We are conducting a nation-wide survey on horse ownership and the general opinions

of horse owners about horses and the horse community in New Zealand. This survey
aims to investigate the owner- horse relationship and how the relationship have an
impact on both horse owners and the horse(s) under their care. Please tell a person or
a friend about this survey to encourage more people who owns horses to participate
in this survey.

Please tick the boxes and / or fill-up the blank spaces for each of the questions in this
survey. There are five (5) sections in this survey:

Section 1: General questions – (11)

Section 2: Motivation for horse ownership - (8)
Section 3: Horse bereavement - (5)
Section 4: Horse care - (4)
Section 5: Horse welfare - (8)

In Section 1, you will answer a few general questions about yourself, as a horse owner.
In Section 2, you will encounter questions on personal motivation and / or reasons for
choosing to live in association with horses by owning a horse. In Section3, you will have
questions on your views and experiences on the end of life moment of your horse(s).
In Section 4, questions you will be required to answer on caring for your horse(s). and
lastly, in Section 5, we would like your views on the welfare of horses. You will require
about 15 minutes to complete this survey.

The result from this survey will help horse owners to further understand the human-
horse(s) relationships dynamics and improve the welfare of horses. At the end of this
survey, the results will be shared with all the respondents to this survey. Your response
to this survey is very valuable to us and we appreciate your time and interest in
completing this survey. Thank you for participating in this survey.

Qualifying questions for this survey

Currently, do you own any horse(s)? □ yes / □ no
Are you 16 years of age or older? □ yes / □ no

Section 1: General questions

1) Gender of participant: □ female / □ male
2) Age group (in years): □ 16-30 / □ 31-40 / □ 41-50 / □ 51-64 / □ > 65
3) Level of education: □ high school / □ pre-university / □ undergraduates / □ postgraduates
4) Region:
□ North Island:
□ Auckland / □ Bay of Plenty / □ Hawkes bay / □ Manawatu-Wanganui /
□ Northland / □ Taranaki / □ Gisborne / □ Waikato / □ Wellington
□ South Island:
□ Canterbury / □ Marlborough / □ Nelson / □ Otago / □ Southland / □ Tasman /
□ West Coast
5) Owners’ average annual income:
□ NZD 14,000 or less
□ NZD 14,001 – NZD 48,000
□ NZD 48,001 – NZD 70,000
□ NZD 71,000 – NZD 100,000
□ NZD 100,001 – NZD 120,000
□ NZD 121,000 – NZD 150,000
□ More than NZD 151,000

6) The number of horses you own: _______

7) The breed(s) of horses / ponies you own:

Horses Ponies
Breeds □ American Miniature Horse □ Mixed Breed □ Welsh □ Shetland
□ American Quarter Horse □ Morgan □ Welsh cross □ Shetland cross
□ Anglo-Arab □ Oldenburg □ Connemara □ Riding pony
□ Appaloosa □ Percherons □ Timor □ Mixed breed
□ Arab □ Shires □ Timor cross □ others, please
□ Arab cross □ Standardbred specify: ______
□ Belgians □ Stationbred
□ Caspian Miniature Horse □ Tennessee Walking Horse
□ Clydesdales □ Thoroughbred
□ Dutch Warmblood □ Thoroughbred cross
□ English Shire □ Trakhener
□ Hanoverian □ Welsh Cob
□ Holsteiner □ Westphalian
□ Icelandic Horses □ others, please specify:
□ Irish Sport Horse ______
□ Kaimanawa
□ Kentucky Mountain Horse

8) Status of horse ownership:

□ privately owned family horse
□ stud farm horses, breeder, trainer (commercially owned or company-owned)

9) Where is the horse or where are the horses kept?

□ own farm / □ lease land / □ others, please specify ______

10) How many years have you been a horse owner? _____ years
11) On the horses that you owned, what are their main purposes or roles they have performed
previously? (please tick more than one if applicable)

□ international competition (horse racing, dressage, eventing, show jumping, show hunters)
□ national competition (horse racing, dressage, eventing, show jumping, show hunters)
□ regional competition (horse racing, dressage, eventing, show jumping, show hunters)
□ polo ponies
□ general horseback riding, pleasure riding or hacking (on roads and trails)
□ companionship for other horses
□ human companionship
□ production or livestock
□ breeding (stud)
□ draft and agricultural (farm) work
□ driving carriage, cart or wagon
□ other purpose: please specify: _____

Section 2: Motivation for horse ownership

1) What do you think about horse ownership?
□ a privilege
□ a lot of responsibility
□ a tradition in my family, I am keen on the traditional lifestyle
□ rewarding and amazing – it brings joy, a sense of fulfilment and I admire the horse’s elegance,
demeanour and beauty, I am a proud owner of horse(s)
□ tell me what you think: ____

2) What is the external factor(s) which influences your decision to own a horse?
□ family with horses
□ environmental – surrounded by horse enthusiast
□ having a disposable income
□ income-generating through sporting events or services rendered (example: horse riding
lessons)
□ career related to horses (trainer, horse nutritionist, veterinarians, veterinary
paraprofessionals)
□ others, please state: _________

3) What is the internal factor(s) which influences your decision to own a horse?
□ genuine passion for horses
□ to have social and / or wealth status
□ a desire to influence the future generation to continue the tradition of horse ownership
□ investing for the future, thinking forward, looking to preserve horse(s) genetics, their existence
and their use
□ others, please state: _________
4) Please self-rate your skills of horsemanship (caring, navigating, handling and managing
horses):
□ preliminary / □ intermediate / □ advanced

5) Please self-rate your level of comfort in riding horses (riding experience):

□ still learning / □ comfortable with horses / □ very confident with horses

6) In normal days, during your time with your horse(s), can you tell your horse(s)’ emotions, such
as if your horse is angry, fearful, happy or calm?
□ yes, absolutely
□ sometimes (occasionally)
□ not quite
□ I have no opinion on this and I would like to refrain from answering this question

7) When you love your horse very much, you are willing to do anything possible to keep it
comfortable and healthy. When you don’t love your horse, you hardly feel a need to care for,
or to be concern about your horse’s needs. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being very little, and 10 being
the very much, scores between 1 and 10 representing a rising level, how much do you love your
horse?
□ 1 / □ 2 / □ 3 / □ 4 / □ 5 / □ 6 / □ 7 / □ 8 / □ 9 / □ 10

8) Indicate how much you agree on these views on horse ownership:

- I spend a lot of time just talking to my horse(s).
□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I share an emotional connection with my horse(s).

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I can tell my horse wants or needs by the way he or she behaves.

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I can tell if my horse is annoyed, triggered in fear, being stubborn, or aggressive.

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I have bonding sessions with my horse(s) by grooming it.

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I gauge and judge my horse’s value based on my horse’s performance and what it can do.
□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I manage my horse in such a way as to increase its productivity and performance level.
□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree
 - I optimise my horse’s production level by feeding appropriate feed, planning on mating of
my horse, having multiple horses on my farm, or getting my horse started early in the
training programme.
□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I see my horse as an investment with a definite return in the future.

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I see the horse that I own as an unnecessary burden to the family, in terms of financial
expenditure and time spend to feed and manage it.
□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I think life would have been better without owning a horse.

□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

- I see that a horse can graze so much that it damages the grassland or landscape, promote
manure accumulation and causes pollution in the environment
□ Strongly agree □ Agree □ Neutral □ Disagree □ Strongly Disagree

Section 3: Horse bereavement

1) What could have been your inner state of mind if you have just lost a horse?
□ sad, emotional
□ emptiness
□ I try not to go into thinking and feeling it after the lost, as it could affect my sensibility
□ I don’t feel an emotion on that, it is an unfortunate circumstance and must be dealt effectively

2) Normally, how would you handle the end-of-life moment of your horse?
□ if the horse has been critically ill due to a chronic disease or if the horse had suffered from a
catastrophic trauma such as an irreparable fracture, opt for euthanasia and proper disposal by
incineration or burial
□ allow horse to live to old age and die of natural causes – prefer minimal veterinary
intervention during this end-of-life moment
□ send them to abattoir for slaughter for meat
□ have never experienced handling end-of-life moment and this question is irrelevant to you

3) Do you have disease(s) that you most dread that your horse might get - a nightmare or a
disaster for you if you do encounter such disease(s)?
□ colic
□ laminitis
□ infectious bacterial diseases (strangles, Rhodococcus equi, leptospirosis)
□ infectious viral diseases (Equine herpes virus, Equine viral arteritis, Equine infectious anaemia,
Equine influenza)
□ poisoning from plants, or chemicals
□ if not listed, please name the disease: _____
□ no, I do not have diseases that I dread my horse might get
 □ I am not sure, I hope my horse(s) stays healthy always

4) What do you think of horse slaughter?

□ gross and cruel, not the option I would like to have for my horse
□ a feasible option which allows horses I owned that are no longer useful to be disposed of
responsibly
□ not a bad option for me in terms of costing, to remove horse that is no longer useful to me
from my premise
□ I neither object nor advocate for horse slaughter

5) Even though horses do not have major health issues at the time of euthanasia, euthanising
them because the owner cannot keep them anymore, personally, do you think it is an
acceptable practice?
□ yes, it is ok, considering there are limited financial and space to cater for the needs of these
horses
□ no, it is not ok, because these horses are still healthy, and would deserve to have a second
chance at life
□ I have mixed feelings regarding this, it is both yes and no for me.
□ I have no opinion on this question

Section 4: Horse care

1) How do you view horses under your care?
□ they are unique species of animal, animal nonetheless, but they are sentient beings - with the
ability to emote such as fear or discomfort and require human care
□ if humans can provide them with adequate food, and shelter needs, and properly
management them, they can be used for various types of work, or for competing
□ I would like to have them to work, on a purpose, to be useful, I do not want to own them and
have no purpose for them, it wouldn’t be good for them to stay in the paddock without any
work
□ others, please state: _________

2) How much care do you think you are providing to your horse(s) currently?
□ all the basic needs, such as food, a good home to live in
□ all the basic needs such as food, shelter, grooming, including veterinary care and social
interaction with other horses
□ all the basic needs such as mentioned above, and I strive to provide extra care for my horse,
such as understanding the correct feeding requirement, the correct shoe type, correct training
methodology, etc.

3) If you have more than one horse, do you provide different levels of care for different horse(s)?
□ yes, I tailor the needs of the horses according to their breeds, type of work they do,
physiological demand, etc. or if one horse needs to be fed a special diet according to the vets’
advice, he gets that
□ no, I usually provide the same level of care for all horses - because the horses I have are of the
similar ages, breeds, and they have similar work
 □ no, I usually provide the same level of care for all horses despite their age differences, breeds
and work type
□ I have only one horse and / or I would like to refrain from answering this question

4) Are you meticulous when it comes to caring for your horse and its needs?

□ yes, I am very meticulous about certain things for my horse because I want my horse to be in
the best condition possible
□ yes, I am a little meticulous, but I do understand that there are rooms for improvement in the
current ways I am adopting to manage my horse
□ no, I tend to think that the way I am managing my horse is enough, managing a horse is not
difficult for me.
□ I am not sure what I am as I am not the person directly responsible for caring for my horse
□ I have no opinion on this, and I would like to refrain from answering this question

Section 6: Horse welfare

1) What are possible ways we could better the lives of horses and / or improve their welfare?
□ improvement in human behaviour and moral conscience, cultivating a sense of responsibility
and an ability to perceive the needs of the horse(s)
□ acquire knowledge about horses and how to care for them better
□ financial ability
□ all three above
□ I have no opinion on this, and I would like to refrain from answering this question

2) What does safeguard horses’ welfare and / or better the lives of horses mean to you?
□ fulfilling their basic needs such as food, shelter, veterinary care, social needs, etc. and
maintaining their overall health, vitality and well-being to the best and for a long period of time
□ treating them with respect, do not physically or psychologically abuse them and do not
overworked them
□ fulfilling the five freedoms: freedom from hunger and thirst, freedom from discomfort,
freedom from pain, injury and disease, freedom to express normal behaviour, freedom from fear
and distress
□ all the above
□ I have no opinion on this, and I would like to refrain from answering this question

3) “Horses potentially experience compromised welfare at the hands of human caregivers”, on a

scale of 1 to 10, 1 means very little, and 10 means very much, how strongly do you agree with
this statement?
□ 1 / □ 2 / □ 3 / □ 4 / □ 5 / □ 6 / □ 7 / □ 8 / □ 9 / □ 10

4) Do you think horses retired from their previous work because of chronic lameness can be used
for other light work?
□ yes, if they receive ongoing treatment and care for their lameness
□ no, because strictly speaking, a chronically lame horse is uncomfortable, using them to work
means having to compromise their welfare
 □ yes and no, depending on the horse’s age, and financial situation of the owner, if the owner
wants to keep the old horse and have limited financial ability, allowing the horse to work might
be a good idea to relieve financial burden
□ I have no opinion on this and I would like to refrain from answering this question.

5) Horses neglect, or abuse is a serious welfare issue. What do you think would be the prevalence
rate of this problem amongst horses living in NZ?
□ low
□ moderately
□ high
□ not sure

6) Unwanted horses are becoming a major problem, particularly when the economy is rough and
the demand for horses decline. How do you think this problem can be addressed most
effectively?
□ allow horses to be sent to abattoir for slaughter (legally) either for consumption or for other
purposes, such as processing for pet food.
□ require more government bodies or local authority involvement into funding to set up horse
sanctuary to provide housing, retraining and rehoming for unwanted horses
□ require more private parties (such as animal welfare advocate or very rich people)
involvement into funding to set up horse sanctuary to provide housing, retraining and rehoming
for unwanted horses
□ allow euthanasia of unwanted horses, either on medical grounds or by request from owner
□ this problem is complex, any one of the above moves may not be enough to address the
problem, although they are all viable solution. I would think it is best to handle each case on a
case by case basis, in the most humane way possible.

7) What can be done to decrease the unwanted horse’s population most effectively?
□ controlled, responsible breeding
□ setting up horse sanctuaries (although require a lot of funding and invite a lot of challenges to
maintain and manage the sanctuary) to accommodate these horses and allow them to be re-
homed, or re-trained to be useful horses
□ legislation to make horse ownership more difficult (much like control of gun ownership in the
USA)
□ legislation to impose fines for owners who abuse or abandon unwanted horses
□ mandatory education on horse ownership: including horse ownership responsibilities

8) Financial hardship is one of the most important reasons for horse owner to relinquish their
horses. Do you think there are the best possible ways to ensure that the financial ability of the
horse owners is secure in order that the horse owners could care for their horses?
□ have a loan system, much like having a car loan or a house loan, for horse owners
□ insurance to cover the medical costs of the horse(s) owned
□ affordable equine veterinary hospitalization bills and costs for horse owners, with yearly
mandatory health checks (like AA car services)
 □ emergency financial support from the government for horse owners in need of funding (like
government support for jobless people in some countries)
□ tax-relieving incentives for horse owner

handling, grooming and tacking up, saddle fit and tack sizing
Another survey on the riders: Interests, solid foundation, artistic talents