A pragmatists guide to the 5 domains

The current scientific definition of welfare is the state of the horse’s body and mind and the extent to which they can satisfy their nature.

As a pragmatist, I personally prefer to use the term wellbeing. Why? Because for those of us who are not scientists, good welfare is often synonymous with good care. When we talk about caring for an animal the emphasis is on what we humans do for our animal. Whereas for me, using the term good wellbeing means taking the horse’s perspective into account. Working out how they feel about the conditions they find themselves in and making it possible for them to resolve any negative experiences for themselves rather than us doing it for them.

In the past, good welfare focused on avoiding or minimising suffering and negative states such as disease, hunger, thirst, pain, fear and distress (the five freedoms). Our responsibility as ‘carers’ was to minimise negative experiences rather than focusing on providing positive ones. As good ‘carers’ we horse owners made sure our horses had clean, fresh water, access to food, we kept them in individual paddocks to reduce the risk of injury and we put on rugs to keep our horses dry and warm or protect them from flies. Today, we might describe this as achieving a neutral welfare state.

Good horse welfare is no longer considered to be the same as good horse care. Now our goal is to think about how the horse is experiencing the world from their perspective. This is domain 5 - mental state - and it relates to the ability of the horse to make their own decisions and choices in order to avoid negative experiences and to seek out positive ones.

How do we give horses the ability to resolve any negative experiences for themselves? We can start by asking some simple questions.

Do they have somewhere they can move to (without our intervention) that allows them to get away from the flies. Can they find somewhere to cool themselves down when needed and shelter to get out of wet / windy weather? Are they able to move away to avoid unpleasant lighting, noises and odours? Can they satisfy their thirst fully without the need for us to refill water containers? Can they explore a variety of tastes and textures of things to eat? Are they able to move and eat for most of the day? If they are hungry (a negative experience) can they resolve that for themselves or do they need to wait until we arrive at the yard? Can they choose who to eat, drink, rest and socialise with? Do they have enough room to move around easily and spontaneously as well as the space to avoid conflicts?

When given the opportunity, horses prefer to spend their time grazing and living in a group. A horse’s sense of security and safety comes from not only seeing other horses but synchronising their activities with other horses – eating, drinking, resting, moving. A horse’s body is adapted to digest the foods they have evolved to eat and to eat and move. Foraging with other horses and keeping their gut full of fibre is what they are designed to do.

From a pragmatic viewpoint is there an opportunity for us to enable our horses to see others while they are eating and drinking? How can the set-up be adjusted to allow horses to choose who they eat with or next to? Can we offer a variety of grazing / foraging alternatives (hay, grass, haylage, straw, hedgerows, trees, branches) in a way that encourages natural grazing posture and movement and at a variety of heights? Does the turnout space available allow for free movement in all paces as well as provide separate eating, loafing, / sleeping and toileting areas? If our horses are stabled for part of the time what small changes can we make to ensure being in a stable is a positive experience rather than a negative one.

When thinking about what constitutes a positive experience we have to consider what matters to the horse, what is in their best interests, what is hard wired into their being.  But we also have to acknowledge the limitations within which we are keeping our horses. Most of us will be on a livery yard or renting a space where there is little opportunity to make big changes. So we must take a pragmatic approach. And to this end I like to think of the principle of marginal gains. What little changes can we make across the domains which enable our horses to move from a neutral experience to a positive one? We must ask ourselves, on balance does my horse have more positive experiences than negative ones based on what they need as horses not what I provide as their owner / carer?

If the horse is unable to resolve negative experiences and they have few positive experiences, we can say they are in a negative mental state.

If the horse can resolve negative experiences but has few positive experiences we can say their state is neutral.

If the horse can resolve negative experiences and they are benefitting from a wide range of positive experiences (across the other 4 domains) then we can say they are in a positive state.

What evidence can we look for that tell us that our horses are, on balance, experiencing a positive metal state?

• Do they explore and take advantage of rolling spots, sleeping / loafing areas. scratching posts, foraging options, interactions with other horses, salt / mineral licks, enrichment opportunities and the space available to them?

• Are they curious and engaged in what is going on around them?

• Do they have a best friend or preferred buddy that they spend time sharing space with including mutual grooming, loafing and eating?

• Are they calm and curious around unfamiliar horses, animals and people?

• Are they interested and responsive to what is being asked of them?

Horses are hugely adaptable and accommodating of what we ask of them and let's face it most of what we ask in our riding, training and competing is not aligned with their nature or how they would choose to spend their time. By investing time and effort in their wellbeing in the other 23 hours we provide the sense of security and safety that allows them to work with us quietly, calmly and collaboratively to do the things we want to do. For me, that speaks of a true partnership.