Current research projects

Current research projects in the field of working equine welfare include:

Welfare Assessment: assessment of working equine welfare by direct observations of health and behaviour, providing rational, science-based information for identifying and prioritising areas of operation, baseline data for welfare improvement programmes, epidemiological surveys, disease surveillance and measuring efficacy of interventions.

Risk Factor Identification: a comprehensive study of the multiple and complex risk factors contributing to high priority welfare problems in working animals, in order to inform interventions aimed at minimising these risks.

Heat Stress and Dehydration: detailed research into the physiology, adverse consequences and effective management of heat stress and dehydration in working equines. This project aims to produce valid, field-based methods for early identification of these serious conditions and to inform owners about prevention and management in situations where high-input veterinary services are not available or appropriate.

Pain Behaviour in Donkeys: identification of the subtle components of pain-related behaviour in donkeys, which often suffer excessively because of their apparently stoic nature and the consequent incorrect assumption that they do not experience pain to the same extent as other species. Subsequently this project will produce a validated tool, for use by vets and other animal health workers, to extend and improve the use of analgesia in working donkeys.

Lameness: a major research project to untangle the relative contributions of different lameness pathologies to the known 90+ % prevalence of abnormal gait in working equines. Risk factors for the major pathological conditions will be investigated in order to inform appropriate prevention and management strategies. Lameness is one of the most common and complex welfare issues seen by Brooke staff, and contributes to a high degree of pain and suffering among working animals, so this project is anticipated to expand and run for at least ten years.

Positive Welfare: this ground-breaking new research will investigate what working animals choose to do in order to experience positive mental well-being, and rank the importance of resources (such as comfortable bedding, a quiet resting area, facilities for grazing, rolling and playing) and social interactions (human and animal companionship), in order to give best advice to owners about how to provide a positive and happy life for their working animals.