Stakeholders input on prototype welfare assessment protocols for horses and donkeys

Eighteen members of the Equine Network of Stakeholders participated in a workshop aimed to: increase the acceptability of the project through stimulation of a multidisciplinary dialogue; define potential barriers to the application of the prototypes in practice and identify possible solutions; facilitate the experimental phases of the project through practical support for on-farm data collection. As a follow up from the workshop, participants were engaged in an interactive forum via the Animal Welfare Hub. The meeting was held at Verona, Fieracavalli 2013, on November 7th. Stakeholders participated in the following activities: - Good Welfare Indicators (animal, resource and management based): listing what signs one can see if an owner understands and provides what their horse/donkey needs; - Good Welfare Indicators (Traffic Lights): placing stickers of different colours on a poster showing the four welfare principles. A green sign when, in their opinion, the welfare principle was well respected, a yellow sign when it deserved attention and a red one when there were issues regarding that principle; - Pair Wise Ranking Of Animal Welfare Issues: filling in a matrix to make direct comparisons between welfare criteria; - Aims & Outcomes: completing a questionnaire about aims, who should assess equine welfare and timing of assessment. The participants showed good overall agreement about indicators. According to their opinion, all welfare principles deserve expert attention, with absence of prolonged thirst and hunger considered as the most important criteria. Unintended outcomes of welfare assessment varied much more and were representative of the interests of the different participants. Maximum time for assessing an animal varies from 5min to 30min. Participants interacted in the Forum, discussing the results of the meeting.