Animal Welfare Guidelines - Horses
Horse welfare guidelines including diet, exercise, housing, foot and dental care and routine husbandry practices. Horse owners and those thinking of becoming owners will find this advice useful.
Guidelines outline recommended levels of care for equines in Tasmania.
It is intended for use as an animal welfare guideline under the Animal Welfare Act 1993, as well as being a guideline for equine industry
stakeholders, such as horse owners, trainers and breeders.
Tasmanian Equine Welfare Guidelines (390 KB)
Equine owners need to be aware of the basic needs of
the equine, regardless of which husbandry system they adopt. Equines
have basic needs to maintain their health and wellbeing. These basic
- The need for social interaction with other equines
- Ready access to food and water
- Freedom of movement to stand, stretch and lie down
- Regular Exercise
- Accommodation which does not cause harm, and provides protection from the elements
- Regular hoof care
- Regular dental care
- Regular parasite control measures
- Rapid identification and treatment of illness and injury
- Freedom from confusion and conflict in training
of any or all of the above requirements can lead to health and welfare
issues. The responsibility of equine owners also extends to the breeding