Two new equine welfare courses, launched by the University of New England just over a year ago, have attracted critical acclaim from industry experts, peak bodies and students in Australia and abroad.
Developed in consultation with leading equine experts, the courses have been described as “cutting edge” with “outstanding delivery” and “strongly recommended” by industry professionals.
“The aim with the courses is to bring about improvements in the welfare of sport and recreation horses,” Cristina Wilkins, course creator, PhD student and Director of Horses and People, said.
The flagship course is based on the Five Domains Model for Welfare Assessment and Monitoring framework. Developed by UNE alumnus Professor Emeritus David Mellor, ONZM, the Five Domains Model supports holistic horse welfare assessment and monitoring. Through a focus on how nutrition and hydration, physical environment, health and fitness, and behavioural interactions influence the animal’s mental state, applying the Model has had a transformative impact on horse welfare across all sectors.
“The Five Domains Model has fundamentally reshaped our approach to horse management, emphasising not only the physical well-being of the animal but also the importance of mental and emotional states in promoting overall welfare," Cristina said.
“Not only has the Model been widely adopted and had a significant impact on animal welfare research, its systems thinking approach allows students to gain a comprehensive understanding and easily apply the principles to animals in their care.”
This UNE course is also internationally recognised as a provider of Continuing Education and Continuing Professional Development for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, animal behaviourists and accredited professionals in Australia, the United States, Canada, UK, Ireland and New Zealand.
Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and mentioned that the course “is complete, easy to follow, it has great design, and invaluable information.”
Another participant said “I have just completed this excellent course. I congratulate Cristina and all those involved in the mammoth effort of putting it together. The course is logically structured, presenting detailed, up to date and scientifically validated information in a clear and engaging manner. This course will be of enormous value to the equine community at large, be it individual horse owners, those running equine events or equine industry organisations. Most importantly of all, it will make a significant contribution to improving the welfare of horses worldwide.”
A third student from Canada commented “The Applying the Five Domains Model to the Welfare Assessment of Sport and Recreation Horses checklist is a valuable tool for assessing the welfare of all horses. As it walks you through each domain, it becomes apparent where things are going well and where there may be compromises. By addressing these compromises, our horse’s positive experiences can be improved, leading to beneficial changes in his/her affective state. As an Equitation Science Practitioner and Equine Behaviour Instructor, I will be recommending this tool to all those who work with or own horses.
The second course on offer is aimed at both seasoned equestrians and novice horse-owners, and is the first toolkit of its kind to be created that solves modern-day horse keeping problems using the concept that animal welfare and human well-being are connected, otherwise known as a one welfare approach. It’s a unique approach to designing and managing horse properties in ways that are good for the horses, people and the wider environment. It challenges traditional outdated methods, offering innovative solutions that are future-fit and build resilience.
Courses such as UNE’s equine welfare courses are increasingly important as society question the welfare of horses used for sport and recreation, and are being recognised as fundamental to the viability of all horse sports.
“As horse people, we all share a passion for these magnificent creatures, but it's important to acknowledge that horses also hold a special regard in the minds of people who are outside of the sector,” Cristina said.
“The public’s interest in how we treat horses can sometimes seem intrusive, but we should not be surprised by their interest.”
“Ultimately, the public is asking us to consider the horse’s perspective and accordingly, they expect more than an assurance that horses are not suffering. They want proof that the horses are living a good life.”
The Equiculture Sustainable Horsekeeping course, and the Applying the Five Domains Model to the Welfare Assessment of Sport and Recreation Horses course are self-paced and available 24/7 online through OpenLearning. They have no prerequisites.
Read more here: https://une.shorthandstories.com/transforming-horse-welfare/index.html
