The Behavior, Management, and Welfare of Horses
A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Education, Veterinary Communication and Animal Behavior".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2026 | Viewed by 1847
Special Issue Editors
Interests: equine learning; equine equipment; equine training; horse learning; horse riding; equine exercise physiology; equine behavior; horse safety; equine safety; equine neuropharmacology
2. Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
Interests: animal behavior; animal welfare; animal transportation; equine internal; sports medicine
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Horses occupy a distinctive place in human societies worldwide. They are companions, athletes, and working partners, making the study of their behavior, management, and welfare both scientifically vital and socially urgent. From environmental impact to social license, growing public scrutiny demands evidence-based practices that support both human and equine welfare.
Rapidly developing technologies—such as big data analytics, genomics, and artificial intelligence—are transforming equine health, reproduction, and management. These advances, together with welfare standards that emphasize positive affective states and safer human–horse interactions, are revolutionizing equine welfare.
This Special Issue of Veterinary Sciences, “The Behavior, Management, and Welfare of Horses,” provides a platform to explore these issues through a welfare-focused lens. We invite contributions addressing equine well-being across all contexts—from working equids in low- and middle-income countries to horses at the pinnacle of sport and racing.
We welcome original research, reviews, and case studies on topics including, but not limited to, the following:
- Housing, husbandry, and social management: stabling, turnout, group dynamics, and human–animal interactions, including handler and rider safety.
- Nutrition and feeding strategies: balancing physiological needs, behavioral well-being, and environmental sustainability.
- Welfare assessment and monitoring: innovations for detecting stress, pain, and affective states, including AI, facial recognition, and wearable sensors.
- Training, performance, and ethics: welfare implications of equestrian and racing practices, with attention to public perception and safe, effective handling/training protocols.
- Working equids and global perspectives: welfare challenges in diverse cultural and socioeconomic contexts.
- Technological and genetic frontiers: applications of genomics, precision monitoring, and emerging technologies.
- Environmental sustainability: assessing the ecological footprint of equine management and industry practices.
- Societal dimensions: ethics, public opinion, and the role of social license in equine-related activities.
A key aim of this Special Issue is to bridge scientific evidence with real-world application. Interdisciplinary approaches combining veterinary science, behavior, management, genetics, environmental science, and social sciences are encouraged. Submissions highlighting innovative solutions, sustainable strategies, and translational frameworks that support equine welfare, environmental sustainability, and human safety will be particularly valued.
By integrating diverse perspectives and future-oriented challenges, this Special Issue seeks to advance a holistic understanding of equine welfare. Our goal is to promote evidence-based, innovative, and sustainable approaches that safeguard equine welfare and human safety in a changing world.
We invite you to contribute your research and help shape the future of equine behavior, management, and welfare science.
Dr. Lesley A. Hawson
Dr. Barbara Padalino
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Veterinary Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- equine behavior
- equine welfare
- management practices
- nutrition and feeding management
- stress and pain assessment
- sport and working horses
- artificial intelligence
- genomics
- environmental sustainability
- human–horse safety
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