Vikten av en god hästvälfärd i inhysningsmiljön – kan länsstyrelsens granskning genom förprövningsunderlaget säkerställa hästen en god välfärd i stallet?

Sammanfattning: This study shows that to establish good horse welfare in the stable the housing conditions need to be carefully considered. Swedish animal welfare legislation imposes requirements of stable and horse owners to act in a certain way to prevent animal suffering. But many owners lack knowledge about why horses have specific requirements of its housing environment and that is why this study is important. To erect, alter or extend a livestock building needs a prior approval from the County Administrative Board. This legislation aims to approve the building from the perspective of animal health and to prevent welfare issues. The aim of this study was to explain what good horse welfare mean and to clarify the importance of keeping horses under good housing conditions by elucidating the most essential factors in the housing environment that affect horse welfare and how these affect the welfare. The study also aimed to analyze whether the County Administrative Board of Skåne review by the prior approval documentation can be considered sufficient to ensure good horse welfare in the stable, with regard to the most essential factors in the housing environment. The results showed that good horse welfare in the stable means to meet the horse's needs based on its natural behavior (McDonnell, 2002) and that this is important because the rigors of its environment can create both health issues and behavior disorders in the horse and lead to suffering (Dawkins, 2008). Social contact, the interior and space are the most essential factors in the horse's housing environment and can cause both physical injuries and stereotypical behaviors (Bonde, H., pers. msg, 2016). The County Administrative Board of Skåne review by the prior approval documentation can be considered sufficient to ensure good horse welfare in the housing environment.