Equine Welfare in Clinical Practice - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 032399508X ISBN 13: 9780323995085

Publisher: Academic Press, 2024

Synopsis

Equine veterinarians frequently encounter behavior and welfare problems, but they generally focus only on the physical issues affecting their patients because they lack the training to address psychological, behavioral, or other welfare issues. This book is meant to remedy that lack. As the primary source of medical information for horse owners, veterinarians need to address the unmet need for medical professionals to deal with equine mental health problems through treatment or referral. Science tells us that mental health determines an animal’s welfare status. The public considers veterinarians to be animal welfare experts, so clinicians need to become familiar with animal welfare science. Knowledge of equine behavior science is important in assessing welfare, and even more importantly, the appropriate handling of horses requires behavioral expertise. Clients prefer veterinarians who handle patients with gentleness, and using persuasion instead of force improves equine welfare, handler safety, and practitioner effectiveness. Veterinarians who understand and can educate their clients in equine welfare and in safe and appropriate care and handling techniques will increase their business success and improve the lives of their clients and patients.

The book’s topics are addressed by internationally recognized experts and are most important for those whose formal veterinary education neglected to cover animal psychology, behavior modifi cation, and animal welfare, but they also provide current information and useful practical tips for those already familiar with equine behavior/welfare science. Topics include practical welfare assessment; how horses learn (both good and bad habits); safe, appropriate, and fear-free training and handling techniques for both adult horses and foals; how equine behavior is affected by diet (and the microbiome), by the differences between horse and human senses and cognition, and by enrichment; differentiating medical from behavioral problems; and preventing and treating behavioral problems (including stereotypies). It describes the Equine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (E-BARQ), a tool that can assist veterinarians to introduce behavior into their practices in a simple and basic manner, and it offers guidance on resolving ethical dilemmas while advancing equine welfare. The final chapter offers resources for further study and access to specialists for consultation or referral. Ultimately, the book will serve its purpose if it helps improve the lives of horses, their owners, and their veterinarians.

• Emphasizes the clinical applications of the sciences of equine behavior and welfare
• Offers expert recommendations to improve the lives of horses, their owners, and the veterinarians who care for them
• Provides resources for further study and access to specialists for consultation or referral

About this title

About the Author

Virginia Wensley Koch works in the Morris Animal Foundation in Loveland, CO, USA.

From the Back Cover

Equine Welfare in Clinical Practice reviews the current psychological, behavioral, and welfare knowledge equine veterinarians should have and discusses how such knowledge may be incorporated into clinical practices. It covers such topics as practical welfare assessment, fear-free practices, how horses learn (both good and bad habits), how to differentiate medical from behavioral problems, and how diet affects behavior, including the new field of gut microbiome effects on behavior. Written by international experts, the book explores the physical, psychological, and behavioral factors contributing to equine welfare, while also discussing current knowledge about topics such as equine senses, cognition, and stereotypies, as well as enrichment and appropriate and inappropriate training methods for both adult horses and foals. It also includes a discussion on ethical decision-making and a chapter on additional helpful resources.

This is an important resource for clinical veterinarians who want to incorporate knowledge of equine behavior and welfare into their practices. Veterinarians who understand and can educate their clients in equine welfare and safe and appropriate care and handling techniques will increase their business success, improve the lives of their clients and patients, and strengthen the human-animal bond. The book provides updated information and useful practical tips for all horse handlers, so even those who are already familiar with equine psychology, behavior, and welfare can benefit.

Edition details

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 032399508X
• ISBN 13: 9780323995085
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 290
• Editor: Koch