Document type Podcast from the IFCE (42 min 22)
Authors: Alice Ruet, Christine Briant
Preview: Concerns over animal welfare are on the increase in our society. We need to question our activities that involve animals, such as horse riding. Here, there is a fundamental question to be asked concerning the extent to which a horse's state of welfare in its living environment is likely to influence its perception of riding.
What is the definition of welfare? How do we assess how each animal perceives and feels about its living and working environments? Is there a link between welfare and performance? But then what do we mean by "performance"?
All these questions and many more are addressed by two researchers: Alice Ruet, a project and welfare-development engineer at IFCE, and Christine Briant, who is both a project and welfare-development engineer at IFCE and a member of a research team at INRAE Centre-Val de Loire, who base their answers on the results of scientific studies. Alice and Christine also give viewers practical advice, points to watch out for, practical examples, tools, and materials to enable them to plan further and adapt their practices.
Key features chosen by our experts:
- 11'34 : The horse welfare protocol
- 16'07 : Study on the relationship between a horse's poor welfare in its stall and horse riding
- 37'38 : Webinar on saddle-fitting: the basics from Annette Rancurel
- 37'52 : Webinar: Tightening the noseband, an unnatural habit, by Patrick Galloux and Dr Isabelle Burgaud
