Presented at the On Horses Conference, Hervas, Spain 2022

1. Julie Fiedler
Professor Josh Slater- Dr. Sarah Rosanowski- Dr. Margaret Ayre
On Horses Conference
University of Extremadura
11-13 November 2022
#futurehorse project: Insights into horse welfare
and social licence to operate (Anthropomorphism)
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2. I acknowledge and pay respect to First Nations peoples of many
countries and cultures, whose spiritual connection with animals and
country are of more-than-human meaningfulness, which may hold
different values to western cultures, and westernised knowledge of
sentience, agency, anthropomorphism and the human and animal
connection to each other and to country.
This presentation is prepared on the traditional lands of the
Bunurong and Boon Wurrung people, Werribee, Victoria. Australia.
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Acknowledgement
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3. Julie Fiedler
PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne
Research project titled ‘Forecasting Horse Welfare
Expectations: Insights from within.’
20 yrs. as Executive Officer for Horse SA (non-profit Horse
Council).
Secretary, Animal Emergency Incident Management Network
(Australia New Zealand)
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Introduction
www.linkedin.com/in/julie-fiedler-07126918

4.  Horse welfare and the social licence to operate
 An overview of anthropomorphism
 #futurehorse project (anthropomorphism)
 Discussion.
Forecasting Horse Welfare Expectations: Insights from within.
Professor Josh Slater Dr. Sarah Rosanowski, Dr. Margaret Ayre
& Dr. Simon Firestone (Chair)
University of Melbourne
Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences
https://fvas.unimelb.edu.au/research/groups
Email: jmfiedler@student.unimelb.edu.au
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Contents
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5.  Many viewpoints about what is welfare, what it should
be and the doing of practices.
 Potential solutions need to involve people who make
decisions about welfare.
 Requires the join-up of knowledge from diverse sections
of science and society.
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Horse welfare
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6.  SLO is a non-legal, unwritten agreement where the public
provides implied approval to conduct operations.
 SLO is about credibility and legitimacy –
systematically delivering on horse welfare.
• SLO is also about trust: the intent that the treatment of horses
will meet community expectations.
Social licence to operate
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler iStock

7. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Social licence to operate

8. Pony Club
Australia
updated syllabus
to include
welfare and
learning theory
Australian
Stock Horse
Society
Horse
Welfare
Officers
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Social licence to operate

9. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
An overview of Anthropomorphism
 Animal anthropomorphism
 Centres on interactions (Airenti 2015)
 Unique to each person
 Uncritical and critical categories
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10. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
a sense of personal identity
a sense of control and predictability
a sense of social connection
a sense of relatedness or relationship
An overview of anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism- the projection of human behaviours and characteristics onto
animals, nature and objects
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11. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
An overview of anthropomorphism
 a belief that horses communicate the intent of their actions
 used by individuals to justify how they care for their horse (good or bad)
 individuals may award their horse higher-order reasoning and morality
 a sense that the horse is watching and holding people accountable
I think my owner’s desire for
a long life was mixed up my
Quality of Life
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12. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Not all anthropomorphism is the same.
Allegorical: attributing human characteristics to a fictional
character e.g., Author Anna Sewell’s ‘Black Beauty’.
Superficial: attributing behaviours to a horse based on surface
appearances e.g., a horse looking ‘drunk’.
An overview of anthropomorphism
Uncritical forms of anthropomorphism
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13. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
An overview of anthropomorphism
Uncritical forms of anthropomorphism
Explanatory: human-centric explanations
for horse behaviours, e.g., naughty, lazy.
Personification: ‘where people treat or think of
animals in the same way as themselves’Lockwood (1986).
Author Rachel Hogg (2022) discusses this in
‘Negotiating Power, Personhood and (In)equality in Elite Horse‐Rider
Relationships ‘ (The relational horse)
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Naughty horse!
You know better!
I am cold therefore my horse is also cold…over-rugging issues
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14. An overview of
anthropomorphism
• Uncritical forms of anthropomorphism
have given the topic a bad image.
• Is anthro a blindspot for horse welfare?
• As science and society are shifting
attitudes to recognise the mental states of
animals and animal emotions, is it time to
revisit this topic?
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
J Fiedler

15. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
An overview of anthropomorphism
“The concept of ‘critical
anthropomorphism’ helps to establish
ground rules for dealing with the
inevitable anthropomorphic tendencies
that we, as sentient human beings,
confront in trying to understand the
behaviour of other species.”
(Burghardt 2004)
Critical forms anthropomorphism

16. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
An overview of anthropomorphism
Critical anthro takes into account:
 evidence-based science about animal behaviour
 requires knowledge of a horse’s behaviours in specific situations that
have been observed over a period of time.
 takes into account worldviews, personal life experiences, and intuition.
…to form a cautious (predictive) hypothesis- that is testable or can be
evaluated.
It is important to be reflective/reflexive.
(Lockwood 1985, Burghardt 2013, Mellor 2019)
These factors converge
in Quality of Life (QoL)
assessments.
What of the rider’s
view of the human-
horse interaction?
Critical forms anthropomorphism

17. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
An overview of anthropomorphism
As society moves to recognise and talk about the mental and emotional states of animals, is it now time to
revisit anthropomorphism and develop guidance for researchers, owners and the public?
Animal Welfare
assessment
‘Point in time’
Set the 5D conditions.
Describe what you see
Quality of Life
Rider/horse
Critical
Animal Welfare assessment
‘Predictive’
Us elements from forms of critical
anthropomorphism Hypothesis-predict-
check
Use ‘with caution’ (Green et al. 2011,
Mellor 2019) / + reflexivity
Quality of Life
and
Rider closing the species gap with the horse
(Hogg 2022)- dynamic, move in/out
Uncritical
Attitudes about animals
(Not an evidence-based welfare
assessment)
E.g. ‘What’s good for me, is good for
them’
No science as ‘boundaries’ for
thinking.
Not welfare.
Forms of Anthro occur along a spectrum
#futurehorse project

18. To investigate horse industry practitioners
(participants) expectations about horse welfare
practices in racing, riding, sports and tourism.
Contribution to science and community: Welfare
statements to inform policy, practice and social
licence to operate.
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
#futurehorse Project: Aims
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19. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
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#Futurehorse project: anthropomorphism

20. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
681 respondents
• 99% were from Australia
• 85% of respondents are female
• 57% are over 50 yrs. of age
• Most respondents were involved in
equestrian sports, followed by horse racing
(48%/13%).
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#Futurehorse project: anthropomorphism

21. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Themes
Anthropomorphism -
• is good, bad, or good and bad for horse welfare
• can influence horse care practices
#Futurehorse project: anthropomorphism

22. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
‘We need to take into account how people
perceive or view horses and other
companion animals to alter or influence
the human’s behaviour in correct welfare
decisions. [Which] can be made through
the lens of anthropomorphism’
(Case 165: Equestrian Sports, Amateur)
Anthropomorphism can be good for horse welfare
#Futurehorse project: anthropomorphism
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……Critical forms of anthropomorphism

23. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
‘This [anthropomorphism] is the greatest disservice we can do for the
horse or any animal, to label horses as naughty or dominant etc. [It] then
creates a behaviour in humans that can and is usually detrimental to the
horse. […] (Case 166: Stock Horse, Amateur).
Anthropomorphism can be bad for horse welfare
#Futurehorse project: anthropomorphism
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Uncritical forms of anthropomorphism...Explanatory

24. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
‘Anthropomorphism can be a double-edged sword, people may be more
aware of horses with emotions and being sentien[t], but the same attributes
may also be misinterpreted, causing welfare harm’
(Case 836: Veterinary Services, Professional).
[…} anthropomorphism is often used as a tool of persuasion when animal
welfare is discussed at a community level here too, the outcome for the
animal is not always better or worse’ (Case 108: n.a, Amateur).
#Futurehorse survey: anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism can be good and bad for horse welfare
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25. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
‘Many people cannot identity
anthropomorphism as a
framework for their own
practices […]’
(Case 820: Equestrian Sports, Amateur).
#Futurehorse survey: anthropomorphism
Informing practices
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26. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
‘By assuming that horses value the same things as us,
we are at risk of limiting their agency […]’
(Case 555: Horse Racing, Professional)
‘Agency creates understanding by observing the animal’s
choices, it helps [to] eliminate(s) anthropomorphic
thinking and reactions by the observer’
(Case 1146: Equestrian Sports, Professional)
#Futurehorse survey: anthropomorphism
Informing practices
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27. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
The survey results provided insight into practitioners’ views on
anthropomorphism and their attitudes about how the
phenomenon can relate to horse welfare.
 Anthropomorphism can be both good, bad, or good and bad,
for horse welfare.
 Anthropomorphism can influence horse welfare practices.
#Futurehorse survey: anthropomorphism
Summary
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28. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Author Hogg (2022) reported on elite riders who utilize personification when relating to
their horses, narrowing the distance between species.
(1) Anthro –What is its role in risk-taking by riders in
activities such as cross-country riding?
(2) What are some of the challenges for organisations
communicating horse welfare with the
anthropomorphizing public? (and for SLO)?
Discussion: Future Research
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29. Anthony Van Dyck (IRE)
Breeders' Cup Turf @ Santa Anita Park.
Image: Jeanine Williams
… for the social licence to
operate- arguably the
most important element is
public trust-
…we must ensure that
what is said
‘could be done’,
is in fact,
‘done’.
Julie Fiedler APSB (Vic Branch) AGM 2022
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler

30. References
On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
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Airenti, G. (2015). The cognitive bases of anthropomorphism: from relatedness to empathy. International Journal of Social
Robotics, 7(1), 117-127. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-014-0263-x
Anonymous. (2020). The 2020 Five Domains Model for Animal Welfare Assessment and Monitoring. Saddletops Pty. Ltd.
Retrieved 30 October from https://bit.ly/2Es8kXe
Burghardt, G. (2013). Cognitive ethology and critical anthropomorphism: A snake with two heads and hog-nose snakes
that play dead. In Cognitive Ethology (pp. 73-110). Psychology Press.
de Waal, F. B. M. (1999). Anthropomorphism and anthropodenial: consistency in our thinking about humans and other
animals. Philosophical Topics, 27(1), 255-280. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43154308
Douglas, J., Owers, R., & Campbell, M. (2022). Social Licence to Operate: What Can Equestrian Sports Learn from Other
Industries? Animals, 12(15), 1987. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151987
Green, T., & Mellor, D. (2011). Extending ideas about animal welfare assessment to include ‘quality of life’ and related
concepts. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 59(6), 263-271. https://doi.org/10.1080/00480169.2011.610283
Hogg, R. (2022). Negotiating Power, Personhood and (In) equality in Elite Horse‐Rider Relationships. In The Relational
Horse (pp. 161-176). Brill.
Lockwood, R. (1986). Anthropomorphism is not a four-letter word. In Fox M.W. & M. L.D. (Eds.), Advances in Animal
Welfare Science 1985 (Vol. 2, pp. 185-199). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4247-9_10
Mellor, D. (2019). Welfare-aligned Sentience: Enhanced Capacities to Experience, Interact, Anticipate, Choose and Survive.
Animals, 9(7), 440, Article 440. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9070440
Thompson, K., & Clarkson, L. (2019). How owners determine if the social and behavioral needs of their horses are being
met: Findings from an Australian online survey. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 29, 128-133, Article 29.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2018.12.001

31. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler
Julie Fiedler
jmfiedler@student.unimelb.edu.au
Professor Josh Slater
jdslater@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Sarah Rosanowski
sarah.rosanowski@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Margaret Ayre
mayre@unimelb.edu.au
University of Melbourne
Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science
250 Princes Rd, Werribee, Victoria Australia
https://fvas.unimelb.edu.au/research/groups/people,-
animals-and-the-environment/projects/current-
projects/forecasting-horse-welfare-expectations-
insights-from-within
Thank you

32. On Horses – University of Extremadura 2022 – Julie Fiedler