Dr Bidda Jones on horse keeping and horse sports
What’s inwards it for the horse? The enquiry was posed yesteryear Dr Bidda Jones, primary scientist alongside Australia’s RSPCA, inwards a presentation to the recent Equitation Science Annual Conference at the University of Sydney.
» Article: What’s inwards it for the horse, asks scientist
What Dr Jones says close stabling:
“Indoor housing of horses presents them alongside a consummate mismatch to their evolutionary history – wild horses produce non alive a lonely existence inwards an expanse of less than xvi foursquare metres.
“In other industries, such every bit intensive farming, the isolation too confinement of social animals is grounds for raising serious concerns close the animals’ welfare.
“We know that stabling causes disruption of normal feeding patterns – resulting inwards both digestive too behavioral abnormalities.
“We know that stabling causes disruption of normal movement: In an opened upward environment, horses are constantly moving too selectively grazing for most of the day.
“We know that stabling causes disruption of normal social interactions: which tin Pb to chronic social frustration too stereotypic behaviours non seen inwards free-roaming horses. Yet it is nonetheless ‘normal’ practise to singly employment solid horses indoors.
“As Temple Grandin says, if yous produce something bad to animals oftentimes enough, it becomes normal. Well, we’ve been doing some bad things – similar unmarried housing – to horses for thousands of years, too they own got travel thence ‘normal’ they’re almost invisible.”
What Dr Jones says close whip utilisation inwards racing:
“There are 2 main arguments set forwards close why whips are used: to brand horses travel faster too for passenger safety. But employment close over-use or inappropriate utilisation of whips has been to a greater extent than or less for many years.
“This quote comes from a 1991 Australian Senate study into racing: ‘The commission accepted the utilisation of the whip every bit a guide or control, but could non condone … it to inflict hurting on a Equus caballus for no other utilisation than to brand the Equus caballus run faster inwards what is essentially a sporting event.’
She continued: “And let’s simply remind ourselves what a sporting lawsuit is – it’s something nosotros produce for recreation or diversion – for fun.
“This year, the Australian too New Zealand Racing Boards volition follow the UK, Republic of Republic of India too the the U.S.A. inwards introducing changes to the utilisation of the whip, including the mandatory utilisation of padded whips.
“However, whips volition nonetheless live used to scope horses to brand them travel faster.”
What Dr Jones says on jumps racing:
“There are solely 2 states inwards Commonwealth of Australia which nonetheless allow jumps racing. The flavor inwards Victoria starts on the foremost of March. By the commencement of May this year, v horses were dead: 4 at race meetings too ane during a trial race. This is equivalent to ane conk every v races.
“Jumps racing has an average of ane conk every 140 starters, compared to ane every 3500 starters inwards apartment racing.
“The world outcry over these recent deaths was enormous – fuelled yesteryear pictures of the horses every bit they fell. As a result, Jumps racing was suspended on May 7. But it resumed over again less than 2 weeks subsequently alongside some tiddler changes to the layout of fences including removal of the ‘last’ jump.
“On June 20, some other Equus caballus stumbled at the (new) terminal jump too was killed on the track. The world was reassured that this was non a preventable death, every bit it was caused yesteryear an mistake yesteryear the horse. Silly Equus caballus – obviously horses are really accident prone. Especially, it seems, when yous brand them run at 60kmh over fences.”
What Dr Jones says close contest inwards general:
“The nature of contest is to growth the degree of challenge or difficulty, which comes into straight conflict alongside the concept of minimising suffering. Also, to live skilful at competition, yous demand to function harder too practise to a greater extent than often, which is probable to involve placing to a greater extent than demands on the horse.
“Competition inherently leads to horses beingness used for to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than strenuous or challenging events. It too places horses inwards to a greater extent than too to a greater extent than unfamiliar too stressful situations; way they own got to live transported to a greater extent than oftentimes too on longer journeys, too places them inwards continually changing social groups.
“We demand to ensure that increasing contest difficulty doesn’t hateful increasing impact. The challenge is to maintain upward the degree of difficulty without compromising the welfare of the Equus caballus – for example, relying to a greater extent than on the science of the trainer too passenger than making it harder for the horse.
“If elite contest is to live ethical too sustainable too then it needs to live demonstrated that impacts are beingness recognised, too minimised.”
» What’s inwards it for the horse, asks scientist
First published on Horsetalk.co.nz inwards July, 2009.
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