Welfare extends beyond preventing suffering to consider both negative and positive experiences

The Five Freedoms model long served as the gold standard for assessing animal welfare, emphasizing freedom from hunger, thirst, pain, and distress. As understanding of equine behavior and neuroscience evolved, however, the framework expanded beyond survival to consider how horses’ experiences shape their overall welfare.

Justine Harrison, IAABC, ABTC-AAB, a certified equine behaviorist and educator based in northwest England, says the evolution of equine welfare goes beyond the basics of care.

“The Five Freedoms focused on preventing suffering,” she says. “Avoiding harm is the baseline. In contrast, the Five Domains pushes us to look beyond the basics of care and consider what the horse experiences day to day. It’s not enough to say, ‘My horse isn’t hungry, injured, or frightened.’ We need to ask, ‘Does my horse have a life worth living? Do they enjoy their life? Do they experience pleasure? Social connection? Rest? Choice?’ ”

The Five Freedoms

The Five Freedoms model largely focused on animals’ physical condition, and Harrison says in the horse industry it led to improved equine treatment, care, and training.

With the first freedom, freedom from hunger and thirst, the caretaker must provide fresh water and nutritionally appropriate feed as well as consistent access to forage.

Freedom from discomfort speaks to the quality of a horse’s shelter, including necessary protection from extreme weather and a safe place to rest and sleep.

Freedom from pain, illness, and injury has traditionally been associated with veterinary care. Today horse owners also bear responsibility for safeguarding welfare through their daily management decisions.

The last two, freedom to express natural behavior and freedom from distress and fear, are the areas where human-herd interaction is often most compromised, says Harrison