Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-vfjqv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-30T05:38:20.525Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Factors influencing the attitude of equestrians towards sport horse welfare

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

C Ikinger ,
A Spiller  and
M Kayser
C Ikinger*
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
A Spiller
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
M Kayser
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, University of Göttingen, Platz der Göttinger Sieben 5, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
*
* Contact for correspondence and requests for reprints: Christina.Ikinger@agr.uni-goettingen.de
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Until now, only a limited amount of research has been carried out on addressing attitudes towards sport horse welfare (AHW). In order to contribute to filling this gap, the goals of this study were two-fold: the investigation of the influence of different demographic factors and factors related to equestrianism on the AHW and the demonstration of the applicability of Partial Least Squares Equation Modelling (PLS) in this field of research. An online survey was conducted among 2,947 equestrians. A research model was established based on eleven factors, which were investigated for their potential influence on the AHW and their relationships to each other. This model was analysed by means of PLS which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been used before to investigate human attitudes towards horses (Equus caballus). The results show that the factors with the highest impacts on the AHW were the affection for animals, the attitude towards classically organised equestrianism and the utility orientation. Gender, income, agricultural background, tradition, brand orientation and the importance of breed and pedigree were also found to exert a significant influence on the AHW. In contrast, age and involvement in horse-riding as a hobby were found to have no effect on the AHW. Furthermore, several significant relationships could be identified among the different factors. In conclusion, the present study provides an insight into the factors influencing the complex AHW and demonstrates the applicability of the PLS for research in this field.

Keywords

animal welfareattitudes towards animalsequestrianshorsePartial Least Squares Equation Modellingsport horse welfare
Type
Articles
Information
Animal Welfare , Volume 25 , Issue 4 , November 2016 , pp. 411 - 422
Copyright
© 2016 Universities Federation for Animal Welfare

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Atock, MA and Williams, RB 1994 Welfare of competition horses. Revue Scientifique et Technique – Office International des Epizooties 13(1): 217–232CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buchanan, L and Dann, S 2006 Participation in equestrian sport: Motives, barriers and profiles. In: Ali, Y and van Dessel, M (eds) ANZMAC 2006 Conference Proceedings pp 4–6. 4-6 December 2006, Brisbane, Australia. Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy: Brisbane, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Celsi, RL and Olson, JC 1988 The role of involvement in attention and comprehension processes. Journal of Consumer Research 15(2): 210–224. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/209158CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chalfant, HP and Heller, PL 1991 Rural/urban versus regional differences in religiosity. Review of Religious Research 33(1): 76–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3511262CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Cartier d’Yves, A and Ödberg, FO 2005 A preliminary study on the relation between subjectively assessing dressage per-formances and objective welfare parameters. In: McGreevy, P, McLean, A, Warren-Smith, A, Goodwin, D and Waran, N (eds) Proceedings of the First International Equitation Science Symposium pp 89–110. 26-27 August 2005, Melbourne, Australia. Australian Equine Behaviour Centre: Melbourne, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Destatis 2006 Education, research and culture. https://www.desta-tis.de/EN/FactsFigures/SocietyState/EducationResearchCulture/Ed ucationResearchCulture.htmlGoogle Scholar
Endenburg, N 1999 Perceptions and attitudes towards horses in European societies. Equine Veterinary Journal 31(S28): 38–41. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1999.tb05154.xCrossRefGoogle Scholar
FN 2013 Zahlen und Fakten Pferdesport und Pferdezucht. http://www.pferd-aktuell.de/fn/zahlen—fakten/zahlen—fakten. [Title translation: Facts and figures on equestrian sport and breeding]Google Scholar
Fornell, C and Larcker, DF 1981 Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research 18(1): 39–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3151312CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Forsberg, L and Tebelius, U 2005 Which identity do girls create in the stable. In: Harris, N (ed) Bowling Together: Seven Articles from the Malmö Conference pp 73–84. Textbryan MLT AB: Malmö, SwedenGoogle Scholar
Fraser, D 2008 Understanding animal welfare. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica 50(1): 1. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-50-S1-S1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gille, C, Hoischen-Taubner, S and Spiller, A 2011 Neue Reitsportmotive jenseits des klassischen Turniersports – Eine empirische Untersuchung. Sportwissenschaften 41: 34–43. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12662-011-0171-2. [Title translation: New equestrian motives beyond the traditional sport tournament - An empirical survey]CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Götz, O and Liehr-Gobbers, K 2004 Analyse von Strukturgleichungsmodellen mit Hilfe der Partial-Least-Squares(PLS)-Methode. Die Betriebswirtschaft 64(6): 714–738.[Title translation: Analysis of structural equation models by means of the Partial Least Square (PLS) Method]Google Scholar
Hair, JF, Hult, GTM, Ringle, CM and Sarstedt, M 2013 A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage: Thousand Oaks, USAGoogle Scholar
Hausberger, M, Sondergaard, E and Martin-Rosset, W 2007 Horse Behaviour and Welfare. Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen, The Netherlands. http://dx.doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-614-4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heleski, CR, Mertig, AG and Zanella, AJ 2006 Stakeholder attitudes toward farm animal welfare. Anthrozoös 19(4): 290–307. http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/089279306785415439CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Henseler, J, Ringle, CM and Sinkovics, RR 2009 The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. Advances in International Marketing 20: 277–319. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/S1474-7979(2009)0000020014CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herzog, HA 2007 Gender differences in human-animal interactions: A review. Anthrozoös 20(1): 7–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/089279307780216687CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Herzog, HA, Betchart, NS and Pittman, RB 1991 Gender, sex role orientation, and attitudes toward animals. Anthrozoös 4(3): 184–191. http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/089279391787057170CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ikinger, C, Münch, C, Wiegand, K and Spiller, A 2013 Reiterleben Reiterwelten – Zielgruppen zwischen Reitweisen, Motiven und der Liebe zum Pferd. Dietz & Consorten Agentur für Gute Kommunikation GmbH: Hamburg, Germany. [Title translation: Equestrian lives and equestrian worlds – Target groups between riding styles, motives and a passion for horses]Google Scholar
Ikinger, C, Wiegand, K and Spiller, A 2014 Facts and Figures on German Equestrians. Discussion Paper 1408. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development: Göttingen, GermanyGoogle Scholar
IPSOS 2001 Faszination Zukunft – FN Marktanalyse ‘Pferdesportler Deutschland 2001’. http://www.pferd-aktuell.de/shop/index.php/cat/c106_Verband.html. [Title translation: Fascination future: FN market analysis ‘Equestrians in Germany 2001’]Google Scholar
IVH 2013 Der Deutsche Heimtiermarkt – Struktur & Umsatzdaten. http://www.ivh-online.de/de/home/der-verband/daten-fakten.html. [Title translation: The German pet market – Structure and sales data]Google Scholar
Jacoby, J, Olson, JC and Haddock, RA 1971 Price, brand name, and product composition characteristics as determinants of per-ceived quality. Journal of Applied Psychology 55(6): 570–579. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/h0032045CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kellert, S 1980 American attitudes toward and knowledge of ani-mals: An update. International Journal for the Study of Animal Problems 1(2): 87–119Google Scholar
Kendall, HA, Lobao, LM and Sharp, JS 2006 Public concern with animal well-being: Place, social structural location, and indi-vidual experience. Rural Sociology 71(3): 399–428. http://dx.doi.org/10.1526/003601106778070617CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kiley-Worthington, M 1997 Equine Welfare. JA Allen: London, UKGoogle Scholar
Knight, S, Vrij, A, Cherryman, J and Nunkoosing, K 2004 Attitudes towards animal use and belief in animal mind. Anthrozoös 17(1): 43–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/089279304786991945CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lagerkvist, CJ and Hess, S 2011 A meta-analysis of consumer willingness to pay for farm animal welfare. European Review of Agricultural Economics 38(1): 55–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/erae/jbq043CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lesimple, C, Fureix, C, Menguy, H and Hausberger, M 2010 Human direct actions may alter animal welfare, a study on horses (Equus caballus). PLoS One 5(4): 1–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0010257CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levine, ED, Mills, DS and Houpt, KA 2005 Attitudes of veteri-nary students at one US college toward factors relating to farm animal welfare. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education 32(4): 481–490. http://dx.doi.org/10.3138/jvme.32.4.481CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minero, M and Canali, E 2009 Welfare issues of horses: an overview and practical recommendations. Italian Journal of Animal Science 8(1): 219–230. http://dx.doi.org/10.4081/ijas.2009.s1.219CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ng, T, Chong, TTL, Siu, MT and Everard, B 2013 What deter-mines the price of a racing horse? Applied Economics 45(3): 369–382. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00036846.2011.605553CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ödberg, FO 2005 The evolution of schooling principles and their influence on the horse's welfare. In: McGreevy, P, McLean, A, Warren-Smith, A, Goodwin, D and Waran, N (eds) Proceedings of the 1st International Equitation Science Symposium pp 4–9. 26-27 August 2005, Melbourne, Australia. Australian Equine Behaviour Centre: Melbourne, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
O’Donovan, P and McCarthy, M 2002 Irish consumer prefer-ence for organic meat. British Food Journal 104 (3/4/5): 353-370CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Petty, RE, Cacioppo, JT and Schumann, D 1983 Central and peripheral routes to advertising effectiveness: the moderating role of involvement. Journal of Consumer Research 10(2): 135–147. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/208954CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phau, I and Lau, KC 2000 Brand personality and consumer self-expression: Single or dual carriageway. The Journal for Brand Management 8(6): 428–444. http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.bm.2540042CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Serpell, JA 2004 Factors influencing human attitudes to animals and their welfare. Animal Welfare 13: 145–151Google Scholar
Signal, TD and Taylor, N 2006 Attitude to animals and empa-thy: comparing animal protection and general community samples. Anthrozoös 20(2): 125–130. http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/175303707X207918CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sobel, ME 1982 Asymptotic confidence intervals for indirect effects in structural equation models. Sociological Methodology 13:290–312. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/270723CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spiller, A and Kayser, M 2011 Marketing im Pferdesport. Speech on the occasion of the 5th Göttinger Pferdetage. 31 March 2011, Goettingen, Germany. http://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/203720.html. [Title translation: Marketing in equestrian sports]Google Scholar
Taylor, MR, Dhuyvetter, KC, Kastens, TL, Douthit, M and Marsh, TL 2006 Show quality quarter horse auctions: price determinants and buy-back practices. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 31(3): 595–615Google Scholar
Urbach, N and Ahlemann, F 2010 Structural equation modeling in information systems research using partial least squares. Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application 11(2): 5–40Google Scholar
van Dierendonck, M and Goodwin, D 2005 Social contact in horses: implications for human-horse interactions. In: de Jong, F and van den Bos, RA (eds) The Human-Animal Relationship: Forever and a Day pp 65–81. Royal Van Gorcum: Assen, The NetherlandsGoogle Scholar
Visser, E and Van Wijk-Jansen, E 2012 Diversity in horse enthusiasts with respect to horse welfare: An explorative study. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research 7(5): 295–304. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jveb.2011.10.007CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Waran, N 2005 Equestrianism and horse welfare: The need for an ‘equine-centred’ approach to training. In: McGreevy, P, McLean, A, Warren-Smith, A, Goodwin, D and Waran, N (eds) Proceedings of the 1st International Equitation Science Symposium pp 67–74. 26-27 August 2005, Melbourne, Australia. Australian Equine Behaviour Centre: Melbourne, AustraliaGoogle Scholar
Waran, N 2007 The Welfare of Horses. Springer: Dordrecht, The NetherlandsCrossRefGoogle Scholar
WPSV 2013 IPSOS Marktanalyse von der FN zum Pferdesport. http://www.wpsv.de/ipsos.htm. [Title translation: IPSOS market analysis of the FN on the subject of equestrian sport]Google Scholar