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What to do with the horse once it’s too old to compete?
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Summary
All horses in sport will reach a point in their careers in which they can no longer compete. What are the owner’s responsibilities and options for their post-career horse?
For society to continue to accept the use of horses in sport, their owners and keepers must take full responsibility for their welfare from birth to death. This responsible ownership is the cornerstone of the horse-human partnership and society’s tolerance of using animals in any pursuit. Sport and race horses will be considered such throughout their lifetime, regardless of whether they are still competing, and their treatment throughout life reflects the ethos and therefore the reputation of horse sport. Horse owners have a number of options for their animals post career that ensure the horse’s welfare, prioritise quality over quantity of life, and clearly demonstrate responsible decisions. Other methods are now considered inappropriate as they are likely to cause the equine to suffer, and are therefore unethical, irresponsible and should be avoided. Although some may appear to be the kind option, they are now seen to reflect humans’ own beliefs of what a horse may desire; such an anthropomorphic approach is unlikely to provide the horse with a life worth living.
Responsible end of career options
Humans have domesticated horses and as such must take responsibility for their health and welfare throughout the animal’s lifetime. This is true for all horses, and is particularly important in the case of sport horses in light of society’s belief that it is unethical to profit from horses without fully providing for their health and welfare. Internationally, racing is focusing more on aftercare as society increasingly holds racing to account for the horses the industry produces, whether in competition or not. Similarly, the FEI Code of Conduct requires that the welfare of the horse be paramount over any commercial considerations[i].
Sport horses that are responsibly-trained and well-managed will have a longer competition life. However, all sport horses will inevitably leave competition at some point. Not all sport horses, despite their breeding or perceived ability will be able to compete at high levels due to their ability, temperament or a pain-related cause[ii]. There are a variety of options available for owners for their former sport horses. In considering these options, the only ethical approach is to ensure that quality of life is always considered more important than quantity of life. The right option for a given horse will depend upon that horse’s health, physical abilities, behaviour and temperament.
Responsible options include:
1. New careers for ridden horses
If the horse can still be ridden, is uninjured and in good health, they can be retrained for another less demanding career, such as lower level sport, showing or as a leisure horse. A horse that is still able to undertake a range of activities will be easier to rehome than one that is restricted[iii]. Many former sport and racehorses have excelled in new careers[iv], with various charities including Retraining of Racehorses in the UK, a partner of World Horse Welfare, being part of the wider global movement in racing to improve aftercare. The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) have many case studies outlining these successes[v]. Former sport horses are invaluable as schoolmasters to teach inexperienced riders at schools and riding centres. Ridden (and non-ridden) horses are also increasingly used in therapy to help people with physical, mental and emotional disabilities[vi] [vii].
2. Retirement
If the horse can no longer be ridden, they can be placed in retirement at a specialised livery devoted to caring for older horses, but these facilities tend to be expensive. Alternatively, the horse could be found a new home as a companion. Rehoming to new owners is becoming increasingly popular in many countries; however, it must be done with care to ensure the horse is going to a good home that is experienced and able to care for the horse. Across Europe and the USA former sport horses are too often rehomed to people who cannot care for them, leaving the horse to suffer from malnutrition, illness and neglect.
3. Breeding
Breeding from former sport horses can be an option, but it may not be in the best interests of the foal, horse or owner and it should only be considered after careful consideration and advice from a veterinary surgeon. Across the globe too many mares produce offspring that will never excel and often cannot be rehomed.
4. Euthanasia and slaughter
Sometimes the most humane option for a horse that cannot be rehomed is euthanasia. In the UK, delayed death (i.e. the keeping of an animal alive when it is inhumane to do so) is one of the most significant welfare challenges causing avoidable suffering to thousands of horses each year[viii]. Slaughter for human consumption can also be an acceptable option, so long as the horse is transported and slaughtered humanely; euthanasia of horses must always be undertaken according to OIE or higher standards.
Veterinarians are ideally placed to support and guide owners during end of life discussions, and can help to ensure that not only does the owner understand all the options that are available but the horse’s welfare is prioritised throughout[ix]. In all cases, the horse’s quality of life must be the prime consideration in choosing a post-career option. A horse in chronic pain should not be made to live out its life and a humane death will be the ethical, responsible option. Similarly, if a horse does not have the temperament to adapt to life outside of the rigours of sport, a humane death is the responsible option to end that horse’s mental suffering. Cultural and religious beliefs relating to euthanasia in many parts of the world can be a challenge but, handled sensitively, acting in the best interests of the animal can often overcome this issue.
Unfortunately, some owners use unacceptable approaches to deal with their post-career horse which inflict or prolong horse suffering. These include:
1. Irresponsible selling
Owners, who choose to sell the older or injured horse, perhaps obscuring its health problems or age to ensure a better price, will invariably put that horse at greater risk of neglect and abuse. This is not responsible ownership and merely passes the problem onto someone else, usually unethically. If the new owner is aware of the problems and chooses to purchase the horse anyway, the original owner has a responsibility to secure credible evidence that the horse will be well taken care of by the new owner before making the sale.
2. Irresponsible rehoming
Horses rehomed (on temporary or permanent loan) without credible evidence that their new keeper has the experience, motivation and resources to satisfactorily take care of the horses are very likely to suffer from neglect. Former sport horses may be unaccustomed to retirement and inexperienced carers often struggle to handle or properly manage the horse. There are many cases where former racehorses have been rehomed by their owners only to be found later in poor condition in fields, at sales or moving from owner to owner in a spiral of neglect.
3. Irresponsible neglect/death by natural causes
Leaving a horse to suffer and die in a state of neglect is not humane. While humans may feel uncomfortable about choosing to end the life of a horse, this choice is the ultimate act of responsible ownership as it prioritises the quality of life, and therefore welfare, of that horse. Moving an old horse into a barn or field to live out their days is only acceptable if the horse continues to be cared for and has their needs met – including those for foraging, social contact and health.
Conclusion
Every owner is responsible for their horse throughout their life up to and including the point of death. Horses are dependent on people for their health and welfare, and people have an ethical duty to meet their needs. This duty is especially pertinent with sport horses, or society will not consider the sport to be ethical and this will damage its reputation and risk its future. When providing for former sport horses, many responsible options exist and the veterinary surgeon has a pivotal role to play in advising on the best options. The quality of life of the horse is the prime consideration for choosing which option is most appropriate. Neglecting the horse, or passing the horse onto another owner irresponsibly, is unethical and irresponsible, and puts the horse at significant and needless risk of suffering.
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[1] FEI; FEI Code of conduct for the welfare of the horse; 2013; Available: http://inside.fei.org/system/files/Code_of_Conduct_Welfare_Horse_1Jan2013.pdf
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