Welfare of Equids: Guidance

Part 1: Core principles and legal duties

Introduction

Purpose of the guidance

This guidance applies in Scotland only. It is issued by the Scottish Ministers under section 38 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 with a view to securing the welfare of equids. It was developed through collaboration across the Scottish equine sector, led by the Scottish Government and the National Equine Welfare Council. This guidance is intended to help all those who care for equids to ensure that their fundamental health and welfare needs are met. The welfare of equids – including horses, donkeys and their hybrids – is a fundamental responsibility of all those who own, manage, or care for them.

An animal’s quality of life can be classified as a life not worth living, a life worth living, and a good life. This guidance is intended to help those responsible for equids to provide them with, as a minimum, a life worth living, as well as encouraging owners and keepers to take measures that will truly provide their horse, pony or donkey with a good life.

This guidance is aimed at those who own, manage or care for any horses, ponies, donkeys and their hybrids. Throughout this document the term equid will refer to any horse, pony, donkey or hybrid. Where there is a specific point relating to a horse, donkey or a hybrid, this will be clearly explained.

Who it applies to

This guidance is designed to support all those who keep or care for equids, for any purpose including sport, showing, leisure or environmental conservation. This guidance will support the keeping of all equids, and will provide all those responsible including owners, keepers and professionals, with direction in maintaining high standards of equid care, aligning with scientific best practices, ethical considerations and legal obligations. By adopting these principles, we can ensure that all equids experience a life worth living, with positive welfare outcomes at every stage of their lives.

Evolutionary needs

Equids today have similar biological and behavioural needs to those that evolved on the plains, mountains and deserts over four million years ago. Traditional management practices where animals are prevented from forming social bonds and even from having social contact with other equids, provided feed and forage at set mealtimes or given free access to relatively high energy forage and/or pasture, and prevented from moving freely, have a significant negative impact on their welfare. While managing our equids we always need to keep in mind this evolutionary hardwiring and strive to provide them with companionship, forage and freedom to support a life worth living with the aim to provide a truly good life.

Horses

The horse evolved in a plains or steppe-like environment with wide open spaces and a landscape of mixed, fibrous vegetation of low nutritional value. They roamed large distances, grazing and browsing almost continuously while also seeking water, minerals, rolling opportunities and shelter when needed, as well as resting and sleeping. To stay safe and find food, horses formed groups based on strong social bonds. These bonds were further strengthened by specific affiliative behaviours such as mutual grooming, close resting, and coordinated movement. Maintaining proximity to familiar companions offered safety, encouraged learning, and reduced stress. Such social structures remain central to horses’ wellbeing today, with isolation or unstable groupings often leading to compromised welfare.

Donkeys

Donkeys evolved browsing and grazing in even more sparse desert-like environments. They lived individually, in pairs or in small groups with group size determined by the amount of food and water available. They tended to stay within the vicinity of an important resource, such as a watering hole. Where resources allow, donkeys form strong social bonds with other donkeys, including in domestic situations.

Mules and hinnies

A cross between a horse and donkey with unique physiological and behavioural characteristics that they inherit from both parents. As with both horses and donkeys, the social needs of hybrids must be prioritised with hybrids generally preferring the company of other hybrids or their maternal species.