Burridge, Jessica
(2024)
Using human behaviour change interventions to improve the welfare of working equids in Colombia.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
There are an estimated 116 million working equids that contribute to the daily lives of over 600 million people worldwide. These animals are used for a huge variety of income-generating and non-income generating activities including tourism, agricultural support, mining and transportation. Many of the families these equids support live below the international poverty line. The livelihoods of these individuals as well as the welfare of their equids is often compromised. Health conditions such as equine colic are common within working equid populations, and the consequences of poor welfare can be extremely severe within these populations. There are a number of national and international non-governmental organisations that aim to support the lives of working equids and their owners through a number of methods including provision of free veterinary treatment, advocacy, skills training and community participatory exercises. The lives of working equids are intricately linked with their owners and the wider communities. In order to appropriately support working equids, it is vital to develop a deeper understanding of the communities in which they live and the factors that contribute to their welfare.
The main aims of this thesis were to explore working equid welfare and the external factors that influence this across Colombia. Additionally, this research aimed to develop an evidence-based intervention aimed to improve the welfare of working equids in Colombia through the prevention of equine colic.
The first stage of this project investigated the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on working equids and their owners across the world in order to identify any changes that may need to be considered. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, working equid owners reported experiencing intensified financial challenges including a reduced income and an increased cost of living. There was some impact on working equid care and welfare; however, these effects were less significant.
The second stage of the project involved 24 focus groups conducted with a range of stakeholders across eight communities in Colombia to explore the welfare of working equids and the factors that influence this. Thematic analysis identified four overarching themes: ‘Testing external environment: “Surviving… is very hard”’, ‘Horse-human relationship: “Some owners have their horses in good condition… but others… tied up on a rope”’, ‘Cross-generational knowledge transfer: “We have to believe the elderly”’, and ‘Traditional management practices: “Fill a rucksack with wet ashes”’. The four overarching themes interact with each other, and all ultimately impact the welfare of working equids within the eight communities across Colombia.
The next stages of the project investigated equine colic within working equid communities in Colombia through a baseline survey and focus groups and workshops. The baseline colic survey highlighted high owner reported mortality and morbidity rates, and low levels of owner knowledge of the signs, causes and appropriate treatment methods of equine colic. The combined analysis from the focus groups and workshop identified three main themes: “The streams dry up in the summer”: Managing accessibility, resources and tradition, “Our faithful friend”: Encouraging desired change, and “Take a wet toad, stick it to its belly and make the mule trot”: Current understanding and perceptions of equine colic. The first two themes explore the presence of barriers and facilitators specific to five working equid owning communities. The third provides an insight into current levels of knowledge and identifies existing community misconceptions. This will provide the starting point for information of colic to be built on. Methods to help improve owner knowledge were discussed throughout the focus groups. Face to face training was identified as the only appropriate methods across all communities.
The final phase of the project developed and evaluated an educational intervention. The development of the educational intervention used finding from prior chapters in this thesis along with existing literature. The educational intervention was evaluated through an owner longitudinal survey, owner focus groups and qualitative questionnaires with the research team. There was an improvement in owner knowledge following the participation in the educational intervention. Analysis of focus groups with owners identified three overarching themes: ‘Awareness and understanding of education content’, ‘Intention and development of ideas for change’, and ‘Evidence of and action towards behaviour change’. There was evidence that the education intervention was successful at improving owner knowledge of equine colic. It was also clear that there had been small changes in the right direction that could help to prevent cases of colic occurring within these working equid populations.
This research highlights the importance of understanding the context in which working equids and their owners exist and to ensure interventions are targeted and appropriate for the specific environment in which they will be delivered.
| Item Type: |
Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
(PhD)
|
| Supervisors: |
Burford, John
Burrell, Katie
Freeman, Sarah |
| Keywords: |
Equid welfare; Equine colic prevention; Covid-19 pandemic; Equid owner knowledge; Educational intervention |
| Subjects: |
S Agriculture > SF Animal culture |
| Faculties/Schools: |
UK Campuses > Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Veterinary Medicine and Science |
| Item ID: |
79459 |
| Depositing User: |
Burridge, Jessica
|
| Date Deposited: |
11 Dec 2024 04:40 |
| Last Modified: |
11 Dec 2024 04:40 |
| URI: |
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/79459 |
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