Equine veterinarians frequently encounter behavior and welfare problems, but they generally focus only on the physical issues affecting their patients because they lack the training to address psychological, behavioral, or other welfare issues. This book is meant to remedy that lack. As the primary source of medical information for horse owners, veterinarians need to address the unmet need for medical professionals to deal with equine mental health problems through treatment or referral. Science tells us that mental health determines an animal’s welfare status. The public considers veterinarians to be animal welfare experts, so clinicians need to become familiar with animal welfare science. Knowledge of equine behavior science is important in assessing welfare, and even more importantly, the appropriate handling of horses requires behavioral expertise. Clients prefer veterinarians who handle patients with gentleness, and using persuasion instead of force improves equine welfare, handler safety, and practitioner effectiveness. Veterinarians who understand and can educate their clients in equine welfare and in safe and appropriate care and handling techniques will increase their business success and improve the lives of their clients and patients.
The book’s topics are addressed by internationally recognized experts and are most important for those whose formal veterinary education neglected to cover animal psychology, behavior modifi cation, and animal welfare, but they also provide current information and useful practical tips for those already familiar with equine behavior/welfare science. Topics include practical welfare assessment; how horses learn (both good and bad habits); safe, appropriate, and fear-free training and handling techniques for both adult horses and foals; how equine behavior is affected by diet (and the microbiome), by the differences between horse and human senses and cognition, and by enrichment; differentiating medical from behavioral problems; and preventing and treating behavioral problems (including stereotypies). It describes the Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ), a tool that can assist veterinarians to introduce behavior into their practices in a simple and basic manner, and it offers guidance on resolving ethical dilemmas while advancing equine welfare. The final chapter offers resources for further study and access to specialists for consultation or referral. Ultimately, the book will serve its purpose if it helps improve the lives of horses, their owners, and their veterinarians.
Foreward Natalie Waran Acknowledgements V. Wensley Koch Introduction V. Wensley Koch 1. Assessing Equine Welfare: Operationalizing the Five Domains Model for Veterinary Practitioners Katherine Littlewood, Ngaio J. Beausoleil and David Mellor 2. Principles of Learning for Equine Clinicians Robin L. Foster 3. Minimizing Fear Associated with Veterinary Procedures Stacie Boswell 4. Raising Well-trained and Sustainable Foals Hayley Randle 5. Training and Behavior Modification for Veterinarians: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Orla Doherty 6. Diet and Behavior, Including the Effects of the Gut Microbiome Katherine Albro Houpt 7. How Horses Perceive Their World - What Can Practitioners Share with Their Clients to Enhance Safety & Welfare? Camie Heleski and Maria Vilain Rørvang 8. Between the Horse's Ears: Equine Cognition, Implications for Welfare, and Why It Matters for Equine Practioners Antonia Joy Zamoyska Henderson 9. Environmental Enrichment Andrea Dorothea Ellis and Carol Hall 10. Distinguishing Physical vs Psychological Causes of Behavior and Performance Problems Sue McDonnell 11. Prevention and Treatment of Horse Behavior Problems and ‘Vices’, Including Stereotypic Behavior Daniel Simon Mills, Claire Ricci-Bonot and Milly Jones 12. The Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ): How Citizen Science Can Enhance Veterinary Practice Kate Fenner 13. Veterinary Ethics and Equine Welfare: Principalism, a Five Cs Approach, and Ethical Decision Making in Support of the Duties to Care and Guide Raymond Anthony 14. Finding Help Orla Doherty, V. Wensley Koch and Sue McDonnell
Virginia Wensley Koch works in the Morris Animal Foundation in Loveland, CO, USA.
Reviews for Equine Welfare in Clinical Practice
""...useful for anyone interested in the scientific aspects of equine behavioral management. A unique feature is the design of each chapter as a stand-alone document including an abstract. The purpose of this book… is to provide a basic education in the fields of behavior and welfare to general practice equine veterinarians. It seeks to do this by providing chapters that cover everything from low-stress handling in clinical settings and effective use of learning theory to equine welfare assessment tools, environmental enrichment, and behavior modification approaches. The best chapters in the book deal with daily real-world problems encountered by practitioners, such as the effect of diet on behavior, minimizing fear during veterinary procedures, and environmental enrichment techniques… an excellent book and a welcome addition to veterinary literature.... The reference lists are complete and provide tremendous literature reviews for each chapter. There are no other comparable books in the field of behavior and equine practice."" ©Doody's Review Service, 2025, Jonathan Hale Foreman, DVM, MS, DACVIM (University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine)
