Table 1.
Name and description of the candidate explanatory variables evaluated.
| Name | Description | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| RESPONDENTS DETAILS | ||
| Gender | Male, Female | |
| Age | 16–30, 31–45, 46–60, 61+ | |
| INVOLVEMENT WITH THE EQUINE INDUSTRY | ||
| Industry sector | In which sector of the horse industry were they involved | Thoroughbred (TB) or Standardbred (SB) racing, Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping, Pony Club, Endurance and Competition Trail Riding (CTR), Horse breeding, Recreational non-competitive, Other (i.e., Hunting, Western, Polo, Showing) |
| Membership | In what organization did the respondent have a membership | New Zealand Thoroughbred or Harness Racing (Racing), Equestrian Sport New Zealand (ESNZ), New Zealand Pony Club Association (NZPCA), no membership |
| Involvement | Nature of the respondent's involvement with horses | Professional (involved with horses for financial reward), Amateur (involved with horses as a hobby) |
| EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION/TRAINING | ||
| Experience | Respondent's years of experience handling horses | 1–5, 6–10, 11–20, 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, 51+ |
| Qualification | Possession of one or more equine industry qualifications | Yes, No |
| Driving License | Respondent's class of driving license | Learner or Restricted, Full, Heavy vehicle license (HVL) |
| AWC | Respondent's self-assessment of their understanding of the Animal Welfare Code (Transport within New Zealand 2011) | 1-low, 2-some, 3-moderate, 4-high, 5-very high |
| Distress | Respondent's self-assessment of ability to identify a horse in distress | 1-low, 2-some, 3-moderate, 4-high, 5-very high |
| FFT | Frequency of assessment of fitness for travel before moving horses | 1-never, 2-sometimes, 3-about half the time, 4-most of the time, 5-always |
| Mechanical check list | Frequency of use of a mechanical check list on the transport vehicle before moving horses | 1-never, 2-sometimes, 3-about half the time, 4-most of the time, 5-always |
| Horse training | Did the respondents train their horse for loading and traveling? | Yes, No |
| HORSE AND JOURNEY DETAILS | ||
| Number of horses | Number of horses kept with their horse | 1–2, 3–5, 6–10, 11–15, 16–30, 31+ |
| Journey frequency | Frequency of organized transport events | Daily, 2–5 times a week, once a week, fortnightly, monthly, < once a month |
| Journey distance | Average journey distance (km) | 1–20, 31–60, 61–90, 91–120, 120–240, 241+ |