Leitlinien zu Umgang und Nutzung von Pferden unter Tierschutzgesichtspunkten - kritische Anmerkungen.

The draft of the German "guidelines" for dealing with horses and their use under aspects of animal welfare, edited by the German Ministry for Food and Agriculture, has been known to the public for several months. Various statements of this paper concerning the principal aspects of the relationship between men and horses in the process of training and use are critically discussed here. The goal of the discussion is to question the illusive and juridical problematic view on the possible behaviour and feelings of horses in the hands of men and to stimulate reflection independent of ideologies. The aim is not to present the text as a whole in a balanced way, but rather to make it easier for the reader to understand the different wordings of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]