Results of the 2010 horse owner survey
The results of the 2010 British Horse Survey are in. Undertaken by the World Horse Welfare, more than 14,000 people took part, with 75% of that number describing themselves as horse owners. The purpose of the survey was carried out to provide a picture on the current equine community in the UK, as well as the consensus on topics such as horse welfare in sports, equine disease and the costs of keeping a horse.
The results show that the equine community is clearly feeling the pinch as more than 80% said that costs were their first or second most concern when dealing with owning horses. Almost half said that access to safe riding was their first priority. In comparison, only one in four rated the risk of infectious disease as a high priority, despite the first emergence last year of Equine Infectious Anaemia in the UK for three decades.
Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare Roly Owers said: “Everyone involved with horses in Britain should remain vigilant against the threat of infectious disease. While there are many ways to reduce the costs of caring for horses without compromising welfare, cutting back on vaccinations is not one of them.”
When asked how the public perceived the welfare of horses in sports, there was a mixed opinion. Out of the equine sports, eventing was chosen as the most regulated in terms of horse treatment at 84%, with dressage at 80%, show jumping at 77% and endurance at 74%, whilst horses involved in flat and jump racing were thought to be poorly regulated, and almost one in five horse owners believed the same applied for horses involved in polo and hunting.
Roly Owers said: “World Horse Welfare supports the ethical use of horses in sport which is a source of great enjoyment for people and horses alike. As the welfare arm of the Federation Equestrian Internationale (FEI) and a welfare adviser to the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), we know that for the most part horses in all sports are treated well.
“However, this research shows that there is clearly a public perception that some sports treat horses better than others. That is why it is more important than ever that equestrian sport organisations and the athletes themselves must be vigilant about horse welfare – in their rules, their attitudes and their actions. When someone breaks the rules, they should have the book thrown at them – and thrown at them hard.
69% of horse owners believe that the increase in horse riders over the last years is a good thing, and 49% of those believe there has been a corresponding increase in the level of equine knowledge as well. For the question ‘What would improve horse welfare the most’, the results showed that over 56% of respondents felt that education was the key. A third of people believed that proper enforcement of legislation was needed and almost a fifth thought a reduction in overbreeding would help improve horse welfare the most.
