Horses have performed in circuses for centuries, but welfare science now raises serious concerns about the conditions, training methods, and physical demands of circus performance.
The welfare of circus horses differs from sport horses primarily in the absence of consistent home environments, social stability, and pasture access. Constant travel disrupts equine social bonds and prevents the 16+ hours of movement per day horses require for gut health. Training for spectacular moves often involves pain-based methods rather than positive reinforcement, and horses cannot consent to or withdraw from performances. Modern circus equivalents using exclusively human performers demonstrate that spectacular spectacle does not require animal use.