An exploration of industry expert perception of Canadian equine welfare using a modified Delphi technique.
Authors: DuBois Cordelie, Hambly Odame Helen, Haley Derek B, Merkies Katrina
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Industry Expert Perception of Canadian Equine Welfare Canada's diverse equine industry—spanning racing, sport, recreation, and breeding sectors—presents a fragmented landscape where consensus on welfare priorities has remained elusive. Researchers surveyed 34 equine professionals across multiple specialisations using a modified Delphi technique, conducting three iterative rounds of questionnaires to identify and rank welfare concerns; the sample size progressively reduced from 34 to 24 to 14 participants as the process advanced. Experts collectively identified 24 discrete welfare issues: 12 requiring intervention at the individual horse level (such as nutrition, lameness, and dental care) and 12 best addressed through industry-wide systems (including regulatory frameworks, training standards, and facility oversight). A striking pattern emerged across all three rounds—knowledge gaps and inadequate understanding of equine welfare principles were simultaneously identified as primary risk factors and root causes of poor welfare outcomes. The consensus among participating professionals points toward a clear pathway for improvement: systematic investment in education and knowledge-sharing amongst industry members and stakeholders will be fundamental to raising baseline welfare standards through improved daily care and management practices across the Canadian equine sector.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Gaps in knowledge about best practices are a major driver of poor welfare—focus on continuing education and mentoring within your sector
- •Welfare challenges operate at two levels: some require individual horse management changes, while others need industry-wide systemic solutions
- •Collaborate with other professionals to share evidence-based practices; unified messaging about welfare standards strengthens compliance across the Canadian equine industry
Key Findings
- •Expert panel identified 12 welfare issues addressable at individual horse level and 12 at industry level across Canadian equine sectors
- •Lack of knowledge and ignorance were consistently cited as both primary risks to welfare and underlying motives for poor welfare situations across all three Delphi rounds
- •Industry experts consensus emphasized education and knowledge-sharing as essential strategy to improve welfare through improved daily routine care and management