Horse welfare
Horse welfare is the physical and mental well-being of horses, including health, comfort, and opportunities to express natural behavior.
Five Domains model: A framework for assessing animal welfare through nutrition, environment, health, behavior, and mental state. It provides a structured way to connect horses’ living conditions with their physical and emotional experiences.
Equine social behavior: The social interactions and relationships horses form within groups and with other horses. Stable social contact supports a central behavioral need of this herd-living species.
Equine welfare assessment: The systematic evaluation of a horse’s physical condition, behavior, and living conditions. Assessment turns broad welfare principles into observations that can guide changes in care.
Stall confinement: Keeping a horse in an individual stall for extended periods, limiting movement and social contact. It contrasts with management that gives horses regular movement and contact with others.
Equine facial action coding system: A system for identifying horse facial movements as discrete anatomical actions. Facial indicators may help assess pain and emotion, but their interpretation depends on context.
Equine ethology: The study of horse behavior, especially patterns shaped by evolution and social life. Knowing normal horse behavior helps distinguish natural needs from signs of distress.
Pasture turnout: Time a horse spends outside its stall in a paddock or pasture. Turnout can provide movement, grazing, and social contact when managed safely.
Equine veterinary medicine: The branch of veterinary medicine concerned with the health and treatment of horses. Veterinary care detects and treats conditions that compromise welfare.
Free-range horse keeping: Keeping horses with substantial freedom to move outdoors, often in groups and with access to shelter. It can support natural behavior but also requires attention to weather, feeding, and group safety.
Equine stress: A horse’s physiological and behavioral response to demands that challenge or threaten its stability. Stress measures can reveal welfare problems, yet no single measure captures an animal’s full experience.