Work in Partnerships to Promote Equine Welfare
An Interview with CEO of World Horse Welfare, Mr. Roly Owers
“I’m hugely grateful for ICCAW, Madame Xi, for putting on this conference and being able to draw together such an outstanding number of speakers from different areas of the sector. I think it’s hugely important. I hope there will be the encouragement and enthusiasm to do more conferences, because I think this type of event has a really important part to play in developing good welfare. It’s very encouraging to see growing acceptance of animal welfare within China, the work of organizations like ICCAW and the government supporting a responsible growth of the animal sector.”
According to Mr. Roly Owers, “Welfare is everyone’s business. It’s really important to recognize that we all have a role to play in supporting good animal welfare. Good animal welfare has many different benefits. I think for no other reason than if you treat animal better, we can use less antibiotics, and therefore there would be less antimicrobial resistance, which is a serious global problem that could cause many thousands of human lives. That’s why we take animal welfare seriously. It’s absolutely fundamental to responsible and good animal management.”
As an international NGO that works in nearly twenty countries, World Horse Welfare provides practical guidance and support for owners, trainers, regulators and governments and supports responsible uses of equines, namely horses, ponies, donkeys and mules, whether for sports, for leisure, as a farm animal or as a working animal.
“There are a hundred million working equines, many of them used in transport. Even today, in the 21st century, around three quarters of a billion people are relying on working equines for their livelihoods. In other parts of the world, like China, there is a growing leisure and sports sector. Apart from that, equines are increasingly used in areas like therapy, horses and donkeys used for human therapy with children with behavior disorders, with people struggling to fit into mainstream education. So the breadth of horse uses is growing globally.”
According to Mr. Roly Owers, in terms of welfare, every country faces challenges. China is no different. One word that is probably the biggest in all of the sectors and all of the uses is “ignorance”. That’s one big challenge. “You cannot force changes on people. People have to make decisions to change for themselves. If they understand why, then you will be far more likely to succeed. In China, there is an exploding sport and leisure market. Like anything that grows very quickly, you’ve got to work hard to make sure there is a foundation in place to support that growth. So we are working with partners to try to establish basic understanding of welfare because obviously welfare is a fundamental cornerstone of effective husbandry and handling. Another huge challenge is to get governments, international organizations and policy makers to understand that working equines do still have a really important role to play.”
“In every country, the context is different. That’s certainly the case in China. So it’s a matter of understanding how each country works. But I have to say, we have been warmly welcomed in China, and the partners we are developing are hugely supportive of us. I think that’s the way we can have massive impact by working effectively in partnerships. In China, we work in partnership with ICCAW, Hong Kong Jockey Club, also with Inner Mongolia Agricultural University. We are seeking to expand our partnerships so as to maximize our work and influence.”
