Horse Week: Queen’s research exposes welfare risks facing horses in Northern Ireland

The findings of this study, published in Animal Welfare, highlights risks to equine welfare arising from inconsistent farriery standards, limited service availability and poor communication between farriers and veterinarians.

Farriery, the practice of caring for, trimming, balancing, and shoeing horse hooves, is currently not regulated in Northern Ireland, leading to concerns that inappropriate hoof care compromises equine health and welfare.

The survey aimed to assess the extent of Northern Irish stakeholder knowledge on farriery and to understand their perspectives on farrier regulation.

The study found that 43% of respondents were unaware that there is currently no legal requirement for someone shoeing horses in Northern Ireland to be registered as a farrier.

The study, which involved 209 survey respondents alongside focus groups including seven farriers and five veterinary professionals, was conducted by the School of Psychology and the School of Biological Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast.

It found strong support for regulation, with nearly three-quarters of respondents believing it would improve horse welfare and 84% expecting farriery to become regulated in the future.

In addition, the findings show that more than two-thirds of respondents did not know how to check a farrier’s qualifications, potentially leading to poor hoof care that can cause pain, lameness and longer-term welfare problems for the animals.

Commenting on the findings, Dr Grace Carroll from the School of Psychology at Queen’s said: “Our study provides evidence that can inform future discussion about how farriery should be regulated in Northern Ireland. It identifies practical changes that would need to accompany regulation, including stronger training routes, clearer professional standards, better ways for owners to verify qualifications, and improved collaboration between farriers and veterinarians.

“The findings also highlight the importance of developing a system that reflects the Northern Ireland context rather than simply adopting the existing Great Britain model. This could help improve consistency in hoof care and protect horse welfare while ensuring that owners can still access farriery services.”

Professor Gareth Arnott, from the School of Biological Sciences, added: “Our study found strong support for regulation, however, the issue is not as simple as introducing new rules. And it is important to note that farriers and veterinarians included within this survey warned that Northern Ireland already faces workforce shortages and limited training opportunities, so any new system would need to be designed carefully.

“Mechanisms that enable independent verification of credentials, such as a publicly accessible register of farriers, may support informed decision-making and strengthen trust between horse owners and farriers.”

Dr Esther L. Skelly-Smith, also from the School of Biological Sciences, said: “As an equine veterinary surgeon, I have spent my career managing lameness and performance problems where hoof balance and farriery are central to the horse’s outcome. High-quality farriery is fundamental to equine health and welfare, and this research provides important evidence to help ensure horses in Northern Ireland receive care from appropriately trained, competent professionals.”

The study concludes that improving access to qualified farriers and supporting consistent, high-quality practice may help reduce welfare risks, with education, structured training, and mechanisms to verify qualifications, identified as key facilitators of positive change.