Work

Horse Sector Participants’ Attitudes towards Anthropomorphism and Animal Welfare and Wellbeing

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Anthropomorphizing can misinform the making of inferences about animal mental experiences. This is a consideration when implementing the Five Domains Model for animal welfare assessment. An online survey run in 2021 captured horse sector participants’ perspectives about anthropomorphism and wellbeing in relation to horses. Most respondents, 82.9% (n = 431/520), believed that anthropomorphism could influence horse welfare and wellbeing. These respondents were then asked how, in their opinion, anthropomorphism might relate to horse welfare. A thematic analysis identified two themes: (1) ‘Anthropomorphism can influence how people relate to horses’ and (2) ‘Anthropomorphism can have consequences for horse welfare and wellbeing’. The results suggested that experienced respondents were aware of the complexities surrounding anthropomorphic attitudes and that anthropomorphism can have beneficial and detrimental consequences on horse welfare and wellbeing. Benefits include a sense of relatedness to a horse, while detriments include the potential to misinterpret horse behaviors. The authors propose that anthropomorphism has a place in horse welfare and wellbeing when used critically and with caution. This study recommends that there is a need to actively manage anthropomorphism when organizations update policies and practices and implement the Five Domains Model. More research is required to understand the effects of anthropomorphism on horse-related practices.

Source: Animals

DOI: 10.3390/ani14172482

Authors: Julie M. Fiedler, Margaret L. Ayre, Sarah Rosanowski, Josh D. Slater

Institution: The University of Melbourne

Language: English

Topic: Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies

Subfield: Small Animals

Field: Veterinary

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,728

Funder: University of Melbourne