The Canadian National Farm Animal Care Council (NFACC) is conducting a survey to gain stakeholder insights on the Codes of Practice and views on the care and handling of equines. Revisions to the Equine Code of Practice are projected to be finished in 2013.
Code Development Progress
Revisions to the Equine Code of Practice, using the NFACC Code development process, are slated for completion in summer 2013. For an overview of where the Code is in the development process see the Code timeline.
Priority Welfare Issues List
The priority welfare issues are species specific and manageable topics that are considered to be important for animal welfare and will particularly benefit from a review of the available scientific literature.
The Code Development Committee (CDC) and the Scientists’ Committee (SC) each identify their respective lists. Once complete, the committees come together to collectively finalize the priority welfare issues for the species. The SC then reviews the scientific literature for each priority welfare issue and develops a report synthesizing the research results, summarizing the consensus (if any), and identifying any gaps requiring further research. See full SC Terms of Reference.
The CDC uses the SC report to develop requirements and recommendations around the priority welfare issues in the Code of Practice.
Following is the priority welfare issues list for the Equine Code of Practice update:
•Facility Design/Housing
- Turn-out, social opportunities, foraging opportunities, provisions for daily exercise
- Housing risks associated with stereotypic behaviour and management of the stereotypic horse
- Inadequate housing (isolation, confinement, lack of enrichment, social behaviour, ventilation, bedding)
- Stall sizes (box, tie, foaling)
- Requirements for shelter and shade
•Equine Health
- Disease prevention
- Lameness
- Painful Practices: freeze and hot iron branding; modifications of the tail; freeze and pin firing; soring; and castration
- Hoof care
•Handling and Training
- Learning theory as it relates to training and handling
- Training methods - does the scientific research suggest a benefit to common methods used?
- Head shaking
Feed and Water
- Water requirements in winter
- Feeding behavior
- Distil the more specialized nutritional issues into management components related to welfare:
- Obesity
- Thermal impacts on nutritional/energy needs
- Laminitis
•Feedlots
- Stocking density