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54/ JANUARY 2013 THE RIDER


Draft Equine Code of Practice Released for Public Comment


Equine Canada and the National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) are pleased to announce the launch of the public comment period on the draft Code of Practice for the Care and Handling of Equines. The draft Code


can be viewed and sub- missions made at nfacc.ca/codes-of-prac- tice/equine until Febru- ary 14, 2013. All stake- holders are encouraged to provide input to ensure that this Code reflects a common understanding of


equine care expectations and recommended prac- tices in Canada.


A Scientists’ Com- mittee report summariz- ing research on priority welfare topics for equines can be found online alongside the draft Code.


This peer-reviewed report aided the discussions of the Code Development Committee as they pre- pared the draft Code of Practice.


“I’m proud of the collaborative effort com- mittee members have shown since we began our work in early 2011,” says Jack de Wit, Director with the Equine Canada Board of Directors and Chair of the Code Devel- opment Committee. “The next step is opening the draft Code to input from the public. With the pub- lic’s help we will have a Code that is good for owners and the animals in their care.”


“As an equine veteri- narian and horse owner, it’s a pleasure to partici- pate in a Code process that provides an opportu-


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nity to advance the wel- fare of equines across our diverse industry,” says Dr. Bettina Bobsien, Canadian Federation of Humane Societies repre- sentative on the Code Development Committee. “It is important that this Code reflect the best practices available for the welfare of horses, don- keys and mules.”


Anyone can provide comments and sugges- tions on the Code; all sub- missions must be made through the online system and follow the instruc- tions provided at nfacc.ca/codes-of-prac- tice/equine.


The equine Code revision is led by an 18- person Code Develop- ment Committee, which includes participants from across Canada represent-


ing the diversity of the industry. Members include horse owners, caregivers, animal wel- fare and enforcement rep- resentatives, researchers, veterinarians and govern- ment representatives. The Scientists’ Committee includes researchers with expertise in equine behaviour, health and welfare. The final equine Code of Practice will be released in June 2013. More information on the Code development pro- cess is available at nfacc.ca/codes-of-prac- tice.


The equine Code is one of eight Codes of Practice currently under revision as part of a multi-year NFACC pro- ject. Codes of Practice serve as our national understanding of animal


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care requirements and recommended practices. It is important Codes be scientifically informed, practical and reflect soci- etal expectations for responsible farm animal care. The Codes cover housing, feed and water, handling, euthanasia, transport and other impor- tant management prac- tices.


Funding for the Codes of Practice is pro- vided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Agricultural Flexibility Fund, under the Address- ing Domestic and Interna- tional Market Expecta- tions Relative to Farm Animal Welfare initiative, as part of Canada’s Eco- nomic Action Plan.


About the National Farm Animal Care Council


NFACC is a collabo- rative partnership of diverse stakeholders cre- ated in 2005 to share information and work together on farm animal care and welfare. It is the national lead for farm ani- mal care issues in Cana- da. NFACC would like to acknowledge the Canadi- an Animal Health Coali- tion (CAHC) for their role in securing funding for this project. For more information on NFACC visit nfacc.ca.


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