The Miserable Lives of Abandoned Cart Horses

Despite their use in rural and urban transport systems, horses are often abandoned when they are aged and/or face health problems. Abandoned horses typically experience a miserable life, which is ethically unacceptable. This piece of work reports on the suffering of an abandoned cart horse and proposes strategies to improve the welfare of such horses. A type of pension program or provident fund and sanctuary should be established for working animals to lessen their suffering after abandonment. Comprehensive studies should be conducted to gather more data on the suffering of abandoned horses and to develop context-dependent solutions.