Percepção de pessoas com diferentes relações com equinos sobre aspectos do bem-estar destes animais

Abstract

Owners, veterinarians, and keepers are responsible for judging the health and welfare of their horses, however, we know little about how these caretakers perceive and determine the welfare of the horses under their care, and an understanding. These perceptions are essential to directly promote the health and welfare of these animals. The objective of this research was to deepen the understanding about the perception of equine welfare by people with different relationships with these animals. A total of 319 answers were obtained through an online platform questionnaire, and were disseminated electronically to the participants. The questionnaire contained 15 closed questions and addressed the wellbeing theme associated with pain, stereotypes, hoof, social interaction, housing and body condition score. The analysis was performed by Pearson's chi-square test (χ 2). Responses were statistically influenced by the type of relationship with animals on: horses' pain sensitivity level (P = 0.0047), harness perception (P = 0.0045), stereotypes (P = 0 , 0231), perception of overgrown hull (P = 0.0001), perception of normal-growing hull (P = 0.0416), factors influenced by over-hoof growth (P = 0.0673), social interaction of known horses (P = 0.0001), housing in relation to social interaction (P = 0.0001), stall size (P = 0.0002) and aspects that influence body condition score (P = 0.0529) . On the other hand, questions related to horses' ability to feel pain (P = 0.8346), importance of social interaction (P = 0.4507), ideal option for social interaction (P = 0.1320) and desirable body condition score. undesirable (P = 0.2750), showed no statistical influence. People's type of relationship with horses interferes with their perception of animal welfare. People who have some direct relationship with horses are more aware of the basic aspects of well-being than those who have no direct relationship with horses, but in several cases presented the perception of those who have direct relationship is unclear, unable to identify the basic aspects of horse welfare.