The welfare of working equids

The welfare of working equids is 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.
•  Awareness Campaign
  The second Action Plan of the Platform included the development of an Awareness Campaign package on working equids for West Eurasia with a focus on the value of working equids and the welfare and health aspects of equids to help raise public awareness in Central Asia countries.