Health & Wellness – Horse Welfare Guidelines

From the March 2015 issue of The Stable Magazine – www.thestablemagazine.com/march2015

The basic requirements for good horse care fall under nineteen categories as follows: 

• Supervision

• Water

• Food

• Exercise

• Housing, shelter structures and yards

• Fencing and gates

• Agistment

• Tethering and hobbling

• Rugging

• Health

• Foot care

• Dental care

• Treatment and surgical procedures

• Identification

• Breeding

• Training

• Transport

• Euthanasia or slaughter

Guidelines are available both from the DEPI and the Australian Horse Industry Council, and while some, you might find basic, there are a few little discussed topics and facts pertaining to the care of horses that you might not be aware of.

These guidelines define the minimum standards of care for keeping a horse in Australia, regardless of the husbandry system employed, and regardless of the use for the horse; be it work, pleasure or for the purposes of slaughter for meat products. Regardless of the horse’s age, use, workload, breed, or any other factor, these guidelines are in place to ensure horses around the country are kept to an acceptable standard.

Legally, horse owners and people who care for horses must abide by the standards set out. They have a legal responsibility to ensure these guidelines are met. Horse owners must also possess the knowledge to ensure minimum care standards are met, which includes the ability to recognise signs of disease, ill health and malnutrition.

Say no to bullies!

Did you know that Horse Welfare Guidelines covers bullying issues for horses?

Minimum Standards S2.1

“The design of facilities, the stocking density and the composition of groups of horses must allow each horse to have an area of its own, sufficient for subordinate horses to have an opportunity to escape from bullying by dominant animals in the group.”

Behavioural needs:

Not only does your horse require the basics that first spring to mind (water, adequate and appropriate feed, shelter and veterinary care - but providing care doesn’t stop there. If you have a horse who exhibits behavioural vices, including wind-sucking, weaving, crib biting, pawing, kicking or pacing to name a few - that you are required to address these issues?

The Guidelines also stipulate that companionship is obviously, an important requirement for the wellbeing of your horse. Consideration should be given prior to acquiring a second horse to ensure you have the time, facilities and finances to care for it properly.

Supervision is also listed as a requirement. Horses should be inspected on a daily basis to ensure their welfare. The supervisor must also be able to recognise signs of ill health and injury, and must have access to a veterinarian should the need arise for a vet visit.

Your Horse’s Home:

You have a responsibility to provide your horse adequate housing. The basic standards for housing includes:

• WATER–

Horses must have access to an adequate supply of good quality water at all times, supplied in a container that can not cause injury to the horses. Buckets should be checked at least every 12 hours, and water containers should not be able to be knocked over or spilled.

“The basic maintenance requirement of water for horses is estimated to be approximately 52 ml/kg bodyweight/day:

Ponies (200-300 kg body weight) require 10-15 litres daily

Light hacks (300-450 kg body weight) require 15-25 litres daily

Thoroughbreds (450-500 kg) require 25-30 litres daily.

Horses in work have a higher requirement than the figures above.

• FEED–

Horses require adequate amounts of appropriate feed to survive and thrive. Horses cannot be left without food for more than 24 hours, and must be provided with enough feed to meet their requirements for optimal health and vitality.

In the minimum standards under the category of feeding, the Code of Practice clearly states:

“S5.3 A horse’s body condition must not be allowed to become less than body condition score 2.”

And later under guidelines:

“If a horse fails to thrive, the quality, quantity and availability of feed, and the health of the horse (including the state of his teeth, the extent of parasitism and the horse’s age) should be evaluated.”

Changes to the diet should always be made gradually, and your horse should be fed an appropriate ration to ensure his energy requirements are met, in addition to feeding him good quality roughage in the form of available grazing or through supplementary feeding of hay.

• EXERCISE–

Exercise is recognised as an important part of horse management, with the minimum standard requiring all stabled or yarded horses daily exercise, unless the exercise is detrimental to the health of the horse.

Minimum standards S6.2 states;

“Horses must not be overworked, overridden or overdriven. The workload imposed must not exceed the horse’s ability for its age, size, strength, and fitness.”

Guidelines also stipulate that a rider must be a suitable height and weight for the horse to carry, and exercise regeimes should be increased gradually with the fitness level of the horse.

• PADDOCKS, HOUSING & SHELTER-

All horses require adequate room to move, and horses should not be confined to small overcrowded spaces. There are minimum requirements for the size of stables and loose boxes, being a minimum of 9 square feet for ponies, and 12 square feet for horses.

• Horses should be housed in appropriate paddocks, with safe fencing, that are free of noxious and poisonous plants and weeds, and some form of shelter from the elements should be provided.

• Gateways must be designed to allow easy access for horses, and should be a minimum of 1.2m wide.

Barbed wire fencing and high tensile wire must not be used for fencing in small yards due to the risk of injury to horses.

• Your horse should be kept in an area free from rubbish and debris, and all fencing should be kept maintained to a safe standard.

• Rugs on horses should be weather appropriate, and rugs condition should be regularly checked to ensure they are well fitting, and that the horse is not at risk from suffering from heat stress.

• Rugs should be removed weekly for a thorough inspection of the horse to check for rubbing, injury, and to evaluate the horse’s body condition. Any rug that may cause injury should not be placed on a horse.

• HEALTH CARE-

The minimum standards for horse health are as follows:

S12.1 Horses that are sick, suffering, injured or diseased must be provided with prompt veterinary or other appropriate treatment.

S12.2 Sick or injured horses that can not be provided with veterinary or other appropriate treatment, supervision and continuing aftercare, must be euthanased.

S12.3 Horses losing body condition that do not respond to special feeding must be examined by a registered veterinary practitioner.

• Routine health care is extremely important. Horses should have their hooves seen and trimmed by a farrier every 4-6 weeks. Worming should be carried out every 6-8 weeks, and wormers should be rotated to ensure worm resistance does not develop.

• It is recommended that all horses be vaccinated for tetanus, and a quarantine system should be implemented on every livestock property to ensure any new animals are disease free before being introduced to any existing herd.

“G12.7 Aged and geriatric horses should be assessed by a registered veterinary practitioner or person experienced in the care of horses for general health, and be given a full dental examination and treatment, every 12 months.”

• EUTHANASIA-

The minimum standards for horse health are as follows:

“S20.1 Euthanasia or slaughter must be performed humanely. The person responsible for the animal must ensure that the method results in immediate death or immediate loss of consciousness followed by death while unconscious.”

While this is just a brief summary of some of the basic guidelines available, the Code of Practice for the Welfare Of Horses contains many other topics and more in-depth information on a variety of topics. It is highly recommended reading for every horse owner or horse enthusiast, and includes a welath of information as well as a handy Body Condition Score chart, feeding guidelines and more.

The Code of Practice for the Welfare of Horses contains both guidelines and minimum standards, and is also full of horse care information, making it a fantastic resource to owners and enthusiasts alike. Download a copy of the code at : http://www.australiananimalwelfare.com.au/app/webroot/files/upload/files/AUST_HORSE_WELFARE_PROTOCOL_FINAL_2_2011_2.pdf

Or read it online at http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/agriculture-and-food/animal-health-and-welfare/animal-welfare/animal-welfare-legislation/victorian-codes-of-practice-for-animal-welfare/code-of-practice-for-the-welfare-of-horses-revision-1

Happy reading, and happy horse ownership!

Thank you to The Stable Magazine for this article, which was originally published in their March 2015 issue. Check out The Stable Magazine online now for FREE. Read this article and many more at www.thestablemagazine.com