What Is a Working Equid? Analysis of Current Terminology and a Suggested Definition

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Science
• Animal Welfare
• Socioeconomics

Background:

• Equids perform diverse labor globally, with usage varying across World Bank income classifications.
• Existing literature often uses inconsistent terminology to describe working equids.
• This inconsistency impacts policy, resource allocation, and welfare standards.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the usage and context of terms for working equids in relation to country income levels.
• To propose a standardized definition for "working equid" to improve global understanding and welfare efforts.
• To highlight the socioeconomic factors influencing terminology in scientific literature.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search and abstract review.
• Analysis of search term frequency correlated with World Bank country income classifications (HICs, UMICs, LMICs, LICs).
• Qualitative assessment of the context in which terms appeared.

Main Results:

• Search term usage was significantly associated with World Bank country income classification.
• "Working equid" and "draft equid" were more frequently found in literature from lower-income countries.
• In high-income countries, these terms appeared in contexts of low-resource settings and marginalized communities.

Conclusions:

• A proposed definition for "working equid" is: any equid engaged in physical labor contributing significantly to the owner/user's livelihood, typically in low-resource settings.
• The lack of a universal definition hinders effective policy and welfare standard development for working equids.
• A more inclusive approach to terminology is vital for equitable global welfare standards and policy.