Thematic Areas
The overall goal of EUnetHorse is to establish an active multi-actor network across the European Union to increase the performance and the resilience of equine farms by widely disseminating best practices, tools and solutions that improve…
Their socio-economic performance
European equine farms face low profitability due to various reasons: high production costs, climate change impact, land accessibility issues, low horsemeat consumption, unstable incomes tied to sports and racing, health crisis risks, and changing customer preferences. Despite challenges, there is an opportunity for professionals to adapt practices, meet social expectations, and create sustainable business models for improved profitability. The responsible for the first Thematic Area is the Centre européen du cheval de Mont-le-Soie, a European research center located in Belgium, dedicated to promoting horses as vital elements of rural life.
The animal welfare and health on farms
Concerns over equine welfare and social acceptance are rising among European citizens. Issues across the European Union include shortcomings in welfare linked to environmental factors (limited space, confinement without access to pastures), lack of owner knowledge in proper care, and inappropriate handling methods leading to welfare problems. EUnetHorse aims to aid equine professionals in adapting practices to improve welfare, align with legislation, prevent potential bans, and safeguard against future pandemic impacts while ensuring sector sustainability. A Polish research center, the Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IGBZPAN) is responsible for this second Thematic Area.
The environmental sustainability of the sector
Equidae provide many eco-friendly benefits like grazing, utilizing working horses, and maintaining land in an environmentally sensitive way with low carbon emissions. However, unsustainable practices like overgrazing and mismanagement of resources persist. That is why the primary aim is to enhance the environmental sustainability of farms and the sector by refining their practices. Future challenges for equine farms involve enhancing self-sufficiency in feed, reducing external inputs, better managing water and energy resources, and improving carbon storage through enhanced farm-level management of hedges, meadows, manure, and biodiversity. This third Thematic Area is overseen from Finland by Helsingin Yliopisto, the University of Helsinki, where they have an equine veterinary clinic which receives patients from all over Finland.