In the wake of widespread publicity about welfare issues at several prominent stables, the perennially pro-active European Equestrian Federation has come up with a survey to determine if horses are getting the best care and training at home. The organization is asking people from all over the world, not just Europe, to fill in the survey. Here is a link.
“Horse welfare has always been the key priority for the EEF, and in the last months, several examples of poor horse welfare in a training environment have been exposed,” the organization explained.
“To properly counter these issues going forward, it is important we first assess the current landscape, the attitudes and opinions within the industry and understand whether these issues are widespread. With this information, we can then support our National Federations to create practical initiatives to counter these unacceptable behaviors.”
The survey was designed with the support of World Horse Welfare for completion by the wider equine industry. All answers are anonymous and will be used to better inform us of the current situation.
Questions include whether the respondents have ever witnessed a training situation that they believe compromised a horse’s welfare, or whether they have been asked to carry out training methods that they believed compromised a horse’s welfare.
All this is playing out against the background of social license to operate, which threatens the continued ability of horse sports to operate. The survey could play an important role in determining how to handle this challenge.