TIME and again we hear and read about horses being ‘at the centre of our horsey world’, that they’re ‘the most important part’ of our racing/sporting/equestrian activities. But are they really? Can we actually make horses and their needs THE priority?

Many people state their concern for equine welfare in terms of caring for (their) horses that make these racing/sporting/equestrian activities possible. But if their welfare, as distinct from our care of them, was truly our focus wouldn’t we be able to say (with conviction and from a place of evidence) that all of our horses are fully fulfilled in their ‘horsiness’ rather than their utility to us?