As a horse lover, it’s natural to want to seek out and experience horses around the world when you travel. Horseback safaris…carriage rides…horse circuses…and more. Not to mention all the working donkeys and horses that contribute to the daily functioning of communities around the world. Unfortunately, not all tourist activities involving equines have the animal’s best welfare at heart. Part of being a responsible traveller means taking care to support only those operations that prioritize the health and wellbeing of their horses and donkeys.
So how can you evaluate a horse’s welfare as a tourist? There are several ways to quickly get a feel for the overall level of welfare of a particular animal. While this is not a fool proof method…and it is important to take the availability of resources, local customs, and culture into consideration when evaluating horse care…it’s a good baseline for making decisions about which operations to support.
Body Condition Score
Body condition score is a way to quickly compare an equine’s weight to ideal. This is usually done on a numeric scale which allows changes in a horse’s condition to be tracked over time or compared to other horses. But you don’t need to assign an exact number to understand how a horse’s body condition relates to their overall welfare.
When judging a horse’s body score, you should look at the amount of fat along the neck, back, ribs, and hips. Check out this handy illustration to see what horses look like at different levels on the body condition scale. Horses scoring less than 3 are considered too thin, 4-6 is ideal, and greater than 7 is overweight.
How does this help you evaluate horse welfare as a tourist? Body condition score is a quick and easy way to look at the overall health and nutrition status of a horse. Familiarize yourself with what an ideal horse looks like versus one that is too thin or one that is too heavy…and support handlers whose animals fall within the ideal range.
Hoof Care
So goes the saying…no hoof, no horse! Hoof health and care is vitally important to the welfare of equines. Especially working equines.
In general, horses are kept either barefoot or shod. Whether a horse needs shoes or not is dependent on the individual horse, the type and amount of work being performed, and the type of ground the horse is travelling over. All hooves should be kept trimmed short, well maintained, and free from any large cracks or chips.
Severely overgrown hooves can even become deformed into a slipper or curled shape.
How does this help you evaluate horse welfare as a tourist? Hoof condition is a quick and easy way to look at the care and comfort of a horse. Familiarize yourself with what healthy, normal hooves look like versus ones that are overgrown or showing signs of significant disease…and support handlers whose animals show evidence of regular hoof care.
Lameness
Lameness, or an abnormal gait, can occur due to pain or mechanical issues such as an old injury or poor conformation. Regardless of the cause, asking horses and donkeys exhibiting lameness to work is not in the animal’s best interest.
Detecting subtle lameness is an art form, but you can learn to identify significant lameness to help evaluate equine welfare. Are all four limbs weighted equally when the horse moves? Do all four limbs advance the same general distance when the horse moves? Does the head bob up and down abnormally when the horse moves?
How does this help you evaluate horse welfare as a tourist? Lameness impacts a horse’s quality of life and overall comfort. Familiarize yourself with how normal horses and donkeys move and keep an eye out for abnormalities…and support handlers whose animals are free of lameness.
Hair Coat
A slick and shiny hair coat isn’t just a beauty statement when it comes to horses. It’s also a sign of good health, good nutrition, and good care.
Dull or brittle hair can be evidence of poor nutrition. Missing patches of hair can be evidence of ill-fitting tack and equipment or even of disease such as infection or mites. A dirty and unkempt hair coat can suggest poor living conditions.
How does this help you evaluate horse welfare as a tourist? Hair quality can be a marker of a horse’s health and overall quality of care. Familiarize yourself with the appearance of well-kept pasture horses and donkeys…and support handlers whose animals look well cared for.
Wounds
Any one that has spent considerable time with horses knows that they are accident prone. Sometimes wounds happen, but it’s important to take appropriate care of these injuries before they become a more serious problem. Other times, wounds can be a warning of a bigger issue such as poorly fitting tack, an unsafe environment, or inappropriate training and handling practices.
Wounds from poorly fitting equipment tend to occur where this equipment sits on the horse, especially along the back, withers, heartgirth, chest, face, and the corners of the lips. Pressure sores from a poor environment or low body condition score tend to occur over areas where bone is close to the skin such as the point of hip, hocks, elbows, and head. Wounds from inappropriate training and handling tend to occur over the hindquarters, chest, legs, neck, chin, and corners of the mouth. (If you’re unfamiliar with these terms, check out this great chart on parts of the horse.)
Scarring from old wounds can change the color of the horse’s hair, leaving dark marks on light colored horses or white marks on dark colored horses.
If there are wounds present, is this horse or donkey being currently asked to work? Are there flies present on or around the wound? Is there discharge from the wound that suggests infection? Is there evidence the wounds are being treated (medication applied, bandages)?
How does this help you evaluate equine welfare as a tourist? Keep an eye out for evidence of active or old wounds, especially those that might suggest poor fitting equipment or harsh training and handling…and support handlers whose animals are wound free.
Mentation
In general, horses and donkeys actually like being around people and working. An equine that is depressed, fearful, or reluctant in their work can suggest that the animal is overworked, uncomfortable, or intimidated.
It’s hard to ask a horse directly how they feel about their job, but it turns out that people are pretty good at guessing based on body language. Happy horses are alert and inquisitive creatures. Those that are habituated to people should not startle or pull back from a human’s touch. Horses that are comfortable in their surroundings will often steal a quick standing cat nap when they’re not working.
How does this help you evaluate horse welfare as a tourist? Familiarize yourself with what happy, well-adjusted equines act like…and support handlers whose animals appear to be enjoying their job and seem to share a bond with the humans around them.
Evaluating Equine Welfare as a Tourist
The subject of equine welfare is a huge and complex one. But you don’t have to be an equine professional or animal welfare expert to get an overall idea of the health and well-being of the horses and donkeys you encounter. Take some time to educate yourself about healthy, happy equines prior to your trip…and take a few moments to evaluate the horses and donkeys you come in contact with as you travel. By focusing on big picture items, you can quickly take stock of the condition of the animals around you and make informed decisions about whether you want to support a particular tourist activity or not.
Is the horse or donkey too thin? Ideal? Overweight?
Are the hooves uniform, trimmed short, and free of large cracks or chips?
Is the horse or donkey moving normally? Do they show signs of lameness?
Is the hair coat clean and healthy appearing? Is the horse or donkey missing hair anywhere?
Does the horse or donkey have any wounds present? Is there evidence of scarring from old wounds?
Does the horse or donkey seem happy and interested in their surroundings? Are they willing to do their job?
Does the horse or donkey seem fearful of their handler or other humans?
