Horses used in racing, equestrian sports, and working contexts face welfare challenges related to training methods, injury risk, and demands that may exceed their physiological and psychological capabilities.
Working horses face a range of welfare challenges depending on their use. Racing horses suffer fatal and non-fatal musculoskeletal injuries at measurable rates. Overuse injuries in younger horses whose skeletons are still maturing are preventable. Training methods including tight draw reins, rollkur hyperflexion, and harsh bits cause acute and chronic pain. City carriage horses suffer respiratory problems from pollution, joint stress from hard pavement, noise-related stress in traffic, and may be worked in extreme temperatures. Endurance horses that are pushed beyond their physiological capacity suffer from metabolic crises including exertional rhabdomyolysis. Positive reinforcement training significantly reduces training stress across all equestrian disciplines.