Work

Human-Horse Relationships, Horse Welfare, and Abuse in Mexico: A Social Representation Approach

Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Drawing on social representation theory, this study explored horse handlers’ understandings of “good” treatment, abuse, and human-horse relationships in tourism, leisure, and sport events in Mexico to examine the ways in which attitudes toward horse welfare are shaped by both national and cultural discourses and wider norms of the global equestrian community. Based on in-depth interviews, the study revealed that national and subcultural norms of the equestrian social world shape people’s attitudes to what is deemed “good treatment” and what is “abuse.” It suggests the need to understand better how cultural factors shape different people’s attitudes to those standards and look for ways to safeguard horse welfare while valuing local heritage.
Language: English
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4382400958
FWCI: 4.088
Cites: 65
Cited by: 4
Related to: 10