Expert comment: why equine wellbeing is the key to human health

If we are serious about taking strides in advancing the One Health One Medicine agenda, we need to take animal health and, more specifically, equine health and wellbeing more seriously.  

Horses experience many of the same cardiovascular problems and challenges we see in people – from arrhythmias to sudden cardiac deaths. There is a lot to learn from them that will benefit us humans too.   

Research into equine health offers a valuable model for understanding heart conditions, exercise physiology and even gut health. What we uncover in horses can inform human diagnostics, improve early detection and shape new treatments. But this depends on sustained support – both in funding and recognition. 

Too often, animal health is seen as separate from human health. That’s short-sighted. A renewed focus on equine health and wellbeing doesn’t just improve outcomes for animals – it nudges our understanding of human health forward in ways we can’t afford to ignore.