Promoting the 3Fs (freedom, forage, and friends) in Equine Welfare

The welfare of equines, integral to diverse human contexts from agriculture to leisure, has garnered interdisciplinary attention focusing on their lived experiences. Studies across academic disciplines - from the social and natural sciences to the arts and humanities - have shifted and expanded, yielding deeper inquiries into how we coexist and co-create worlds together. This evolved understanding highlights the necessity of challenging prevailing equine management norms, which often overlook what equines might articulate about their needs - including freedom, forage, and friendship, as suggested by Lauren Fraser in 2012.

These elements underscore an ongoing exploration into the autonomy, nutrition, and social needs of equids, yet gaps remain in conceptual understanding, practical application and broader societal implications, driving a need for expansive, systematic inquiry.

This Research Topic aims to delve into the holistic incorporation of the 3Fs into equine welfare practices, positing these components as foundational to enhancing horse-centred care. By critically assessing the understanding and current application of these principles in various settings, including work, sport, and leisure, the Research Topic aims to raise pertinent questions about anthropocentrism, traditional management, and the roles of professionals in advancing equine welfare. Through a transdisciplinary (One Health/One Welfare) lens, this Research Topic seeks to operationalise the 3Fs, addressing their practical implications and potential for fostering multispecies justice and improved human-equine relations.

Aimed at transcending traditional disciplinary boundaries, this Research Topic invites contributions from a multiplicity of disciplinary perspectives and seeks to foster inter- and trans-disciplinary dialogue.

To better understand and facilitate the 3Fs in equine contexts, the scope of this research will encompass, but is not limited to:

• The integration of 3Fs into veterinary and equine professional training.
• Systemic changes necessary for sustainable equine welfare practices.
• Practical approaches to embedding the 3Fs in routine equine care.
• Investigations that critically consider the way the 3Fs are currently perceived, interpreted and evaluated by humans. This may include psychological, sociological, or anthropological studies, or methodological reflections.
• Sociological evaluations of equine roles in human societies.
• Philosophical considerations of autonomy and companionship in equines.

This inclusive approach aims to cultivate a comprehensive understanding and application of the 3Fs, promoting healthier, more respectful human-equine dynamics.

We welcome manuscript summaries and encourage authors to reach out to Topic Editors to discuss their potential submissions.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Freedom, Forage, Friends, Equine Welfare, Transforming Human-Equine Relations, Interdisciplinary and Trans-disciplinary Practice, Systems Change, Social License to Operate, Post-humanism, Sociology and Philosophy of Equine Welfare, One Health, One Welfare

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.