Table 1.

Welfare issues for horses (unranked) derived from thematic analysis of the anonymous online discussion boards, sorted for themes.

Category of Concern	Specific Welfare Issue
Health issues	Lack of routine health care (e.g., vaccinations, dental, parasite prevention) Large worm burdens Lack of understanding re: worming/blanket worming, leading to resistance Lack of easy access to medications Lack of easy access to health care Delay in veterinary/professional engagement Lack of biosecurity and disease surveillance Lack of health checks at some ports/entry points, potential introduction of diseases
Owner knowledge or behaviour	Neglect or sub-optimal care Lack of equine knowledge by owner (‘laziness’ to learn or refusal to change behaviour) Cultural influences e.g., ‘letting nature take its course’ Financial restrictions of owner for better livery arrangements/professional assistance Delayed euthanasia e.g., quality-of-life evaluation methods often not implemented Lack of a credible quality of life assessment mechanism Inappropriate re-homing, especially elderly; euthanasia would be more appropriate Lack of confidence in abattoir as an option for end of life Fundamental lack of owner understanding horse’s ethological needs Anthropomorphism Rugging outside horses 24 h/d for half the year—no control if too hot/cold/itchy ‘Well-meaning but ill-informed owners’ (management traditions) Inaccurate portrayal of stallions in our culture (feisty, difficult to handle) Lack of recognition of pain behaviour before it becomes overt (e.g., can be misinterpreted as ‘bolshy’/naughty) Culture of using horses in a utilitarian way Growing population of owners not knowing where to obtain information Owners receiving poor ‘trusted information’ from yard and online Horses used as a status symbol e.g., upper levels of sport may depend on poor welfare approaches Use of horses as status symbols within the traveller community
Nutrition and management practices	Obesity, e.g., due to lack of work, unrestricted grazing Inappropriate diet, in particular, low-fibre, high energy concentrates, restricted access to high-fibre forages Rise in the blanket use of supplements Undernourished (hunger) Lack of access to fresh, clean water (thirst) Feeding methods of stabled horsed contrary to their evolution (for low-energy forage) Turned out 24/7 on green grass (e.g., relative high energy, risk of obesity/laminitis) Poor field management, including ragwort, grazing too rich/poor, mud Unsuitable living environment e.g., unsafe fencing
Work and training/horse use	Overworking young horses Overweight riders or inappropriate for the horse/pony Horses being competed which are unfit with unfit riders Hirelings e.g., Scottish Common riding equines overused by novice/unbalanced riders Injury during use, e.g., from racing, eventing, endurance events Road racing horses (arguably not a traditional ‘traveller/gypsy’ activity) Being ridden—not poor riding or training, but riding per se Injury to hirelings (overweight riders, ill-fitting tack, overwork) Unfit and unsuitable horses hired out Inappropriate training methods e.g., punishment, negative reinforcement (bit or leg pressure not removed), unclear signals, pain, flooding Public unable to interpret/replicate some training methods e.g., natural horsemanship Inappropriate and restrictive tack, e.g., poorly fitted saddle, certain bits/nosebands
Horse behaviour	Fear and stress arising from use (work, sport, entertainment), e.g., shows, racing, polo Poor handling and training: confusion, conflict, frustration, distress, stress, fear and sometimes pain as a result of the interactions they have with people Lack of understanding of learning theory leading to poor training techniques Poor weaning methods Stabling 24/7—lack of natural behavioural expression due to restrictions Social isolation (no or limited contact with own species) Being kept in a herd that is constantly changing (unstable social groups) Being kept where an individual animal cannot escape from aggressive animals Being kept in group where dominant animals restrict access to resources Restrictions on normal behaviours to satisfy basic dietary needs Lack of environmental control/frustration—horse is motivated to act but cannot Management of stallions—often isolated, unable to perform normal social interactions Negative affective states e.g., atypical myopathy, fear, frustration, depression, anxiety Boredom, even with access to turnout—usually a square monoculture field
Service providers	Unqualified service providers, e.g., unqualified farrier, dentistry, castration not by vet Poor hoof care e.g., lack of care or trimming by owner (inappropriately) Lack of regulation of trainers Lack of animal establishment licensing No regulation of small rescue establishments (sometimes hoarding) Tendency (of industry) to tackle symptoms, not cause (e.g., livery layout, routines) The passport process: not fit for purpose Lack of licensing, inspection, or agreed standards of care in equine establishments (e.g., livery yards, dealers, sanctuaries and rescues)
Transport of horses	Long-distance transport Some domestic/local journeys are made in inappropriate vehicles (unsafe) Little regard for fitness (of horse) to travel
Stray or unwanted horses	Stray and abandoned horses (injuries to themselves and others) Lack of enforced, mandatory Microchips—leads to abandonments Fly grazing Tethering without provision of adequate shelter, attention, water, etc
Breeding and horse trading	Breeding decisions e.g., exaggerated conformation Breeding low-value horses with conformational/physiological compromising conditions Broodmares being bred indiscriminately—i.e., ‘given a job to do’ when retired Indiscriminate breeding and failing to castrate colts Selling horses online—ill-prepared potential owners buying unsuitable horses