significantly correlate with attitudes towards horse husbandry and management behaviour
- •Beliefs concerning parasite control, hoof care, and dental care are predicted to some degree by owner knowledge and experience
- •Owner attitudes and beliefs towards husbandry practices are influenced by demographic factors and prior experience with horses