Documenting the Welfare and Role of Working Equids in Rural Communities of Portugal and Spain.
Authors: Haddy Emily, Rodrigues Joao B, Raw Zoe, Burden Faith, Proops Leanne
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Rural communities in Portugal and Spain continue to rely on donkeys and mules as essential working animals despite the decline in traditional agriculture, yet their welfare status and management practices have remained poorly documented until now. Researchers conducted physical and behavioural welfare assessments on 60 working equid owners using the newly developed EARS welfare tool, supplemented by questions exploring management practices, knowledge transfer between owners, environmental stressors, and cultural attitudes towards their animals. Whilst overall welfare was rated as fair, obesity and the use of harmful practices emerged as the most prevalent welfare concerns in these communities; notably, owners themselves recognised the cultural value of their animals but acknowledged that traditional agricultural livelihoods were unsustainable. The study demonstrated that understanding the social networks through which equine knowledge is transmitted locally—and appreciating the broader cultural and economic context in which working equids operate—is essential for designing effective welfare interventions. For professionals engaging with working equid populations, particularly in resource-limited settings, this research underscores the importance of tailoring welfare advice and initiatives to align with community structures, traditional beliefs, and economic realities rather than imposing standardised approaches that may be disconnected from owners' lived experience.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding local cultural context and social networks is essential for developing effective welfare improvement strategies in working equid communities
- •Obesity management should be prioritized as a welfare intervention in rural equid populations where traditional work is declining
- •Engage with established community knowledge networks and local equid owners when implementing welfare initiatives, as these are key sources of management expertise
Key Findings
- •The EARS welfare tool successfully identified fair overall welfare status in 60 working equid owners across Portugal and Spain
- •Obesity and use of harmful practices were the most prevalent welfare problems identified in the communities studied
- •Donkeys were considered invaluable for farming and daily life despite declining traditional agricultural practices in rural Western Europe
- •Social networks and cultural context within communities significantly influence equid welfare outcomes and knowledge transfer