APRIL 2020 THE RIDER /25


Talking Horse Welfare in Canada: How Do We See Our Industry?


Story by: Equine Guelph Palomino eye close upHow


would equine industry members describe the welfare status of Canadian horses? Which horses do they believe are the most at risk? And what do they believe threatens horse welfare? These are just some of the questions a research team at the University of Guelph set out to answer. In


to be “at risk”, however, opinions were much more divided. Wel- fare issues connected to auctions or feedlot horses were less di- vided. Horses intended for slaughter and horses with owners who lack knowledge, were also suggested as affected groups by survey participants. Lack of knowledge contin-


ued to emerge as a re-occurring


78.6%,). Surprisingly, under 55% were aware of the national document: the Cana- dian Code of Practice for the Care and Han- dling of Equines (NFACC). Participants were even less familiar with the American Association of Equine Practitioners Lame- ness Scale (35.6%), the Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare (29.7%), and Equitation Science (20.4%). Alongside examining the participants’


views on equine welfare within the industry, researchers also examined what factors, such as a person’s gender or view on their horse’s ability to feel emotions, most often affected their answers. Researchers found that whether a person considered their horse to be livestock or a companion animal, as well as what discipline they were involved in, most often influenced their perception of welfare issues. People who considered horses livestock, for example, were less likely to believe that horses at auction or on feedlots were an “at risk” group. Additionally, eight scenarios were in-


2015, Master’s student, Lindsay Nakonechny, with the support of supervisor Dr. Katrina Merkies and PhD student Cordelie DuBois, created a survey to find out what adult members of the Canadian equine industry think about horse welfare. The online survey results revealed that par- ticipants largely agree on some of the top perceived threats to horse welfare, but also uncov- ered a few surprizes. Almost one hundred per-


cent of survey participants agreed that there were welfare is- sues in the Canadian equine in- dustry, citing unwanted horses, inappropriate training methods, and unknowledgeable owners as some of the key issues within the industry. The majority of partici- pants also highlighted ineffective legislation and the incapacity of law enforcement


to protect


horses as important. When examining which


groups of horses were perceived


survey theme. This, along with financial difficulties was consid- ered one of the biggest chal- lenges to “good” equine welfare. This supports the need for educa- tional programs and targeted knowledge transfer. Gayle Ecker, director of Equine Guelph could not agree more. “What this sur- vey tells us is there is a need to work together with strong sup- port from the industry to extend the reach of welfare education,” says Ecker. “Improved informa- tion outreach to the industry in- corporating human behaviour change approaches are vital if we are to have an impact on improv- ing equine welfare.” Close to 1,000 participants


from multiple disciplines across Canada took the survey and self- identified as at least somewhat knowledgeable regarding horse care. Of the five options regard- ing horse care knowledge, partic- ipants were most familiar with body condition scoring (BCS;


Ontario Reined Cow Horse Association


Werner Bohner, President 519-209-8196


Craig Black, Vice President 519-874-1294


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cluded in the survey, each outlining a sce- nario in which horse welfare could be compromised. Those ranked the most wel- fare-compromising involved horses being pastured without water during the wintertime and a horse given a sedative prior to training. While participants of this survey almost unanimously indicated that they believed horses could feel a variety of emotional states, this belief was not always reflected in their ranking of the scenarios. Several sce- narios described situations in which horses could be suffering the effects of boredom or frustration (e.g. a horse on extended stall rest), but these scenarios were not considered as welfare-compromising as others. The in- tersection between what individuals think horses are capable of feeling and how this translates into practice (i.e. what situations cause horses to feel emotions such as bore- dom or pain) is an interesting one, and a challenge to all educators looking to bridge the gap between “knowing” and “under- standing.” To learn more about the survey ques-


tions, the diversity of the survey participant’s answers, and how they related to their in- volvement in the equine industry, read the full


publication:


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3040 5030.


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Sierra Acres Equine Assisted Learning Centre


By Anne Porteous Sierra Acres Equine As-


sisted Learning Centre is in Rockwood, ON. For the past 8 years I have been offering Equine Assisted Therapy [EAT] and Learning [EAL] programs at my facility. There are several mis-


understandings about Equine Assisted Therapy and Equine Assisted Learning. This is understandable considering all of the abbreviations used in our industry: EAC- equine assisted counselling or coach; EFT- equine facili- tated therapy – and so many others. How do you choose? For a program offering


EAT, treatment is delivered by a credentialed therapist as part of their scope of prac- tice. In Ontario regulated health professions are gov- erned under the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 (RHPA) and associated health profession Acts (i.e., Medicine Act, 1991). This legislative framework estab- lishes health regulatory col- leges, which regulate the professions in the public in- terest. For example psy- chotherapists are regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists and Regis- tered Mental Health Thera- pists of Ontario. Typically EAT is not a stand- alone approach. Interactions and activities with horses and being in a farm environ- ment enhance the traditional clinical approach taken by the therapist. Typically, there is a mental health therapist who collaborates with an equine specialist defined by the Equine Assisted Growth &Learning Association as someone with 6,000 hours hands-on horse experience, to work towards the client’s treatment goals. Under the umbrella of


EAT there is also Hippother- apy. Hippotherapy uses horses to help individuals improve balance, posture, mobility and motor function. Hippotherapy is a specializa- tion reserved to rehabilita- tion


specialists:


physiotherapists, occupa- tional therapists and speech language pathologist trained in this field. These disci- plines are governed by the RHPA. Equine assisted activi-


ties [EAA] emphasize per- sonal development and opportunities are provided for motivation, education, benefits which may enhance quality


of life.


Adaptive/Therapeutic riding is one example of EAA. In most cases a degree is not re- quired however, instructor training is needed. In On- tario, individuals can obtain instructor


certification


through the Canadian Thera- peutic Riding Association (CanTRA). EAL also fits in the cat-


egory of EAA. EAL pro- grams provide services which have learning goals but are not therapy. To be a facilitator in EAL normally a degree is not needed how- ever this depends on services


being offered. For education and special education, de- grees would be required. I have a Master of Science in Nursing Degree with an un- dergraduate degree in Educa- tion. EAL also includes life/business coaching, gen- eral learning services, and fa- cilitation of teams working together. I hold diplomas in coaching


[people,


not


horses!] and have extensive leadership knowledge from over four decades in the workplace. During EAL ses- sions, education is directed to improving communication skills, self-awareness, confi- dence building and self-con- trol.


Before enrolling in


equine treatment programs ask about credentials and equine expertise. Ask if you can visit the facility to get a ‘feel’ for the environment, horses, and facilitators. Find out if they are associated with any professional organ- izations. Contact me at annepor-


teous@sympatico.ca should you have any questions. Next I will be addressing the welfare of horses who are in- volved in equine assisted therapy and learning.


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