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The welfare of working equids

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The welfare of working equids was initially identify one of five priority topics of the second Action Plan (2017-2019) of the Platform on animal welfare for Europe.  In many countries of the region, equids (horses, mules, and donkeys) are still used as a drafting power for agriculture and transportation, especially in rural areas and play an important economic role.

The poor welfare of these animals remains an important challenge, and raising countries’ awareness of the newly adopted Chapter 7.12 on the welfare of working equids of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code is a first step to improving this situation and paving the way for future capacity-building activities.

The second Action Plan (2017-2019) of the OIE Platform includes several activities on the welfare of working equids, focusing initially on raising awareness of working equids welfare issues in the countries of the region.

  • Awareness Day
    As one of the first of these activities, the Platform, in collaboration with the International Coalition for the Welfare of Working Equids (ICWE) organised an Awareness Day on the Welfare of Working Equids for West Eurasia countries as part of a three-day OIE Animal Welfare event for West Eurasia countries held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 27-29 September 2018

The welfare of working equids remains among priority topics of the Platform for in the 3rd Action Plan (2020-2023) and 4th Action Plan (2024-2026)

Upcoming WOAH regional online event on the welfare of working equids

Tuesday, 29 April 2025, 10:00 – 13:00 (Paris time) – online

 

Meeting objectives:

  • Raising awareness of WOAH standards on the welfare of working equids
  • Share existing tools and knowledge resources
  • Presenting funding opportunities with World Horse Welfare
  • Sharing experience – project implementation
  • Engaging local partner organisations
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Event on the welfare of working equids 

(27th June 2024, Madrid)

The dedicated event on the welfare of working equids was held on 27th June 2024 as a back-to-back session to the regional training seminar for WOAH National Focal Points on Animal Welfare.

The workshop was organised with technical and financial support from the International Coalition for Working Equids (ICWE)

The event covered :

  • technical lecture with presentation of the Working Equid Standards Library of Information (WESLI),
  • sharing country experience  ( Spain – addressing the welfare of equids at local festivals in Cataluña  and  World Horse Welfare project in Romania)
  • working group exercise (developing project proposal – design, implementation, monitoring  and reporting).

The event showed the importance of working in collaboration on the topic toward progress in improving the welfare of working equids

Building on the momentum created with the online meeting (September 2023) and in-person event (2024) series of follow up activities proposed.

 

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The regional online event on the welfare of working equids

was held on 12th September 2023, with objectives to:

  • raise awareness on WOAH standards on the welfare of working equids and the direct and indirect economic value and societal importance of working equids,
  • share existing tools and knowledge resources,
  • further identify WOAH members’ needs and discuss how to address WOAH members’ needs within planned activities of the next action plan of the Platform for 2024 -2026.

The meeting was organised in collaboration with the International Coalition for Working Equids and the European Union Reference Centre For Animal Welfare Ruminants & Equines.

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