Welfare assessment of stabled horses in five equestrian disciplines.
Authors: Jovanović V, Vučinić M, Voslarova E, Nenadović K
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Welfare Assessment of Stabled Horses Across Five Equestrian Disciplines Researchers in Serbia used the Animal Welfare Indicator (AWIN) protocol to evaluate 50 stabled horses across five disciplines—Western riding, riding school, leisure, jumping, and endurance—addressing a significant knowledge gap regarding equine welfare in the Balkan region. Environmental and management failings emerged as widespread concerns: over half the horses experienced inadequate box dimensions and dirty bedding, whilst a third were bedded insufficiently, and two-thirds showed integument alterations ranging from alopecia to skin lesions. Notably, riding school horses demonstrated markedly worse welfare indicators than other groups, including significantly higher scores for grimace scale measurements and poor human-animal relationships, whilst leisure horses received substantially less exercise than their counterparts across all other categories. Social deprivation affected 28% of all horses assessed, with no visual or tactile contact with conspecifics, compounded by stereotypic behaviours present in over a quarter of the population. For practitioners working across farriery, veterinary medicine, physiotherapy and coaching, these findings underscore that stable design, bedding management, exercise frequency and social housing merit urgent review in individual facilities, particularly given the high prevalence of integument damage and behavioural indicators that compromise both performance potential and quality of life.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Evaluate stable housing dimensions and bedding quality as priority welfare improvements; inadequate conditions affect over half of stabled horses assessed
- •Monitor skin health and integument integrity closely in riding school horses which showed significantly higher welfare concerns than other disciplines
- •Ensure horses have regular social contact and exercise opportunities; isolation and lack of movement are linked to stereotypic behaviors and poor welfare outcomes
Key Findings
- •52% of stabled horses had inadequate box dimensions and dirty bedding material
- •68% of horses showed integument alterations with riding school horses significantly more affected
- •28% of horses exhibited stereotypic behaviors and 28% were unable to have visual or physical contact with other horses
- •Leisure horses were exercised significantly less frequently compared to other discipline categories