Abstract
Simple SummaryThe welfare of recreational horses is an important issue worldwide. Since horse owner characteristics may be an important determinant of horse welfare, the relationships between horse owner background factors and horse owner attitudes towards horse husbandry and management behaviour were examined in this study. Owner knowledge and experience rather than demographics were associated with an appreciation of parasite control, hoof care, and dental care. Therefore, an educational strategy intended to improve the horse owner’s appreciation of the welfare implications of their behaviour may be important in safeguarding recreational horse welfare, but further research is warranted.The welfare of recreational horses is an important issue. Horse owner attitudes towards horse ownership are likely to influence owner behaviour in terms of horse husbandry and management practices and human–horse interactions, which in turn are likely to affect the welfare of the horse. Based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour, this paper examines the relationships between horse owner attributes, specifically background factors (demographics, knowledge, and experience) and attitudes (beliefs) towards horse husbandry and management behaviour. Data were collected via a random telephone survey and during on-site inspections with Victorian horse owners and their horses (n = 57), using an attitude questionnaire. Relationships were found between horse owner background factors and horse owner attitudes towards horse husbandry and management behaviour. Generally, belief variables correlated significantly with background factors that were primarily related to knowledge and experience. Further, beliefs concerning three key husbandry practices (parasite control, hoof care, and dental care) all appear to be predicted to some degree by background factors associated with knowledge and experience. Therefore, a practical recommendation may be the implementation of education and training programs aimed at improving horse owner knowledge and experience regarding effective horse husbandry and management to promote horse welfare. Clearly, further research is warranted.
Highlights
Background factors related to knowledge and experience are generally under human control and are able to be modified by the horse owner, while demographic-based background factors lack human control and are difficult, if not impossible, for the horse owner to modify
The observed relationships indicate that background factors related to knowledge and experience are associated with both attitudes towards appropriate horse husbandry and management behaviour and perceived behavioural control concerning the appropriate performance of these behaviours
The observed relationships between horse owner background factors and horse owner beliefs about horse husbandry and management behaviour largely imply that the antecedents of horse owner attitudes are background factors related to knowledge and experience
Summary
The welfare of recreational horses is an important issue both in Australia and worldwide. The recreational horse industry can be further defined according to its competitive and non-competitive nature; the competitive form involves disciplines including dressage, show jumping, eventing, showing, endurance riding and polo, and the non-competitive form includes leisure riding and companionship. A substantial proportion of the welfare problems observed in both local and international recreational horse populations are due to horse owner mismanagement, as a result of ignorance rather than intentional abuse [1,2,3,4,5,6]. The literature, whilst limited, identifies possible relationships between horse owner attributes and horse welfare outcomes [1,4,14,15,16].
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