Assessing welfare globally 

Project overview 

The Validation of Welfare Assessment Tool for Evaluating the Health and Welfare of Working Equids project aims to develop, refine and validate an assessment protocol for consistently measuring the health and welfare of working horses, ponies, donkeys and mules around the world. 

The project began in November 2023 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025 – ensuring important updates have been incorporated alongside improved training materials, and robust testing. By collecting and analysing data from thousands of working equids, alongside valuable user feedback, we are ensuring this vital resource is accurate, reliable, and truly practical for use in the field. 

Importantly, the tool will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of our own projects. By analysing outcomes, we can adapt and strengthen programmes, demonstrate measurable welfare improvements, and support the expansion of successful initiatives. 

Key objectives 

• Document and map the scientific evidence behind the welfare assessment tool
• Gather feedback from end users through observations, interviews, and focus groups 
• Test inter- and intra-observer reliability to ensure consistent results
• Share the updated tool and its development process with both the scientific and working equid communities
• Apply the tool to evaluate project outcomes ensuring that interventions achieve demonstrable improvements in equid welfare  

Why this matters  

Accurate welfare assessment is essential for identifying health and welfare concerns in working equids, enabling timely interventions that can transform their lives. Inconsistent or unclear assessments risk missing signs of suffering or misdirecting resources. By improving the tool and its training resources, we empower in-country teams to collect reliable data, identify priority welfare issues, and measure the impact of our work – ensuring that every working horse, pony, donkey and mule assessed receives the help they need.  

Validated results also open opportunities for publishing peer-reviewed papers, which increases credibility, strengthens advocacy and ensures that working equids gain recognition in global welfare and policy discussions.  

Strategic alignment  

This project directly supports World Horse Welfare’s mission to improve the lives of horses globally through evidence-based action.  

• Science-led welfare improvement – grounding our interventions in robust, validated evidence 
• Global collaboration – working with partners in multiple countries to deliver practical solutions 
• Capacity building – equipping those on the front line with the best tools and training to help working equids
• Influencing stakeholders and funders by providing measurable evidence of impact, thereby strengthening our role as a global leader in equid welfare