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A Glorious Ode to the Wellbeing of Horses
~ informed by equitation science & the Five Domains model ~
I. On the Five Domains
Not merely free from hunger, thirst, and pain—
Five Domains decree a broader, richer reign:
Nutrition, shelter, health of hoof and vein,
Behaviour, mental joy—the whole terrain.
II. On Social Bonds & Herd Cognition
No horse was made to stand in stalls alone,
For herd and kin are writ into the bone,
They read each other’s faces, match each tone—
Cross-modal recognition, science has shown.
III. Against Confinement & Stereotypies
The weaving horse, the cribber at the door,
Are not defective—they implore, implore!
Stereotypies signal cortisol’s roar—
Turn out to pasture, let the spirit soar.
IV. On Nosebands & Tack
ISES declares: the noseband must not crush,
Two fingers’ width, no tighter in the rush,
For pain behind the flash provokes no trust—
Restrictive gear turns partnership to dust.
V. On Learning Theory
Forget “dominance”—that myth has run its race,
Horses learn by pressure and release in place,
Negative reinforcement, timed with grace,
And clicker-trained reward lights up the face.
VI. Against Hyperflexion
Rollkur contorts the airway, strains the poll,
Research shows stress, restricted breath, and toll,
The FEI now watches—science takes control—
Head freedom is the ethically sound goal.
VII. On Transport Stress
Metabolomics maps the trailer’s cost:
Raised lactate, cortisol, immunity lost,
Each hour confined, each balance roughly tossed—
Short journeys, rest, and hay reduce the frost.
VIII. On Gut & Microbiome
The hindgut flora, billion-strong and keen,
Need fibre first—not grain, not pellet sheen,
Dysbiosis breeds the colic unforeseen—
Ad-lib forage keeps the microbiome clean.
IX. On Pain & the Grimace Scale
The ear position, eye, and nostril flare
Now speak through grimace scales of measured care,
Biomarkers join the gaze that reads despair—
No silent suffering shall go unaware.
X. On Enrichment & Agency
Slow feeders mimic grazing through the day,
Track systems, novel objects, room to play,
Choice and control keep learned helplessness at bay—
Agency itself is welfare’s truest way.
XI. On the Human-Equine Bond
In therapy arenas, hearts align,
The horse reflects our tension, yours and mine,
Oxytocin flows across the species line—
But welfare of the helper we enshrine.
XII. A Pledge Renewed
So here we pledge, with voices proud and hoarse,
To guard the wellbeing of every horse,
With science, empathy, our guiding force—
No finer bond than human joined with horse.