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Simple Summary: Horse sports are popular worldwide, providing spectator enjoyment, benefiting human health, and contributing substantially to national economies. Training and management practices used to care for sporthorses are generally based on tradition rather than science; this combined with the high-risk nature of equestrian activities led to the public questioning if sporthorse health and welfare are being compromised. To understand better how sporthorses are being managed, experts, actively involved with national and international horse sports (dressage, showjumping, and eventing) were consulted across four rounds of a Delphi study. This approach allowed participants to interact to reach a point where everyone agreed on core areas (or domains) that they felt were essential to sporthorse management. Five areas were rated as essential: training management, competition management, young horse management, health status and veterinary management, and the horse–human relationship. Stable and environmental management, and welfare assessment were rated as important but not essential, as most experts felt that these areas were already managed well. Experts called for increased education and research to support riders, trainers, and federations. A welfare charter and evidence-based guidelines to inform management practices were advised to ensure sporthorses have a good life and to safeguard the future of equestrian sports. The public is increasingly questioning equestrianism's social license to operate. While the focus historically centered on horseracing, increased scrutiny is now being placed on how dressage, showjumping, and eventing are addressing equine management and welfare concerns. Nominated equestrian federation and equestrian organization experts (n = 104) directly involved in international and/or national-level horse sports took part in a four-stage, iterative Delphi to obtain consensus on what factors should be considered essential to manage sporthorse health and welfare. Five core domains were agreed as essential: training management, competition management, young horse management, health status and veterinary management, and the horse–human relationship. Two further domains: stable and environmental management, and welfare assessment were rated as important but not essential, as most respondents felt that these areas were already managed well. Participants felt increased education and guidance combined with further policy development and regulation are needed to support stakeholders to optimize sporthorse management. An appetite to engage with research to generate evidence that promotes sporthorse welfare was evident. The development of a sporthorse welfare charter and evidence-based guidelines to inform the management and monitoring of sporthorses' health and welfare are recommended to provide horses with a good life and to safeguard the future of equestrian sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Auditory perception is a key driver in behavioural and physiological responses and as prey species, horses have evolved to identify these stimuli and respond appropriately to maximise chances of survival. Sport horses are required to perform without distraction by external, irrelevant auditory stimuli and to help achieve this, 'noise-damping' ear covers have been developed. This study investigated behavioural and physiological (heart rate) responses of horses to different sounds commonly present in a competition environment and compared these responses in the presence and absence of ear covers. A difference in both physiological and behavioural responses to different auditory stimuli was found, suggesting an ability to discriminate the sounds and alter responses based on the individual stimulus. An overall difference in both physiological and behavioural responses with and without ear covers was also found with a reduction in responsiveness when wearing ear covers, although responses varied between sounds presented. The attenuation of these responses when wearing ear covers implies a reduced perception of sounds with varying levels of effectiveness. We suggest this information can be used to predict responses of sport horses, enhancing management and optimisation of performance while improving horse welfare. Despite numerous studies investigating responses to visual perception, there is limited research into how horses respond to different auditory stimuli. Although 'noise-damping' ear covers are frequently used on sport horses to minimise distraction from external auditory stimuli, the effectiveness of ear covers has not been established. This study aimed to (i) investigate the responses of horses to different sounds commonly present in a competition environment, and (ii) compare these responses in the presence and absence of ear covers. A total of 18 horses were presented with 5 sounds commonly heard in competition or stable environments both with and without ear covers, in a randomised order crossover design. Behavioural and heart rate responses were recorded. Responses were compared between sounds and with/without ear covers. Differences in physiological and behavioural responses to different complex auditory stimuli were shown. An overall difference in physiological and behavioural responses with and without ear covers was detected, although the only difference in heart rate between ear covers and no ear covers that individually achieved significance was the feed sound. These findings suggest that horses can discriminate sounds and alter their responses based on the individual stimulus, and these responses are reduced when wearing ear covers with varying effectiveness for different sounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic was declared on 11 March 2020. Countries have been impacted variably, with differing disease control measures implemented. The working equid community includes some of the world's most marginalised people, who rely on animals for their daily lives and livelihoods. The aim of this study was to learn about the effects of the pandemic on the working equid community, and in doing so, to develop credible methods to collect data in future unprecedented events. There were 1530 survey respondents from a population of individuals who received support from equid welfare projects across 14 low- or middle-income countries projects during November and December 2020. The main findings were that, compared to prior to the pandemic, equids were working less, individuals were receiving less income, with expenses staying the same or increasing. In the short term, different indicators show that the effect on equine welfare has been inconsistent, but most owners reported no change in their equid's health. However, it is predicted that there will be negative long-term impacts on human and equid welfare due to financial insecurity. This requires monitoring. Collaboration with humanitarian organisations, governments, and animal welfare non-governmental organisations is required to mitigate deep-rooted issues involving the working equid community. The COVID-19 pandemic was declared on 11 March 2020. The working equid community includes some of the world's most marginalised people, who rely on animals for their daily lives and livelihoods. A cross-sectional study investigated the effects of COVID-19 on working equid communities, with the intention of developing methods for replication in future unprecedented events. A multi-language survey was developed, involving 38 predominantly closed questions, and carried out face-to-face, over telephone, or online. There were 1530 respondents from a population of individuals who received support from equid welfare projects across 14 low- or middle-income countries projects during November and December 2020. Overall, at the time of survey completion, 57% (875/1522) of respondents reported that their equids were working less, 76% (1130/1478) reported a decreased monthly income from equids, and 78% (1186/1519) reported a reduction in household income compared to pre-pandemic levels. Costs of equid upkeep remained the same for 58% (886/1519) of respondents and 68% (1034/1518) reported no change in the health of their equid. The potential long-term impacts on human and equid welfare due to reported financial insecurities necessitates monitoring. A One Welfare approach, involving collaboration with governments, humanitarian, and animal welfare non-governmental organisations is required to mitigate deep-rooted issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a substantial impact on small-scale broiler production systems in developing countries and put their supply chains at risk of disruption. Drawing on a survey of 205 small-scale commercial broiler farms (SCBFs) in Egypt, this study identifies the primary pathways through which the pandemic has affected these farms and investigates the determinants of their perception of COVID-19 effects. The empirical results revealed that the pandemic affected SCBFs heterogeneously based on their management and production systems and resource endowment. In particular, individually owned farms and those with membership of poultry producer organizations and larger total asset values perceived significantly fewer effects. In addition, SCBFs operating in both local and provincial markets were less likely to perceive negative effects from the pandemic. Despite that the adoption of strict containment measures was essential for protecting public health, our results indicate that policy responses to COVID-19 must consider the likely effects on small businesses such as SCBFs since disruptions to such socioeconomically important supply chains will intensify human suffering from the pandemic. These findings of our study provide important implications for enhancing the preparedness and resilience of small-scale broiler production systems in developing countries to future pandemics and natural hazards. As in many other countries, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, together with subsequent government containment measures, posed significant challenges to small-scale broiler production systems in Egypt. Based on a survey of 205 specialist small-scale commercial broiler farms (SCBFs) consisting of both farm-based and household-based production systems, this study identifies the primary pathways through which COVID-19 has affected SCBFs and investigates the determinants of farm perception of these effects. A polychoric principal component analysis sorted the effects of the pandemic on the SCBFs surveyed into five categories, namely, input availability, production and operational costs, labor and human resources, consumer demand and sales, and farm finances. Next, five ordered logit models were constructed to examine the determinants of the SCBFs' perception of each category of these effects. Generally, the empirical results revealed that COVID-19 affected SCBFs heterogeneously based on their management and production systems and resource endowment. Female-led and household-based SCBFs perceived significantly greater COVID-19 effects. In contrast, individually owned farms and those with membership of poultry producer organizations and larger total asset values perceived fewer effects. In addition, SCBFs operating in both local and provincial markets were less likely to perceive negative effects from the pandemic on their broiler farming activities. Although the adoption of strict and immediate containment measures was essential for controlling the virus and protecting public health, our results indicate that policy responses to COVID-19 must consider the likely effects on small businesses such as SCBFs since disruptions to such socioeconomically important supply chains will intensify human suffering from the pandemic. Overall, our findings provide important implications for the formulation of effective strategies for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on small-scale broiler production systems in Egypt and enhancing their preparedness and resilience to future pandemics, natural hazard risks, and market shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: On 23 March 2020, the UK Government introduced its first nationwide lockdown as part of efforts to reduce the impact of COVID-19. There have since been two more. "Lockdown" control measures meant both racehorse trainers and veterinary surgeons (vets) had to make changes to the way they worked. Beneficial practices which aided veterinary care have been reported anecdotally, as has an increase in the use of electronic communication and information technologies. The aim of this study was to investigate if these claims could be supported by exploring any changes to racehorse veterinary care that occurred due to the implementation of the first COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. Data collection involved carrying out ten semistructured interviews with racehorse trainers and ten equine vets from November 2020 to January 2021. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to try and make sense of how vets and trainers interacted with each other before and during a period of rapid change and how both groups found alternative ways to ensure beneficial veterinary care was not compromised. Data Analysis revealed four themes threading through the data. These were, firstly, the trainer–vet relationship is built upon a good working relationship, secondly, there had been little or no change in the vet–trainer relationship during the first "lockdown" period. Thirdly, when COVID-19 restrictions were in force, more remote consultations took place using images or videos as well as telephone consults, and the fourth and final theme identified the way connectivity and poor-quality images and videos limited their effectiveness. In March 2020, the World Health Organisation called for countries to take urgent and aggressive action against a global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Restrictions were introduced in many countries to reduce transmission of COVID-19 and ultimately deaths. Such restrictions have been colloquially referred to as "lockdown". Anecdotal evidence of the beneficial practices that facilitated safe veterinary treatment and equine care had been reported together with an increase in the use of electronic communication and information technologies during the first "lockdown". Thus, the aim of this qualitative study was to capture any beneficial changes to racehorse veterinary care that were implemented during the first "lockdown" period in the UK that lasted from 23 March to 12 May 2020. Ten equine veterinary surgeons who primarily treat racehorses and 10 racehorse trainers were interviewed either by telephone or by videoconferencing. After using thematic analysis from a critical realist social constructionist perspective, four themes were identified. These were, firstly, according to our participants, the trainer–vet relationship is predicated upon a good working relationship, secondly, there had been little or no change in the vet–trainer relationship during the first "lockdown" period. Thirdly, when COVID-19 restrictions were in force, more remote consultations took place using images or videos as well as telephone consults, viewed favourably by both trainers and vets, and finally, intermittent connectivity and poor-quality images and videos limited their effectiveness. In order to fully benefit from the positive changes employed by some vets and trainers in their working relationships, we recommend that rural connectivity is prioritised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: COVID-19 spread across the UK in early 2020. On 16 March 2020, the government announced measures that could be taken by the public to reduce the spread of the virus. On the 18 March 2020 schools across the UK were closed and by 23rd March 2020, the UK entered its first mandatory lockdown. During this time, UK equestrians had to balance meeting their horse's welfare needs with government advice and guidance. A survey was distributed to equine owners at the end of March 2020 via social media to try to understand their equine-related decision-making at this time. Data from 452 respondents indicated differences between the types of changes made following the government announcements on 16 March and 18 March. Early changes were focused on implementing biosecurity measures at equine establishments and opting to stop riding the horse, while those after 18 March were largely aimed at reducing the risk associated with various equine-related activities. The findings suggest that few equestrians had emergency plans in place should they be unable to care for their horses, donkeys or mules, and also raise questions about risk perception. In the UK, March 2020 was a time of great uncertainty as COVID-19 became increasingly widespread. The government responded by making suggestions about how people could reduce the risk of spread on 16 March, moved swiftly into closing schools on the 18 March before announcing a mandatory lockdown on the 23rd March. This was a challenging time for UK equestrians who had to balance maintaining their equine's routine and daily care alongside the increasing biosecurity measures. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to UK equestrians via social media over two days (28 and 29 March 2020) to better understand the decisions made by UK horse, pony and donkey owners during this time. Data from 452 respondents were generated across all four countries comprising the UK, although there were no significant differences in owner response to the pandemic between locations. The changes respondents made differed between the 16th and the 18th of March 2020, with an early emphasis on improving yard biosecurity and opting to stop riding, as well as reducing the time spent at the yard. After the 18 March, respondents placed more emphasis on risk reduction by changing the activities they did with their horse, including riding, with common examples including avoiding "high risk" activities such as riding on busy roads, jumping, riding young or nervous horses. Few respondents reported having an emergency plan in place should they become ill or otherwise unable to care for their equine. The findings highlight areas that would significantly benefit from in-depth investigation in future research. Equestrian behaviour and mindset around risk-taking and risk perception have already been researched in relation to equestrian activities and sport but have received little attention in the context of wider health challenges. Understanding the uptake of emergency planning and preparation in the UK equestrian community also warrants consideration. Using this information effectively to promote forward planning is likely to be of great benefit in equestrian responses to future health or climate-related crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In the U.S., thousands of pigs had to be destroyed on the farms when illness caused by COVID-19 greatly reduced pork slaughter plant capacity. Some of the methods used to destroy pigs on the farms severely compromised animal welfare. Reliance on a few large slaughter plants created a fragile supply chain. Animal welfare auditing conducted by large meat buyers was also hindered by COVID-19. Many live in-person audits were stopped and replaced by a combination of stationary video cameras and live streamed videos from mobile phones. To insure high standards of animal welfare, video methods should never completely replace in-person visits. In the U.S., the most severe animal welfare problems caused by COViD-19 were in the pork industry. Thousands of pigs had to be destroyed on the farm due to reduced slaughter capacity caused by ill workers. In the future, both short-term and long-term remedies will be needed. In the short-term, a portable electrocution unit that uses scientifically validated electrical parameters for inducing instantaneous unconsciousness, would be preferable to some of the poor killing methods. A second alternative would be converting the slaughter houses to carcass production. This would require fewer people to process the same number of pigs. The pandemic revealed the fragility of large centralized supply chains. A more distributed supply chain with smaller abattoirs would be more robust and less prone to disruption, but the cost of pork would be greater. Small abattoirs can coexist with large slaughter facilities if they process pigs for specialized premium markets such as high welfare pork. The pandemic also had a detrimental effect on animal welfare inspection and third party auditing programs run by large meat buyers. Most in-person audits in the slaughter plants were cancelled and audits were done by video. Video audits should never completely replace in-person audits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: COVID-19 is the disease caused by a coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2. The disease was declared by WHO in March 2020 as a pandemic and is still affecting countries around the world. Although considered a human disease, it is thought to have its origins in bats, and transmitted to humans potentially through an intermediate animal. What is not fully understood is the likelihood of the virus transmitting back to animal populations, either to companion or wild animals. For the virus to enter host cells, it needs to interact with particular proteins on the cell surface. Here we review the susceptibility of animals to the SARS-CoV-2 virus through the comparison of proteins between animals and humans. The most studied is the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2), which has been used to rank the viral susceptibility of a range of vertebrates. Here, we also assess three other proteins. Of these, TMPRSS2 may be helpful in determining susceptibility, whereas the other two would appear to be of limited use. We propose that future work should examine changes seen in these proteins which alter the ease by which the virus can enter cells. This type of analysis may contribute limited evidence in predicting if animals are safe from such viruses and may help to guide future welfare concerns. COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, is a world-wide problem for the human population. It is known that some animal species, such as mink, can become infected and transmit the virus. However, the susceptibility of most animals is not known. Here, we review the use of sequence analysis of the proteins which are known to interact with SARS-CoV-2 as a way to estimate an animal's susceptibility. Although most such work concentrates on the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor (ACE2), here TMPRSS2 (Transmembrane Serine Protease 2), neuropilin-1 and furin are also considered. Polymorphisms, especially ones which are known to alter viral/host interactions are also discussed. Analysis of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 protein sequences across species suggests this approach may be of some utility in predicting susceptibility; however, this analysis fails to highlight some susceptible animals such as mink. However, combined with observational data which emerges over time about which animals actually become infected, this may, in the future, be a useful tool to assist the management of risks associated with human/animal contact and support conservation and animal welfare measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This investigation explored the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and following alert levels on pets in New Zealand. Pet owners were surveyed during the last week of the first Alert Level 4 lockdown (highest level of restrictions) and then three months later during Alert Level 1 (lowest level of restrictions). During lockdown, just over half of those surveyed thought that their pet's wellbeing was better than usual, and most owners could list at least one benefit of lockdown for their pets. These included more company, play and exercise. Owners expressed that they were concerned about their pet's wellbeing after lockdown, with pets missing company/attention and separation anxiety being major themes. The Alert Level 1 survey indicated that owners continued to play with their pets more but that higher levels of exercise were not maintained. Just over one-third of owners took steps to prepare their pets to transition out of lockdown. The results indicate that pets may have enjoyed improved welfare during lockdown due to the possibility of increased human-pet interaction. The steps taken by owners to prepare animals for a return to normal life may enhance pet wellbeing long-term if maintained. The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on human-pet interactions within New Zealand, particularly during lockdown, was investigated via two national surveys. In Survey 1, pet owners (n = 686) responded during the final week of the five-week Alert Level 4 lockdown (highest level of restrictions—April 2020), and survey 2 involved 498 respondents during July 2020 whilst at Alert Level 1 (lowest level of restrictions). During the lockdown, 54.7% of owners felt that their pets' wellbeing was better than usual, while only 7.4% felt that it was worse. Most respondents (84.0%) could list at least one benefit of lockdown for their pets, and they noted pets were engaged with more play (61.7%) and exercise (49.7%) than pre-lockdown. Many respondents (40.3%) expressed that they were concerned about their pet's wellbeing after lockdown, with pets missing company/attention and separation anxiety being major themes. In Survey 2, 27.9% of respondents reported that they continued to engage in increased rates of play with their pets after lockdown, however, the higher levels of pet exercise were not maintained. Just over one-third (35.9%) of owners took steps to prepare their pets to transition out of lockdown. The results indicate that pets may have enjoyed improved welfare during lockdown due to the possibility of increased human-pet interaction. The steps taken by owners to prepare animals for a return to normal life may enhance pet wellbeing long-term if maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic and an ongoing public health emergency. In the United Kingdom, quarantine and social distancing measures were implemented with immediate effect on 17 March 2020, resulting in a rapid change to the way owners managed and interacted with their horses. We surveyed 6259 horse owners to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on themselves and their horses. The majority of horse owners were visiting and riding their horses less, with increased restrictions experienced by owners who kept their horse at private livery yards. Whilst social distancing and visiting restrictions were in place at livery yards, nearly half were not providing hand sanitization or disinfection protocols for shared areas/equipment to prevent the spread of the virus between owners. Horse owners expressed concern that equine health and welfare would be negatively affected by the restrictions put in place and of financial consequences as a result of the pandemic. The majority of respondents also felt their own mental health and wellbeing was being adversely affected by not being able to visit/interact as they normally would with their horses. Equestrian influencers and national bodies should engage with increased communication and education to support horse owners through the pandemic in the short, medium, and long-term. COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic on 11 March 2020; the United Kingdom (UK) implemented quarantine measures shortly afterward, resulting in rapid changes in how owners managed and interacted with their horses. This study provides a rapid analysis of the initial impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the management of UK leisure and competition horses. A 17 question online survey was distributed via equestrian social media sites to ascertain the impact of COVID-19 on horse and yard management and on human–horse interactions. Frequency analysis combined with Chi-squared and thematic analyses identified the impact of COVID-19 on UK horse owners. Major changes within horse management and horse–human interactions were reported for the majority of horse owners (>65%), regardless of the establishment type or region. Social distancing and visiting restrictions were implemented at most yards, but nearly half were not providing hand sanitization or disinfection protocols for the shared areas/equipment to prevent cross-contamination between users. The financial impact of the pandemic combined with restricted access to veterinary professionals resulted in owners expressing concerns that horse health and welfare may be compromised as a result. Horse owners also felt that the reduced opportunities for horse–human interactions were negatively affecting their mental health and wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]