Journal article
An epidemiological analysis of equine welfare data from regulatory inspections by the official competent authorities
PL Hitchens, J Hultgren, J Frossling, U Emanuelson, LJ Keeling
ANIMAL | CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS | Published : 2017
Abstract
Determining welfare status in a population is the first step in efforts to improve welfare. The primary objective of this study was to explore a new epidemiological approach for analysis of data from official competent authorities that pertain to compliance with animal welfare legislation. We reviewed data already routinely collected as part of Swedish official animal welfare inspections for 2010-13, using a checklist containing 45 checkpoints (CPs). These covered animal-, resource- and management-based measures of equine welfare. The animal-based CPs were measures that directly related to the animal and included social contact, body condition, hoof condition and cleanliness. Non-compliance ..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Formas, the Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning for financial support, and the Swedish Board of Agriculture and County Administrative Boards for providing official animal welfare control data. The project is part of the Centre of Excellence in Animal Welfare Science, a Swedish collaborative research platform.