Scotland launches new welfare guidance for horse owners

On 25 August 2026, the Scottish Government published new Welfare of Equids Guidance, replacing the previous Scottish Codes of Practice for horses, ponies, donkeys and their hybrids. The document was developed collaboratively with vets, welfare charities including World Horse Welfare, and equine sector specialists, drawing on feedback gathered from owners and keepers across Scotland.

The new guidance moves beyond a checklist of legal minimums, taking a whole-horse approach that asks owners to consider a horse's mental wellbeing and social needs alongside its physical health, and to think about how horses experience the environments and routines provided for them. Survey responses that informed the guidance found limited awareness of the old Codes of Practice among owners and professionals, alongside a clear appetite for clearer, more accessible advice.

World Horse Welfare has called on policymakers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to consider similar updates, noting that Defra's equivalent code of practice for horses, ponies, donkeys and their hybrids dates back to 2013. Breeders and owners across the UK may find the new Scottish document a useful reference point regardless of where their horses are kept.