Horses may leave the racing industry at any stage of their life, as foals, during training, during their racing career or when they retire. When horses leave racing prematurely, this is often described as ‘wastage’. The primary reason for horses being withdrawn from racing is poor performance, with other reasons…
Since 2009, all jockeys in Thoroughbred racing in Australia have been required to use a whip which is padded at the end, replacing conventional whips which have no padding, This change was introduced in response to concerns raised about the pain caused by the use of whips and the introduction…
The average age at which Thoroughbred horses commence racing is three years, but in Australia, some horses start their racing careers as two-year-olds. One reason for starting horses at this age is that once racing commences, horses can begin to earn money, and an early start increases the potential financial…
This article provides a summary of the key problems associated with the horse racing industry that need to be resolved in order to protect the welfare of racehorses. For further information on these topics please follow the links at the end of the article. 1. Oversupply of racehorses To increase…
RSPCA Approved chicken, eggs, pork, turkey and salmon come from animals raised to higher welfare standards as part of the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme. With RSPCA Approved now widely available in supermarkets, convenience stores and on the menu at many restaurants, it’s easier than ever for Australians to choose products…
Some of the ways you can act to help improve livestock farming practices for better animal welfare: learning more about livestock farming practices so that you have the facts right before you act writing to the Australian Government minister for agriculture, your state or territory agriculture (or primary industries) minister,…
Most animal welfare issues are the responsibility of State and Territory governments. If you are concerned about an animal welfare issue and you would like to see a change in government policy on this issue, one of the best ways to do something about it is to write to your…
Making higher welfare food choices leads to increased uptake of higher welfare farming practices along the supply chain. This in turn leads to farm animals benefitting from better conditions. Higher welfare food, also referred to as ‘humane food’, is meat, eggs and dairy that have come from animals farmed to…
An RSPCA Australia position paper is an explanatory document and is intended to be more comprehensive than an RSPCA policy on a particular topic or subject. A position paper may include a restatement of a related policy but it also contains background information and discussion or statements of how policy…
An RSPCA Australia policy statement is a straightforward statement or declaration of RSPCA policy on a particular animal welfare matter governance or operational topic or subject. Policy statements are usually short and concise and include a clear description and a brief rationale of the basis for the policy for example:…