Abstract
BackgroundParticipatory methods are increasingly used in international human development, but scientific evaluation of their efficacy versus a control group is rare. Working horses support families in impoverished communities. Lameness and limb abnormalities are highly prevalent in these animals and a cause for welfare concern. We aimed to stimulate and evaluate improvements in lameness and limb abnormalities in horses whose owners took part in a 2-year participatory intervention project to reduce lameness (PI) versus a control group (C) in Jaipur, India.Methodology/Principal FindingsIn total, 439 owners of 862 horses participated in the study. PI group owners from 21 communities were encouraged to meet regularly to discuss management and work practices influencing lameness and poor welfare and to track their own progress in improving these. Lameness examinations (41 parameters) were conducted at the start of the study (Baseline), and after 1 year and 2 years. Results were compared with control horses from a further 21 communities outside the intervention. Of the 149 horses assessed on all three occasions, PI horses showed significantly (P<0.05) greater improvement than C horses in 20 parameters, most notably overall lameness score, measures of sole pain and range of movement on limb flexion. Control horses showed slight but significantly greater improvements in four parameters, including frog quality in fore and hindlimbs.Conclusions/SignificanceThis participatory intervention succeeded in improving lameness and some limb abnormalities in working horses, by encouraging changes in management and work practices which were feasible within owners’ socioeconomic and environmental constraints. Demonstration of the potentially sustainable improvements achieved here should encourage further development of participatory intervention approaches to benefit humans and animals in other contexts.
Highlights
There are approximately 17.3 million horses in the 70 countries defined by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation as ‘low-income food-deficit countries’ (LIFDCs) [1]
Analyses were conducted on data from horses assessed every year and remaining with the same owner throughout (n = 149; participatory intervention (PI) group = 83 animals belonging to 73 people in 18 communities, C group = 66 animals belonging to 58 people in 21 communities)
No significant differences between the two groups were seen in the first year of the study. This investigation aimed to identify whether 2-year participatory intervention project with working horse owners would lead to changes in lameness and limb abnormalities in their horses
Summary
There are approximately 17.3 million horses in the 70 countries defined by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation as ‘low-income food-deficit countries’ (LIFDCs) [1] Most of these animals are used for draught or pack work to support the livelihoods of low-income owners [2,3]. One method that has been adopted by a number of sectors, including human health and sanitation, agriculture, livestock and animal health involves stakeholders and community members working together to achieve a common-goal [5,6,7]. We aimed to stimulate and evaluate improvements in lameness and limb abnormalities in horses whose owners took part in a 2-year participatory intervention project to reduce lameness (PI) versus a control group (C) in Jaipur, India
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