Abstract
One Health (OH) is a crucial concept, where the interference between humans, animals and the environment matters. This review article focusses on the role of horses in maintaining the health of humans and the environment. Horses’ impact on environmental health includes their influence on soil and the biodiversity of animal and plant species. Nevertheless, the effect of horses is not usually linear and several factors like plant–animal coevolutionary history, climate and animal density play significant roles. The long history of the relationship between horses and humans is shaped by the service of horses in wars or even in mines. Moreover, horses were essential in developing the first antidote to cure diphtheria. Nowadays, horses do have an influential role in animal assisted therapy, in supporting livelihoods in low income countries and as a leisure partner. Horses are of relevance in the spillover of zoonotic and emerging diseases from wildlife to human (e.g., Hendra Virus), and in non-communicable diseases (e.g., post-traumatic osteoarthritis in horses and back pain in horse riders). Furthermore, many risk factors—such as climate change and antimicrobial resistance—threaten the health of both horses and humans. Finally, the horse is a valuable factor in sustaining the health of humans and the environment, and must be incorporated in any roadmap to achieve OH.
Highlights
One Health (OH) is a holistic approach which defines the health of humans, animals and the environment as a coherent system
Discussions at the scientific level are urgently needed; the involvement of the public and community members at local, national and global levels is essential to assure the implementation of OH
Cooperation between “open-minded” interdisciplinary professions bringing together OH aspects from various research areas will be a strong approach to increasing awareness beyond the anthropocentric perspective
Summary
One Health (OH) is a holistic approach which defines the health of humans, animals and the environment as a coherent system. Wild horses can have a negative impact on environmental health, for example horses’ trampling leads to an increased soil strength and compaction, which reduces rainwater infiltration [8]. This in return can lead to nutrient and water shortages for plants and trees. Horsesbark chewing behavior increases the mortality of trees, which results in changes in vegetation composition and structure [19,20] These examples clearly show the influence of the horse is not linear, but rather depends upon the surroundings. A negative influence on one species can have a positive effect on another
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