Using Qualitative Methods to Explore Farrier-Related Barriers to Successful Farriery Interventions for Equine Welfare in India.
Authors: Mohite Dinesh S, Sheikh Chand S, Singh Saurabh, Kalita Jogen, Williams Shereene, Compston Polly C
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Farriery underpins equine welfare in working horse populations, yet in India's largely informal farriery sector—characterised by unregulated training, inconsistent standards and limited enforcement—quality remains highly variable despite intervention efforts from organisations such as Brooke India. Using focus-group discussions with farriers across two districts of Uttar Pradesh, researchers identified systemic barriers to delivering consistent, high-quality farriery services: demand for services, socioeconomic status of farriers, environmental factors (including local economic shifts), and technical knowledge gaps all significantly influenced practice outcomes, with these influences being highly context-dependent. The closure of brick kilns in some areas, for instance, had created economic insecurity amongst farriers previously reliant on that customer base, directly impacting their ability and motivation to invest in service quality improvements. The research highlights that traditional top-down technical training alone is insufficient; instead, a systems-level approach combining tailored mentoring that addresses farriers' specific economic circumstances and professional aspirations alongside skills development is more likely to drive sustainable improvements in farriery standards and welfare outcomes.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Farriery improvement programmes must be tailored to local economic conditions and farrier circumstances, not delivered as one-size-fits-all interventions.
- •Mentoring and capacity building aligned with farrier needs and expectations is more effective than technical training alone for improving both skills and engagement.
- •Understanding farriers' economic pressures and professional status is essential for implementing successful welfare interventions for working equids.
Key Findings
- •Demand for services, farrier status, external environment, and technical training were identified as key factors affecting farriery work quality in India.
- •Context-specific challenges included economic insecurity among farriers in areas dependent on brick kiln work following recent closures.
- •Farrier engagement with welfare programmes varied significantly based on alignment with farrier needs and expectations.
- •Systems-level approach addressing multiple contextual factors is necessary for sustainable improvement in farriery services.