What are the welfare challenges facing pleasure and competition horses? A four-year research study, led by academics at the University of Bristol’s School of Vet Sciences set to find out. I thought it was cool that experts from across the equine industry contributed to the research- vets, farriers, trainers, welfare charities, breed and competition associations. As we know, these groups are often at cross- purposes!

The priority welfare challenges and solutions identified in the study include:

• Unresolved stress or pain behavior: educating horse caregivers about signs of stress and pain
  
  
• Inappropriate nutrition: especially, overfeeding and obesity
  
  
• Inappropriate stabling and turnout: limited turnout, social isolation and poor grazing conditions
• Delayed death: owners might keep horses alive inappropriately resulting in prolonged suffering of a horse in pain

Horse and Hound 

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/horses-in-our-hands-study-univ...