Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:25:54.356Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The relationship between working horse welfare state and their owners’ empathy level and perception of equine pain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

D Luna ,
RA Vásquez ,
JM Yánez  and
T Tadich
D Luna
Affiliation:
Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Silvoagropecuarias y Veterinarias, Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile Santa Rosa 11315, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
RA Vásquez
Affiliation:
Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Ñuñoa, Santiago, Chile
JM Yánez
Affiliation:
Departamento de Medicina Preventiva Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santa Rosa 11735, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
T Tadich
Affiliation:
Departamento de Fomento de la Producción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santa Rosa 11735, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: tamaratadich@u.uchile.cl
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

An understanding of the factors influencing the human-animal relationship is relevant in the development of welfare interventions for working equids. However, the link between the psychological attributes of animal owners, such as empathy level and pain perception, and the welfare state of working horses is yet to be studied. Here, we assessed working horse owners’ empathy, their perception of equine pain and how these relate to the welfare state of their horses. The relationship between empathy and perception of equine pain was also explored. One hundred owners of working horses were studied, along with their working horses (n = 127). Self-reported rating scales were used for measuring animal-oriented empathy, human-oriented empathy and owners’ perception of equine pain; higher scores in the three scales indicated higher levels of empathy and higher perception of equine pain. An animal welfare index based on direct measures was applied where higher scores indicate a poorer welfare state. Most of the owners had high levels of empathy towards both animals and humans and a high perception of equine pain. According to the animal welfare index, 15.7% of horses had a poor welfare state. Higher levels of empathy and equine pain perception in owners were correlated with a better animal welfare condition, with owner's empathy level towards animals explaining over 60% of horses’ welfare. Moreover, empathy towards animals was positively correlated with human-oriented empathy and perception of equine pain. We therefore suggest that strategies oriented to improve welfare of working horses should consider education programmes aimed at promoting the development of empathy in caretakers.

Keywords

animal welfareempathyhuman-animal empathyhuman-animal interactionspain perceptionworking equid
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 27 , Issue 2 , May 2018 , pp. 115 - 123
Copyright
© 2018 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

References

Ali, AB, El Sayed, MA, Matoock, MY, Fouad, MA and Heleski, CR 2016 A welfare assessment scoring system for working equids. A method for identifying at risk populations and for monitoring progress of welfare enhancement strategies (tri-aled in Egypt). Applied Animal Behaviour Science 176: 52–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2015.12.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Angantyr, M, Eklund, J and Hansen, EM 2011 A comparison of empathy for humans and empathy for animals. Anthrozoös 24: 369–377. https://doi.org/10.2752/175303711X13159027359764CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anil, S, Anil, L and Deen, J 2002 Challenges of pain assessment in domestic animals. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 220: 313–319. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2002.220.313CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ascione, FR 2005 Children and Animals: Exploring the Roots of Kindness and Cruelty pp 66–88. Purdue University Press: West Lafayette, IN, USAGoogle Scholar
Bateson, P 1991 Assessment of pain in animals. Animal Behaviour 42: 827–839. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0003-3472(05)80127-7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Batson, CD, Early, S and Salvarani, G 1997 Perspective taking: Imagining how another feels versus imaging how you would feel. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 23: 751–758. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167297237008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Batson, CD, Turk, CL, Shaw, LL and Klein, TR 1995 Information function of empathic emotion: Learning that we value the other's welfare. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 68:300–313. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.68.2.300CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beaton, DE, Bombardier, C, Guillemin, F and Ferraz, MB 2000 Guidelines for the process of cross-cultural adaptation of self-report measures. Spine 25: 3186–3191. https://doi.org/10.1097/00007632-200012150-00014CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burn, CC, Dennison, TL and Whay, HR 2010a Environmental and demographic risk factors for poor welfare in working horses, donkeys and mules in developing countries. The Veterinary Journal 186: 385–392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.09.016CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burn, CC, Dennison, TL and Whay, HR 2010b Relationship between behaviour and health in working horses, donkeys, and mules in developing countries. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 126: 109–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2010.06.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calderón-Amor, J, Luna-Fernández, D and Tadich, T 2017 Study of the levels of human-human and human-animal empathy in veterinary medical students from Chile. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 44: 179–186. https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme.0216-038RCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cassai, G 1944 El caballo de Labranza. Revista El Campesino 96: 7–10.[Title translation: The Labranza horse]Google Scholar
Cassels, TG, Chan, S and Chung, W 2010 The role of culture in affective empathy: Cultural and bicultural differences. Journal of Cognition and Culture 10: 309–326. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853710X531203Google Scholar
Chavira-Sevilla, H 2003 Points which should be considered regarding the use of harnesses and implements in working equines. Fourth International Colloquium on Working Equines. 20-25 April 2003, Hama, SyriaGoogle Scholar
Cohen, L and Holliday, M 1996 Practical Statistics for Students: An Introductory Text. Paul Chapman Publishing: London, UK. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781849209571CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crane, M 1997 Medical care of donkeys. In: Svendsen, E (ed) The Professional Handbook of the Donkey pp 19–36. Whittet Books Limited: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Cronbach, LJ 1951 Coefficient alpha and the internal structure of tests. Psychometrika 16: 297–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02310555CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davis, MH 1980 Multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. Catalogue of Selected Documents in Psychology 10: 85–104Google Scholar
de Waal, FB 2008 Putting the altruism back into altruism: the evolution of empathy. Annual Review of Psychology 59: 279–300. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.59.103006.093625CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eisenberg, N 2000 Emotion, regulation, and moral develop-ment. Annual Review of Psychology 51: 665–697. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.51.1.665CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ellingsen, K, Zanella, AJ, Bjerkås, E and Indrebø, A 2010 The relationship between empathy, perception of pain and attitudes toward pets among Norwegian dog owners. Anthrozoös 23: 231–243. https://doi.org/10.2752/175303710X12750451258931CrossRefGoogle Scholar
English, PR 1991 Stockmanship, empathy, and pig behaviour. Pig Veterinary Journal 26: 56–66Google Scholar
Fernández, AM, Dufey, M and Kramp, U 2011 Testing the psychometric properties of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) in Chile: Empathy in a different cultural context. European Journal of Psychological Assessment 27: 179–185. https://doi.org/10.1027/1015-5759/a000065CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, AD, Tripp, DA, Sullivan, MJL and Davidson, M 2009 The relationship between empathy and estimates of observed pain. Pain Medicine 10: 381–392. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-4637.2009.00563.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hausberger, M, Roche, H, Henry, S and Visser, EK 2008 A review of the human-horse relationship. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 109: 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2007.04.015CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hemsworth, PH 2003 Human-animal interactions in livestock production. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 81: 185–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0168-1591(02)00280-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hemsworth, PH and Coleman, GJ 2011 Human-livestock Interaction: The Stockperson and the Productivity and Welfare of Intensively Farmed Animals, Second Edition pp 1–20. CAB International: Wallingford, UK. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781845936730.0000CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henry, S, Hemery, D, Richard, MA and Hausberger, M 2005 Human-mare relationships and behaviour of foals toward humans. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 93: 341–362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2005.01.008CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holtgraves, T 2004 Social desirability and self-reports: Testing models of socially desirable responding. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 30: 161–172. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167203259930CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jackson, PL, Meltzoff, AN and Decety, J 2005 How do we per-ceive the pain of others? A window into the neural processes involved in empathy. Neuroimage 24: 771–779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2004.09.006CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kielland, C, Skjerve, E, ⊘sterås, O and Zanella, AJ 2008 Dairy farmers’ assessment of animal pain, using a photo-based instrument, can predict animal welfare outcomes at farm level. Proceedings of the 42nd Congress of the International Society for Applied Ethology. 5-9 August 2008, Dublin, Republic of IrelandGoogle Scholar
Kielland, C, Skjerve, E, ⊘sterås, O and Zanella, AJ 2010 Dairy farmer attitudes and empathy toward animals are associat-ed with animal welfare indicators. Journal of Dairy Science 93: 2998–3006. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2899CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Knottenbelt, DC 2006 Saunders Equine Formulary. Saunders Elsevier: Edinburgh, UKGoogle Scholar
Lanas, R, Luna, D and Tadich, T 2018 The relationship between working horse welfare and their owners socio-economic status. Animal Welfare 18: 27–54. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.27.1.047Google Scholar
Luna, D, Vásquez, RA, Rojas, M and Tadich, TA 2017 Welfare status of working horses and owners’ perceptions of their ani-mals. Animals 7: 56. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7080056CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luna, D, Yañez, JM and Tadich, T 2016 Level of agreement in the recognition of pain among equine practitioners in Chile. Veterinaria México OA 3: 1–8Google Scholar
Maio, GR and Haddock, G 2009 The Psychology of Attitudes and Attitude Change, First Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Mekuria, S, Mulachew, M and Abebe, R 2013 Management practices and welfare problems encountered on working equids in Hawassa town, Southern Ethiopia. Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health 5: 243–250Google Scholar
Meyer, K 1992 A study of the condition of working horses in Chile. PhD Thesis, University College of North Wales, Bangor, Gwynedd, UKGoogle Scholar
Muri, K and Valle, PS 2012 Human-animal relationships in the Norwegian dairy goat industry: assessment of pain and provision of veterinary treatment (Part II). Animal Welfare 21: 547–558. https://doi.org/10.7120/09627286.21.4.547CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norring, M, Wikman, I, Hokkanen, AH, Kujala, MV and Hänninen, L 2014 Empathic veterinarians score cattle pain high-er. The Veterinary Journal 200: 186–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.02.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Paul, ES 2000 Empathy with animals and with humans: Are they linked? Anthrozoös 13: 194–202. https://doi.org/10.2752/089279300786999699CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pifer, L, Shimizu, K and Pifer, R 1994 Public attitudes toward animal research: Some international comparisons. Society & Animals 2: 95–113. https://doi.org/10.1163/156853094X00126CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Popescu, S and Diugan, EA 2013 The relationship between behavioral and other welfare indicators of working horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 33: 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2012.04.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Popescu, S, Diugan, EA and Spinu, M 2014 The interrelations of good welfare indicators assessed in working horses and their relationships with the type of work. Research in Veterinary Science 96: 406–414. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.12.014CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pritchard, J 2014 What role do working equids play in human livelihoods, and how well is this currently recognised? Proceedings of the 7th International Colloquium on Working Equids. 1-3 July 2014, Royal Holloway, University of London, UKGoogle Scholar
Pritchard, JC, Lindberg, AC, Main, DCJ and Whay, HR 2005 Assessment of the welfare of working horses, mules and donkeys, using health and behaviour parameters. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 69: 265–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevet-med.2005.02.002CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Saaty, TL 2008 Decision making with the analytic hierarchy process. International Journal of Services Sciences 1: 83–98. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJSSCI.2008.017590CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Serpell, JA 2004 Factors influencing human attitudes to animals and their welfare. Animal Welfare 13: 145–151Google Scholar
Shamay-Tsoory, SG 2011 The neural bases for empathy. The Neuroscientist 17: 18–24. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073858410379268CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Signal, TD and Taylor, N 2007 Attitude to animals and empa-thy: Comparing animal protection and general community sam-ples. Anthrozoös 20: 125–130. https://doi.org/10.2752/175303707X207918CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Singer, T, Seymour, B, O’Doherty, J, Kaube, H, Dolan, RJ and Frith, CD 2004 Empathy for pain involves the affective but not sensory components of pain. Science 303: 1157–1162. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1093535CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spreng, RN, McKinnon, MC, Mar, RA and Levine, B 2009 The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire: Scale development and initial validation of a factor-analytic solution to multiple empathy meas-ures. Journal of Personality Assessment 91: 62–71. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223890802484381CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tadich, T, Escobar, A and Pearson, RA 2008 Husbandry and welfare aspects of urban draught horses in the south of Chile. Archivos de Medicina Veterinaria 40: 267–273. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0301-732X2008000300007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tadich, TA and Stuardo-Escobar, LH 2014 Strategies for improving the welfare of working equids in the Americas: a Chilean example. Revue Scientifique et Technique (International Office of Epizootics) 33: 203–211. https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.33.1.2271Google ScholarPubMed
Taylor, N and Signal, TD 2005 Empathy and attitudes towards animals. Anthrozoös 18: 18–27. https://doi.org/10.2752/089279305785594342CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, PM, Pascoe, PJ and Mama, KR 2002 Diagnosing and treating pain in the horse. Where are we today? Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice 18: 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-0739(02)00009-3Google ScholarPubMed
Valette 2015 Invisible workers: The economic contributions of working donkeys, horses and mules to livelihoods. The Brooke: London, UKGoogle Scholar
van Dijk, L 2011 Socio-cultural and environmental impact of working animals on livelihoods. Expert Meeting on the Role, Impact and Welfare of Working (Transport and Traction) Animals. 13-17 June 2011, FAO/The Brooke, Rome, ItalyGoogle Scholar
Waiblinger, S, Boivin, X, Pedersen, V, Tosi, MV, Janczak, AM, Visser, EK and Jones, RB 2006 Assessing the human-ani-mal relationship in farmed species: a critical review. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 101: 185–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appla-nim.2006.02.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waran, N, Williams, VM, Clarke, N and Bridge, IS 2010 Recognition of pain and use of analgesia in horses by veterinarians in New Zealand. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 58: 274–280. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2010.69402CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Westbury, HR and Neumann, DL 2008 Empathy-related responses to moving film stimuli depicting human and non-human animal targets in negative circumstances. Biological Psychology 78:66–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2007.12.009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zahn-Waxler, C and Radke-Yarrow, M 1990 The origins of empathic concern. Motivation and Emotion 14: 107–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00991639CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Supplementary material: File

Luna et al. supplementary material
Download undefined(File)
File 145.1 KB
Supplementary material: File

Luna et al. supplementary material
Download undefined(File)
File 1.2 MB