The Welfare of Working Horses: An Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Approach

This paper examines the welfare of working horses through an interdisciplinary lens that integrates animal welfare science, zooanthropology, ethics, and law, with a comparative focus on Ethiopia and Malta. These two contexts represent contrasting models of human–equine relationships. In Ethiopia, horses are essential to daily livelihoods and face welfare challenges rooted in poverty, limited access to veterinary care, and inadequate equipment. In Malta, horses are embedded in tourism and cultural heritage and are subject to growing regulatory oversight and public scrutiny. Drawing on the Five Domains Model, established welfare assessment protocols, and relational frameworks from zooanthropology, the study argues that equine welfare cannot be understood through biological or environmental indicators alone, but rather emerges from the dynamic interactions between horses, humans, and their broader socio-economic and cultural contexts. Human factors—including owners’ knowledge, empathy, handling practices, and economic circumstances—are identified as central determinants of welfare outcomes. The paper further analyses how ethical frameworks, including animal rights theory, utilitarianism, contractarianism, and respect-for-nature perspectives, alongside existing legal instruments at international, regional, and national levels, shape and sometimes constrain welfare improvement. A key finding is that effective welfare governance requires evidence-based policymaking that is scientifically grounded yet sensitive to local realities, supported by education, stakeholder engagement, and institutional capacity. The paper concludes that cultural traditions and animal welfare standards are not inherently opposed, but can evolve together towards more ethical and sustainable practices, provided that horses are recognised as sentient beings whose physical, emotional, and behavioural needs are central to any regulatory or management framework.