Animal welfare concerns, as described in the Overview of Animal Welfare, affect all species of animals. The following practices and procedures raise welfare concerns specifically for horses.
Euthanasia, Slaughter, Transport, and the Welfare of Horses
Horses can become unwanted by their owners for several reasons: an owner might be unable to provide appropriate care, a horse might not meet expectations for racing or show, or a horse might develop a problem behavior, such as aggression. If no appropriate new owner or rescue organization can take the horse, options include humane euthanasia (which is expensive, when considering after-death care of the body) or slaughter. Currently, there are no federally inspected slaughterhouses for horses in the US; therefore, horses are often shipped to other countries for slaughter, which requires substantially longer transport and creates additional stress for the horse.
Soring, Gait Manipulation, and the Welfare of Horses
Soring refers to any procedure that causes pain for the purpose of producing an exaggerated gait in a horse. Such procedures include the use of chemical irritants, burns, or lacerations on the distal aspect of a limb, or something that causes pain to the hoof. Soring is most often associated with Tennessee Walking Horses. Often, results are amplified by placement of chains or other “action devices” and improper shoeing. By causing pain, these procedures cause the horse to lift its feet higher, resulting in a higher-valued gait (also called the "big lick" gait). Showing of sored horses is prohibited in the US by the Horse Protection Act, which is enforced by the USDA.
Tail Modifications and the Welfare of Horses
Tail modifications in horses include the following:
docking (amputation of the distal part of the tail)
nicking (cutting tail tendons to cause an elevated tail carriage)
blocking (deadening tail nerves with alcohol injection to cause a limp tail carriage)
Historically, docking was done for the safety of humans while driving horses; however, now it is only done for appearance (1). Nicking and blocking are only done for appearance. In general, these types of tail modifications are considered inhumane because they are painful, medically unnecessary cosmetic procedures that can have life-threatening complications.
For More Information
Guidelines for the humane slaughter of animals. American Veterinary Medical Association.
Guidelines for the euthanasia of animals. American Veterinary Medical Association.
Animal Care. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
Also see pet owner content regarding welfare of pets and euthanasia and pet loss.
References
Lefebvre D, Lips D., Ödberg FO, Giffroy JM. Tail docking in horses: a review of the issues. Animal. 2007;1(8):1167-1178. doi:10.1017/S1751731107000420
