Ethicists’ commentary on addressing animal welfare concerns involving non-patients and non-clients
Ethical question of the month, April 2024
You are an equine veterinarian who provides services to a sport-horse facility. There is an educational clinic for young riders being held at the facility, with a guest instructor who is internationally recognized for their expertise. There is a problem developing in the arena: You hear the instructor berating a student, telling them to be much tougher with a horse to the point of risking injury to the animal. You observe the horse is demonstrating behavioral evidence of pain, which is being interpreted as disobedience. The horse
is not your patient and the rider is not your client.
Do you intervene on behalf of the horse and its welfare? Would you be overstepping the bounds of owner privacy by stating your concerns at a public venue? Does the fact that this is an educational opportunity for young riders heighten your potential responsibility to act?
Clare Palmer, Peter Sandøe, & Dan Weary comment on this dilemma and you can read it here: Ethicists’ commentary on addressing animal welfare concerns involving non-patients and non-clients (pdf)