Uso dos cinco domínios para avaliar o bem-estar de equinos

Abstract

The vast majority of horses bred in the state of Pernambuco are subjected to confinement, generally living in individual stalls where they spend most of their time and therefore deprived of their natural eating and social behavior. This situation endangers the physical and mental health of these animals, since by their nature they are free-living animals, having exploratory behavior throughout the day. Thus, it is very common for the animal welfare of horses to be easily compromised when they are confined. With frequent concern about animal welfare, the Model of Five Domains of Animal Welfare came up with the objective of evaluating animal welfare respecting their physiological aspects, being done in a complete, systematic and comprehensive manner. In this context, the objective of the study was to quantitatively evaluate the welfare status of several properties in the state of Pernambuco. To this end, an assessment sheet was made using the Practical Guide to Equine Welfare as a basis, where it is possible to measure animal welfare on a scale from extremely positive to extremely negative. Then, visits were made to 17 properties in the Metropolitan Region, Zona da Mata and Agreste of Pernambuco, where all topics of the Five Domains were observed and the welfare status of the animals was determined. From the results it was observed that generally, in all properties, the Five Domains achieved welfare status "A". However, quantitatively evaluating each domain, it was noted that some aspects received greater attention in their evaluations, such as environmental conditioning, varied diet and exploratory behavior of animals. For such, some management practices were highlighted, capable of providing a positive balance for the domains. With the work, it was possible to conclude that the Welfare Assessment Sheet is a practical and effective way to evaluate the animal welfare in the properties, and it was found that the evaluated properties meet the good welfare practices. being animal. It is pertinent that in the future, educational booklets will be developed that will give breeders the opportunity to know and adopt new management practices in order to further maximize the quality of life of their animals.