Horse Welfare 12: A Human Behavior Change Framework for Improving Horse Welfare

To improve horse welfare do we need more science or a different scientific approach? For over 40 years researchers have called for change to improve horse welfare. During this time, publications have grown exponentially, improving our understanding of horse's needs and the need for change. However, the translation of science into practice is arguably too slow, and yet, there is scant industry-specific research to guide change efforts. To assist behaviour change research, this paper recasts an influential, highly regarded systems thinking framework, the Meadows 12, for the horse industry as the Horse Welfare 12 (HW12). The HW12 identifies 12 places to intervene in a system (horse industry), ranking them from least to most effective, providing researchers with an accessible, practical tool that can be adapted for any species or animal use industry. The HW12 is based on the authors' combined industry lived experience, and extensive horse welfare and systems thinking research. The HW12 is a roadmap that could accelerate translating science into practice, which is perhaps the missing piece of the welfare science puzzle for creating meaningful horse welfare improvements.