BUILDING A FIVE STAR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR HORSE USING THE FIVE DOMAINS OF ANIMAL WELFARE (PB 2025)

The Five Domains of Animal Welfare, when applied to horses, can act as a safe, reliable source of advice and information for conscientious owners, and also a benchmark by which the practices of the more experienced can be measured, scrutinised and held to account. They provide standards to be met rather than levels to be tolerated.

This book explains, in accessible, everyday language, how to apply the Five Domains throughout the horse world, whatever type of equine is concerned or whatever role he or she fulfils, from pet to Thoroughbred racehorse, from informal friend and hack to Olympic competitor. The Domains have been expertly devised, carefully constructed and logically categorised so that anyone can find trustworthy advice on just about any problem or issue they are likely to meet in their lives with horses.

Looking after a horse properly is an excellent way of preventing problems in the first place, and this book provides reliable information on knowing how to assess a horse on a daily and weekly basis so that owners will realise at a glance that something is not quite right or seriously wrong. These skills are accessible and are crucial to responsible, correct horse care and management.

Susan McBane is known worldwide as a long-established equestrian author, this book being her fiftieth. She has contributed to and revised several other books for publishers and written hundreds of magazine articles. She has an HNC in Equine Science and Management, is a Classical Riding Club listed trainer and Gold Award holder, and an Associate Member of the International Society for Equitation Science.

In 1978, with Dr. Moyra Williams, herself an author, clinical psychologist, sport-horse breeder and intrepid horsewoman, Susan founded the Equine Behaviour Study Circle, later re-named the Equine Behaviour Forum, editing its members’ journal for 30 years.

Susan has edited two commercial magazines, self-publishing one of them, EQUI, and is currently Publishing Editor of Tracking-up, a voluntary, non-profit quarterly which she produces with equestrian teacher and author, Anne Wilson (email: annewilsondressage@hotmail.co.uk). Susan taught classical riding for 20 years, for much of that time combining it with Equitation Science, the blending of the two being what she considers to be an ideal system of equitation. She has also acted as an expert witness, consultant, peer reviewer, judge and speaker on equestrian topics.