Welfare fears as survey reveals equine cost rises

Equine owners have been urged to avoid making “false economies” amid growing fears about whether many can afford to care for their animals.

A newly published survey by the National Equine Welfare Council (NEWC) found one in 20 (5%) of respondents were considering having their horse euthanised within the next 12 months because of rising costs.

A further 2% said they were thinking of surrendering their horse to an equine charity, while 80% of participants reported seeing an increase in veterinary fees.

Delay

Although most owners said they were not planning to change their horses’ veterinary programme, the report warned of a “growing tendency” to reduce routine care and delay the investigation and treatment of emerging health issues.

One participant said they “can’t afford to call vets out-of-hours anymore”, while another reported they were not as quick to seek veterinary help when they felt they could deal with the issue themselves.

NEWC vice-chairperson Ruth Court said the survey showed owners were “still feeling the pinch”, but warned of a welfare risk from not seeking treatment and pleaded for struggling owners to seek assistance from its member organisations.

‘False economies’

She added: “We urge owners who may find themselves in this position to be wary of false economies, and that delaying routine health interventions will put their horses at greater risk.”

More than 6,000 owners took part in the 2024 survey, which was coordinated by World Horse Welfare and published on 17 June.

Overall, 81% of respondents were concerned about the continuing pressure of increased costs, while 68% feared it would be harder to care for themselves, their horses or both over the coming year.

Although only 0.7% felt they were not able to meet their horse’s basic needs, nearly two in five (38%) reported making additional sacrifices to do so, while 20% had taken on another job or increased their working hours.

One respondent even said they had to go without food to feed their horse every month, while not taking holidays or socialising, selling items and not using heating were among other sacrifices the report highlighted.

Inflation

The survey was open for a period of several weeks during January and February, at a point when inflation was significantly higher than the 2% recorded in the latest published data for May.

But a separate report examining the experiences of welfare charities and equine rescue centres said: “Anecdotal evidence from some of the larger NEWC member charities indicates that the trend towards a rise in welfare concerns is continuing, and in some cases even accelerating, since the survey closed.”

Some favourable welfare outcomes, such as horses being turned out for longer than previously and the use of testing-led worm control methods, were identified through the survey.

‘Clear risk’

But it also warned there was a “clear risk of further situations” where equine welfare fell below acceptable levels if the difficult economic climate continues into next winter.

World Horse Welfare education officer Rebecca Boulert said the survey showed the challenges identified in the council’s 2023 survey were “just not going away”.

She added: “For us as welfare organisations, it makes for very concerning reading, and, of course, as charities we are also facing increased costs and reducing donations. It’s a worrying picture.”