Equine welfare charity, World Horse Welfare (WHW), has developed a tool which enables yard managers and horse owners to assess the welfare of horses in their care.

The Horses’ Experiences on Yards (HEY) tool is an online document which is based on the Five Domains Model (nutrition, environment, health, behavioural interactions and mental state), key areas that influence horses’ ability to not just survive but thrive in their environment.    

The HEY tool asks yard managers and horse owners to record what percentage of the time each of the 15 individual needs of the horses in their care are being met. It then encourages them to come up with both short and long-term actions for any needs where there is an opportunity to provide a more positive experience. 

The tool was developed by WHW in conjunction with animal welfare scientist and consultant Dr Jill Fernandes, of Animal Centric, and equine welfare scientist Cristina Wilkins. 

Rethinking assumptions

“Having used Animal Centric’s expertly facilitated Welfare Assessment of Horses on Yards (WAHY) process to gauge the experiences of the horses at our own rescue and rehoming centres, we know how valuable it is to sit down as a team and objectively assess your horses’ wellbeing in their current environment,” said vet Malcolm Morley, World Horse Welfare’s Director of UK.

“It prompted everyone involved to step back, reflect on what we do day-to-day and, in some cases, rethink our assumptions. 

“That shared reflection has helped us to identify what’s already working well and where we can make some adjustments to improve our horses’ mental and physical experiences.

“We saw an opportunity to take this concept and develop a tool that was accessible at a yard level with a view to encouraging those involved in the day-to-day care of horses to consider what changes they might be able to make to improve their horses’ welfare.”

“We hope it gets people talking and sharing their thoughts, with the horses at the centre of the discussion. Everyone’s opinion matters in this process – this really should be a team effort!”

Aimed at yard owners

While the HEY tool, which is free to use, is suitable for all owners with multiple horses, it has been primarily designed to consider welfare at the overall yard level so it’s most suitable for yard managers/owners to work through with their teams. 

“The process of developing the HEY with World Horse Welfare and Cristina Wilkins has been so thought provoking, and what I like most about the HEY is that it continuously brings us back to the horse’s perspective. We are challenged to keep asking ourselves, ‘What actually matters to the horse?’” said Dr Jill Fernandes. 

Christina Wilkins added: “Even the most experienced teams can become accustomed to the way things have always been done.

“Bringing in a structured process – especially one supported by external expertise, such as that offered by Animal Centric – can reveal opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

“It’s heartening to see World Horse Welfare taking this initiative a step further and developing a tool that enables other yards to begin this process themselves, making reflective, horse-centred welfare assessment more accessible across the sector.” 

World Horse Welfare has produced some accessible videos explaining how to use the HEY tool, which can be found, along with the HEY itself, here. 

Image © World Horse Welfare.

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