No matter what purpose they serve, horses deserve to be treated humanely and with dignity throughout their lives. Anyone who owns or keeps horses is responsible for their welfare.

Kathleen MacMillan, DVM, MSc, an ambulatory equine service veterinarian at the University of Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic Veterinary College, will present a community workshop titled “The Truths and Myths of Equine Animal Welfare” on April 14 at 7 p.m. in Lecture Theatre A.

MacMillan will present the guidelines for minimum standards of care for the welfare of the horse, including proper nutrition, appropriate shelter, disease prevention and treatment, humane handling, and when necessary, end of life decisions, and humane euthanasia. She will also provide information about recognizing signs for concern, how to score a horse’s body condition, and what individuals can do if they suspect a horse is in distress and at risk.

MacMillan will also introduce "the five freedoms," a core concept of animal welfare: “Freedom from hunger or thirst by ready access to fresh water and a diet to maintain full health and vigor; freedom from discomfort by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area; freedom from pain, injury or disease by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment; freedom to express (most) normal behavior by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind; freedom from fear and distress by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering