08/05/2026
New ATHRA Horse Health & Welfare Guidelines Now Available
At ATHRA, our number one priority is simple:
healthy horses, happy riders, and safe, responsible trail riding.
As Australia’s largest organisation dedicated to trail horse riders, we’re committed to supporting the highest standards of horse care at every ride and event. That’s why the ATHRA Board has recently updated our Horse Health & Welfare Policy, using the internationally recognised Five Domains Model of Animal Welfare.
Modern research tells us that good welfare is more than just the basics.
A horse deserves to be healthy, comfortable, well‑nourished, safe, free from pain or fear, and able to express natural behaviours — in other words, to experience a life worth living.
To help riders put these principles into practice, we’ve created updated Horse Health & Welfare Guidelines for all members and the wider trail riding community.
We encourage every club and rider to read the Guidelines, share them, and help us support positive welfare outcomes for all trail horses.
When we know better, we ride better — for our horses, our clubs, and our community.
https://www.athra.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Horse-Welfare-5-Domains.pdf
