Welfare Of Horse

                                                         ANIMAL WELFARE?                                                                                                   
                      Welfare is a multi-dimensional concept which comprises physical and mental aspects such as comfort, absence of hunger, thirst, disease and fear, ability to express motivated natural behaviors and a good human-animal relationship.                                                                                                                   
                                                      Common Welfare Problems                                                                            1-  Stabling     

•   Keeping horses in the traditional stable often fails to provide them with an environment that fulfils  their motivational drives.
•  Stabling of horses can also cause problems through their enforced immobility.
• This sudden contrast in muscular activity can lead to problems such as  rhabdomyelitis, or ‘azoturia’, where muscles fibers become damaged and painful.

            2- Transportation 

• Transportation of horses, for competition or other purposes is obviously a stressful psychological experience for horses, and in addition can be detrimental to their physical welfare.
•  Horses transported to competitive events will be exposed to novel pathogens at times when they are stressed and immunocompromised.
•  Physical injuries from trauma are a further risk to horses during transportation.

                                                                  Welfare and Nutrition

• A balanced and appropriate diet is crucial for the optimal health and welfare of the animal.
• Horses are well suited to a high fiber and a low starch diet.
•  There should be vitamins, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals and water in diet of horse.  Supplemental oil should not be present in diet more than its 20%. In excess it causes gastric complications.
•  Cereals should be present in diet because they help to improve pre-caecal digestibility.
•  Alternative fiber source of sugar beet pulp is highly recommended in feed.
•  50% or more of the animal’s diet by weight should be forages (such as Hay and Grass).
•  For hard working horses, there should be an increase in the use of concentrates in diet.

                                                                     Water Management

1.  Available all the time.
2.  Average consumption 35-40 liters / day.
3.  Majority of drinking done at feeding time. 
4. Clean water troughs / buckets.
5.  Warm water in winter.
6.  For a lactating mare there should be availability of 4 times more water than normal.

                                                    Physical interventions that are against welfare

1.  Castration
2. Shoeing
3.  Soring
4.  Branding 
5. Over Loading

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Welfare of Pregnant Mare 

•  Avoid riding of mare in last three months of pregnancy.
•  Keep Pregnant mare in clean and warm stalls with soft, fresh bedding at all times.
• In last month of pregnancy separate the mare from other horses in order to keep her stress level down.
•  Pregnant mares should have access to abundant quantities of quality hay. 
• They should also have unlimited access to clean fresh water.
•  Avoid Deworming in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy, as this can cause abortion.
• Avoid Transportation of pregnant mare.
•  Maintain Regular vaccination for mares to help to protect the foal.

                                                                        Bedding

•  On dirt floor there should be 3 to 4 inches of bedding
• On Cement based floor Bedding should be 8 to 10 inches. 
•  For bedding Wood shavings and Straw are both excellent bedding materials.
•  If wood shavings are used for bedding, they must not contain any black walnut shavings, which are toxic to horses and can cause laminitis.

                                                Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare

1. Freedom from hunger and thirst.
2. Freedom from discomfort.
3. Freedom from pain ,injury and disease.
4. Freedom from fear and distress.
5. Freedom to express normal behavior.

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