Animal category: Equines

DG SANTE audit report carried out in France in early 2021, revealing that the effectiveness of official controls in French abattoirs has been significantly improved, as the result of the strengthening of operators' self-monitoring and inspectors' training in particular, but identifying 3 previous recommendations not yet taken into account, and adding two new ones.

Press release presenting the results of the European Parliament's Committee of Inquiry into the protection of animals during transport. The committee recognised that EU rules on the protection of animals during transport are not always respected and that the welfare needs of animals during transport are not always met. It recommends limiting and better monitoring the export of live animals, developing meat-and-carcass transport and banning the transport of very young animals.

Report describing genome editing techniques, and critically analysing their potential use for livestock. It makes recommendations, in particular the need for a full scientific review of the literature before changing the UK regulations in this area and for a dialogue between scientists and the public on these issues.

Scientific article providing the views of equestrian sportsmen and women and of animal welfare researchers on the current welfare violations in equestrian sport. Respondents emphasised the conflict between the demands of competition and the psychological needs of horses, and were of the view that efforts to improve welfare should focus on training. They considered existing welfare assessment tools to be ill-suited to the real-life conditions of training and competition.

Scientific paper measuring time budgets for decubitus, locomotion and standing times in old and young, healthy or lame horses using automated wearable body sensors. It shows a link between low decubitus times and REM sleep deficit, but no link between decubitus times and age or lameness.

Scientific review of how living environments affect stallions at stud, including social isolation in loose boxes or of agonistic behaviour in an outdoor herd setting, describing management methods to limit these risks to animal welfare.

Response to a question on the possible welfare implications of animals being transported live to Israel, and more widely, to countries in conflict or at war.

Scientific paper showing that changes in Swedish animal welfare regulations between 1988 and 2019 have increased the level of animal welfare protection for cattle, pigs and horses, but that a number of individual requirements have been relaxed to meet objectives other than animal welfare.

Good practice guide specifying protocols for euthanasia of horses for use by veterinarians

Scientific review summarising the areas covered by the scientific literature on donkey behaviour and cognition, and detailing the behavioural tests used for donkeys.