EQUINE WELFARE MONITORING BY VETERINARY SERVICES
animal welfare; horse; cattle; rodeo; horse boarding; indicators
The Veterinary Service (SV) received new legal attributions to protect animals used in equestrian activities, as a result of pressure from society and intense political discussion that culminated in the amendment of the Brazilian Federal Constitution. At the same time, the work that the SV performs is traditionally limited to sanitary, transit and animal health issues, which, although important, are not sufficient to allow an assessment of the degree of welfare to which the animals are subjected. Animal welfare and, in particular, equine welfare, is a focus of social concern not only in Brazil, but internationally, which has motivated an increase in research on the subject, leading to the publication of protocols to help professionals in decision-making. However, there are few studies in the national context and even fewer are the indicators published and organized to assess the welfare of animals in the context of rodeos, modalities commonly practised in Brazil. This work aims to fill this knowledge gap, on the application of indicators for evaluating the welfare of horses, available for use in loco, in boarding facilities and equestrian events, specifically, in rodeo. We present the legislation and discussion, motivating a better protection of the animals used, we propose a guide with indicators to evaluate the welfare of horses and cattle subjected to rodeos, and we also evaluate published indicators and their performance when applied in small horse boarding facilities in the Federal District.