Proud to be the UK pet insurer championing animal welfare

Equine Welfare Hub

Why we care about the importance of the equine welfare domains

At Agria we want the very best for all animals. We’re unique – not simply because we’re the only UK provider of equine insurance offering lifetime cover – but because our caring culture is part of our DNA. Horses deserve the highest quality care, every day, not just when things go wrong. This is why Agria champions the ‘Five Domains’ of equine welfare, based on the Animal Welfare Act 2006. These extend beyond the basics required for a horse’s physical wellbeing but provide for positive mental health, helping to protect your partnership and special bond for life.

Roly Owers outside - Agria Pet Insurance

“World Horse Welfare has been spreading the educational word on welfare for almost a century, since our founder Ada Cole established us a campaigning charity focused on improving the welfare of horses within the horse-human relationship.

“The ‘Five Domains’ model, at the heart of Agria’s campaign, recognises that quality of life for any animal depends on their physical AND mental wellbeing. So, this means protecting horses and ponies from negatives, such as hunger, thirst and pain, but also giving them plenty of positive experiences. These are often summarised as the ‘Three Fs’: freedom, friends and forage.

“We applaud Agria for its focus on guiding horse owners on what their horses need to live well. It’s always good to meet an equine business that has horse care at its heart.”

What are the equine welfare pillars?

Behaviour

A horse’s ability to behave like a horse is crucial to its wellbeing. This can be broken down into how horses interact with humans, other animals and the environment. They are herd animals that enjoy company, mutually grooming, feeing safe in the company of others and having the freedom to run.

Environment

Providing a safe and comfortable home for horses is very important. They need to feel safe, comfortable and happy. A lack of space, proximity to hazards and an inability to manage temperature affects horses physically and mentally.

Health

At its most basic level, health is being free from injury or illness. A healthy horse is more likely to be a happy horse, whereas an animal in poor physical condition may also be mentally distressed.

Nutrition

A physical ‘domain’ that is necessary for health and growth. A hungry or thirsty horse could experience a range of emotions including stress. Understanding a horse’s nutritional requirements is essential to its care; don’t forget feeing a horse more than it needs can also have welfare implications.

Mental State

Just like humans, horses have mental health needs. It is important we recognise this and learn how to interpret signs of anger and pain, as well as relaxation and happiness.

"2022 saw us achieve our amazing goal of becoming carbon positive in order to protect the planet we and all our animals call home. From that inspirational success we now turn our sights to protecting those animals and their welfare in every way. We get a huge amount from having animals and sharing our world with wildlife, they enrich our lives in so many ways. At Agria we want to return that generosity by making their lives as rich as possible too. We already donate funds for research into animal welfare, and support hundreds of animal rescues giving them the gift of new homes, but we care so deeply about animals we want the conversation of 2023 to be how we can help them lead their best possible lives. We will be exploring these needs, interviewing specialists, sharing research, and reviewing case studies in a fascinating year of enlightenment. The 5 domains of equine welfare are Behaviour, Nutrition, Health, Environment and Mental State and they are at the heart of everything we do."