Qualitative study of the influence of horse-owner relationship during some key events within a horse's lifetime

Background: There is a lack of research exploring how the horse-human relationship influences horse owners' decision-making. The aim of this study was to investigate how an owner's relationship with their horse affects decisions around key events during their horse's lifetime. Methods: An online survey and semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with horse-owners. The online survey asked horse owners about their experiences of decision-making and their relationship with their horse and identified interview participants. Two semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 horse owners on their experience of purchasing and euthanasia of horses. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and thematic analysis was performed. Results: There were 938 responses to the online survey. The majority of owners considered their horse to be a member of the family (92.9%, 808/870). The mean amount spent annually on their horse was 9215 pound (range 324-14,240) pound. Seven themes were identified in the interviews including mismatching of horse and rider; financial, time, welfare and personal obligations involved in horse ownership; shared-decision making; the horse's quality of life; guilt and responsibility grief surrounding euthanasia decisions. Conclusion: This study highlighted the strong owner-horse relationship, the significant obligations involved in horse ownership and the emotional impact of euthanasia decisions.