Practical approach to working equids welfare

During work, one exerts innate or acquired abilities to achieve a purpose or result. Considering that a working animal is one whose faculties facilitate the accomplishment of a task, every equid involved in human labor or pursuit, exerting physical and mental effort, is strictly a working equid.

For millennia,^{1, 2} humankind has relied on equids to succeed, by sensibly taking advantage of their biomechanical, biochemical and behavioral characteristics.

Biomechanics is the application of mechanical laws to living structures. By studying the forces that act on a biological object, as well as the effects that such forces produce, biomechanics can extend from the function of simple proteins to the motion of an organism as a whole. Biochemistry is, in turn, the chemistry of those living organisms, including their chemical constituents and vital processes. It focuses on the molecular nature and functioning of life, as well as on changes occurring in cells; relying on biology, chemistry, physics and immunology to understand the ways molecules interact to form cells, tissues, and complete organisms.

Behavior is the study of how animals move in their environment, how they interrelate socially, how they learn about the environment, and how they achieve a cognitive understanding of it.³ Involving the interaction of the animal with its physical environment, with other members of the same species, and with organisms of other species, behavior also denotes changes in response to stimuli; a fact particularly important in working equids, because their performance depends both on the ability of the handler to elicit a response, and on the extent at which conditions let the equid be mentally and physically able.

Current biological characteristics of equids are the result of more than 50 million years of evolution.⁴ From a welfare perspective, in the course of evolution,⁵ equids succeeded in coping with the changing environment by developing a phenotype that, besides favoring species preservation,^{6, 7} must have guaranteed the quality of life, with the eventual genetic assimilation of those traits through the process of natural selection.⁸ In more recent times, just after domestication some millennia ago, human-driven management has influenced the phenotype of domestic equids in such a manner, that hundreds of breeds with diverse morphological and behavioral traits⁹ have thrived in different conditions, for the diverse purposes of work at human activities.

Whether for loading, riding, pulling or dragging, humans discovered how to harness the biology of equids to satisfy physical, cultural, social, economic, ecologic and emotional needs. However, science and technology, besides experience and traditional knowledge, show that welfare is essential for performance and, although in origin is simply how well the individual is faring through life;¹⁰ the concept of welfare has also evolved.¹¹ 

The “one-welfare” approach promotes that animal, human and environmental welfare is integrated. No matter the domain of practice, this more ecological philosophy must sensibly be promoted among the equine veterinary profession, especially because, from the perspective of antrhozoology, the biology of horses and the use of equipment to harness their natural traits for human development, meant that veterinary care was a core component for a mutually effective human–equid relationship around the world.¹²

With this motivating statement, the veterinary profession is legitimated to promote welfare and performance of working equids, just as it was the first time in history the word “veterinārius” was used and “la medicina veterinaria” was mentioned as the practice of medicine in the “bestia veterinaria”, namely beast of burden.¹³ As professional practice is conceived, working equids welfare must be promoted with a practical approach.

However, before outlining a practical approach to working equids welfare, a concept of practical is needed.

In a classic reference,¹⁴ “Science” is described as the art of “knowing what”, whilst “Technology” as “the art of knowing how” and “Theory” as “the art of knowing why”. As a practical art, “Technique” is “the art of doing”, founded on our knowledge of what, how and why. Therefore, by saying “practical” we mean actual experience, in the real world, but always based on evidence. Evidence that comes from science, but may also come from traditional knowledge, which plays an important role in all aspects of human life and livelihoods.¹⁵

Working equids play an essential role in the lives and livelihoods of millions of people around the world.¹⁶ Activities in which horses, donkeys, mules and hinnies are involved differ according to environmental, human and animal aspects.¹⁷ In consequence, issues affecting to, and depending on, equine welfare and performance, as well as resources to manage them, do also vary across regions.

Assessing animal welfare and proposing practices to promote it has become an essential competency in the veterinary profession.¹⁸ Evaluating the quality of life of an equid is requested to practitioners more often than before, not only for the good purposes of charity and education, but also for the own benefit of the equids and individuals, communities, and ecosystems reliant on their functioning as living beings or working animals.

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