Human Related Indifference as a Working Horse Welfare Indicator

Abstract

In line with the international research tendencies, this work assessed different aspects of the welfare of working horses. The aim was to identify whether the human-related indifference is correlated with indicators of poor welfare and to discuss the possible causes of this behavioural response. Several animal-based welfare indicators were recorded in 117 working horses; data were completed by a questionnaire answered by the horse owners. The most frequent welfare problems observed were the absence of the company of other horses (88%), improper shoeing (86.3%), watering less than three times per day (83.8%), too long/too short hooves (74.4%) and housing in dirty barns (assessed by the body soiling of the horses, 64.1%). The history of at least one episode of colic in the past year was quite high (32.5%) and only 10.3% of the horses had access to daily free exercise. The most frequent behavioural response displayed was the indifference towards the observer. The strongest correlation coefficients were found between indifference and the absence of free exercise, barn dirtiness, lesions at the lip corners, harness contact points and at the hip points and also with the presence of swollen tendons/joints. In conclusion, the correlation with physical problems and poor management practices makes unlikely that the human related indifference observed in the assessed working horses reflects neutral or positive welfare such as a relaxed state or feeling of safety. Instead, it rather implies the compromised fitness of the animals or even features of learned helplessness.