top of page
Horses and Health
Horses as animals have immense ecological relevance, which includes their influence on the environment such as their impact on soil health and biodiversity of flora and fauna species, as well as their extensive history as loyal companions to humans shaped by their service in war, transportation, medicine as well their more recent roles in the 21st century as therapists or leisure partners.
As aware and compassionate citizens of today's world, it is important for us to acknowledge the incredibly influential role of horses in our lives and thus expand our horizons for interactions with these majestic creatures.
Horses and One Health
What is One Health?
-
One Health is a concept that recognizes the interconnectedness of human health, animal health, and the health of the environment. It highlights the fact that the health of humans, animals, and the ecosystem are closely linked to one another and that attending to health issues in one of these domains can have significant effects on the others.
-
According to the World Health Organization, One Health is an integrated, unifying approach to balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and the environment through collective collaboration and coordination.
-
Horses, as a matter of fact, play a huge role in One Health, contributing towards the health, welfare, and prosperity of humans and the biodiversity.
Horses and Human Health
-
Animal Assisted Therapy and Leisure: The domestication of most animals, including horses is often a result of the innate tendency of us humans to be close different forms of life. The domestication of these animals, especially in high income countries, is characterized by their role as companions for leisure or their contribution to animal assisted therapy. This contribution of horses to society especially enhances human mental health and well-being.
-
Sports and Transport: Aside from their crucial role in the betterment of human mental health, horses also contribute to the socioeconomic status of their owners. Horse owners primarily use horses for competitions including horse racing, dressage and showjumping. This increases opportunities for scholarships, sponsorships, and professional contacts, leading to increased financial and social stability. In low-income countries, horses are also used as means of transport, which once again enhances scope for capital, thus securing a sustainable livelihood.
However, national policies that are supposed to monitor responsible and safe work with horses are often weak in developing nations. As a result, illnesses and injuries of working horses are often overlooked due to a lack of knowledge of equine management as well as overloading, insuffient access to food and water and the use of inappropriate equipment.
-
Horse-rider Interactions: Horse-rider interactions are crucial in assuring horse and human welfare, but not always easy to follow, since horses don't have the ability to verbalize their pain and feelings. Therefore, it takes immense patience and commitment for riders and horses to forge a strong bond with one another. Working together can improve their psychological health through strong horsemanship as well as their physical health through the rigorous exercise that comes with this sport.
-
Horses in the Medical Field: Horses have an extensive history in their contribution to the field of medicine. This traces back to the 1890s, where horses played a crucial role in developing the first antidote to cure diphtheria, an infection caused by certain bacteria.
Even today, horse serum is used to create the tetanus antitoxin which is used to manufacture the the vaccine for the Tetanus disease.
-
Diseases: Humans' tendency to keep horses in stables can be a man-made reason for equine skeletal and joint diseases. Overworking or overloading your horse such joint diseases and disorders, spine problems, arthiritus and PTSD. These issues, along with other psychological problems can also arise from insufficient nutrition, social restrictions, and stereotypical behaviours like wind sucking and crib biting. It is important to design a stimulating stable environment that mentally, physically and socially challenges and activates horses.
Check Out our Tips on Equine Enrichment to know more about creating a Productive Stable Environment
Horses and Environmental Health
-
Soil Fertility: Both domesticated as well as wild horses acquire a large portion of their nutrition by grazing in fields and pastures. Their digestive system does not thoroughly degrade the vegetation they eat and thus horses tend to “replant” their own forage with the diverse seeds that pass through their system underdigested. These seeds and the other nutrients passed through their droppings combine with the soil and contribute to soil health as well as the growth of a diverse range of plants. Thus, their distinctive digestive system builds up the absorptive, nutrient-rich humus component of soils.
-
Maintenance of Biodiversity: Horse Grazing can help maintain field and pasture land in good condition by providing the necessary level of disturbance to encourage growth and reproduction of the desired grasses. In fact, if we compare cows and horses we observe that since cows have no upper front teeth, only a thick tongue: they graze by wrapping their long tongues around grass and pulling on it which is likely to pull out the grass by the roots, preventing it from growing back. Horses on the other hand, have both upper and lower incisors and graze by "clipping the grass," similar to how a lawn mower works, which allows the grass to easily reproduce and grow back thus creating a desirable habitat for wildlife.
-
Preventing Wildfires: In areas where wildfires are a significant concern, grazing can help reduce the amount of brush and other dry matter available as fuel thus managing potential fuel loads. A study in southwestern Spain has shown that free-ranging Galician mountain ponies can help prevent forest fires by eating small plants growing under the shades of long trees.
-
Availability of Water in Desserts: Research being conducted on the influence of wild horses and burros (donkeys) across the American West, Australia, and Canada has shown that these wild animals are boosting the availability of water in desert landscapes. Surface water in deserts such as the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts has been disappearing due to the dense number of plants that suck all water into the air. However, areas that are densely populated with burros have better access to water since these burros make open glades and dig out wetlands, while browsing and grazing vegetation. As a result access to surface water is maintained up to a meter and a half in depth which influences vegetation, by also serving as mediums for germination for native trees and plants to grow.
Horses and Animal Health
-
Sustaining the Predator-Prey Relationship: Wild horses are often a food source for many predators including wolves, mountain lions, and bears. The ponies in southwestern Spain, as discussed above, are the most important source of food for wolves thus sustaining the predator-pray relationship and ecological balance in wild areas. Their role as the primary source of nourishment for a lot of predators, including the wolves in Spain leads to the indirect protection of farmers´ livestock since wolves do not hunt their animals.
-
Access of Water to Wild Animals: The case study discussed above about
the impact of wild burros on water availability in the American, western
deserts, also has implications on other species of wildlife present in these
sites. These findings suggest that the animals are creating unique water
sources that are used by around 60 native species, thus becoming
vegetation nurseries for keystone trees, and in some cases, represent the
only water in the area.
-
Provision of Wildlife: As discussed earlier the structure of horses' teeth allows them to clip grass, which ensures that the grass can easily reproduce and grow back in a healthy way. This creates a desirable and productive habitat that attracts wildlife species like rodents and cattle. In fact, more horse farms include large open, natural areas used as pastures, trails, or paddoks. This practice leaves large areas of semi-natural vegetation which suits and attracts species such as deer, squirrels, rabbits, and other forms of wildlife, thus ensuring provision of wildlife.
bottom of page