COVID-19 most likely made the leap from an animal species into humans, perhaps via the bat, gaining potency along the way. This is a story familiar to vets and animal owners used to parasites, for example the liver fluke spreading between cattle, sheep and horses by way of water snails.

There is no evidence that the current virus causing Covid-19 directly affects horses. However, it is still primed to have a serious indirect effect on equine health and welfare. You might ask, how?

The Covid-19 pandemic has the potential to create a ‘perfect storm’ for equine welfare. Horses are not cheap to keep, at least not properly; and a minimum level of knowledge and practical access as well as resources is also required.

Not only has the pandemic caused a major economic downturn, affecting millions of people’s livelihoods and thus ability and willingness to contribute to equine welfare charities, it has greatly increased the need for the services these offer. And in some countries Covid-19 travel restrictions meant owners couldn’t provide proper care; farriers, vets and dental technicians couldn’t always deliver essential service – preventing and treating disease conditions.

Expensive activities

We in Ireland have recent and painful experience – as the Celtic Tiger weakened and coughed its last we saw at first hand the effect that a recession has on our sector. At the time I was completing an equine welfare project based out of UCD School of Veterinary Medicine. Equestrian sports, racing and even leisure are expensive activities particularly if the animals are not kept on grass at home. We saw horses (and donkeys) being abandoned in significant numbers in this time.

This next crisis won’t be Ireland-specific or Ireland-limited. I can see the effects already from my involvement with the Irish Horse Welfare Trust, The Donkey Sanctuary and EuroGroup for Animals across Europe.

On July 14th, I participated in a webinar run by the EU Parliament Intergroup on the welfare and conservation of animals. Speakers presented in graphic detail the already negative impact of the pandemic on equine welfare across Europe. Case studies of welfare-compromised equines were presented from across the continent – from Romania to Italy, Cyprus, Ireland and Spain.

In the UK, the larger equine charities have banded together to try and support the smaller ones, those most in danger of collapse. Charities made a verbal appeal to the EU Parliament and Commission to assist them as they face an ever-greater need at a time of increased costs and a collapse in their funding – unable to hold events, having to close their centres to visitors and volunteers, facing a fall-off both in donations and the value of legacies (largely linked to property prices).

Identification

Compared to 10 years ago when we last suffered the effects of an economic recession, identification of horses (via microchips and databases) is now more widely accepted, largely as a consequence of the horse-meat scandal. Owners/keepers are more tightly linked with the horses they have registered (though transfer of ownership is not as robust as it might be).

But there will still be many looking to move their horses on; the market will be weak; entry to the meat factories is more closely policed and many horses have been signed out of the food-chain. Sadly, it is likely that many horses will move down the value chain until they are found in a poor welfare state.

This is usually where the NGO (charity) sector steps in – to rescue, rehabilitate and rehome (where possible), to offer sanctuary, and to euthanise those unable to be saved.

So spare a thought for those innocent victims of the pandemic – yes the people adversely affected through no fault of their own, losing loved ones, jobs, financial security and worse– but also the horses (and donkeys) that they are responsible for, that they may no longer be able to care for or perhaps even want.

The 2020 Programme for Government states that it supports ‘a doubling of the ex-gratia funding for animal welfare organisations within two years’ – last year the figure was almost €3 million.

This money, if it materialises, will be ever more needed; it remais to be seen how much will reach the equine sector. You can help make it happen for horses – by making representations on their behalf, and by providing practical and financial assistance to the essential work the charity sector do.