Horses Used for Educational Purposes in New Zealand: A Descriptive Analysis of Their Use for Teaching

Simple Summary Many equine and veterinary science degree programmes use horses during practical teaching classes. The use of horses during teaching was studied over a calendar year. The teaching horses were characterised as older non-reactive mares and geldings that had been used for teaching for a number of years after retirement from (harness) racing or sport. These horses were grouped into and managed as different herds based on suitability for specific practical teaching classes. The frequency of teaching activities per horse was relatively low (1-2 sessions per week). Two broad types of practical classes were identified which were characterised by the restraint method used (yards vs. stocks), duration of the class, and number of students per horse. The classes included rectal examinations (in stocks, shorter duration, few students) and general animal handling and husbandry, which included handling, lameness evaluation, clinical examination and foot trimming (in yards, longer duration, more students). Although the workload from teaching within this cohort of horses was low, more work to determine additional markers of teaching horses' welfare may be required. Horses are used in practical teaching classes in many equine and veterinary science degree programmes to develop and refine the handling and clinical skills of students. In this study, the activities of 24 teaching horses grouped in three herds were investigated over an entire calendar year. Although also used for research and general husbandry, teaching-related activities were the predominant use of the horses. Herd B was used for a greater number of teaching sessions (median = 28, IQR = 27-29.5 per year) than herds M (median = 21, IQR = 20-21 per year) and T (median = 19.5, IQR = 13.75-25.5 per year), which translates to a relatively low workload (one or two weekly sessions during the teaching semester). Sedation was used in dentistry classes (in alignment with national best practice standards) but was rarely required for other teaching activities. Mare reproductive rectal- and medical rectal examination practical classes (specific to 5th-year veterinary teaching and characterised by more restraint (in stocks)) were significantly shorter and had fewer students per horse than the other practical classes. Although the low workload reported suggests an opportunity to increase students' exposure to horses without compromising the horses' welfare, further investigation to determine specific stressors to the horses in the teaching environment may be required.