New Special Issue Call for Papers - Shifting the Paradigm: Towards a Positive Psychology of Equine Welfare (PPEW)

2026-08-08

The International Journal of Equine Science (IJES) is pleased to announce the launch of a new Special Issue titled "Shifting the Paradigm: Towards a Positive Psychology of Equine Welfare (PPEW)."

Led by Lead Editor Prof. Jane Williams (Hartpury University, UK) alongside Guest Editors Prof. Hayley Randle (Charles Sturt University, Australia), Prof. Natalie Waran (Navigate Welfare, New Zealand), and Dr. Lindsay Goodale (Cornell University, USA), this Special Issue seeks to reframe contemporary equine welfare discourse by moving beyond an exclusive focus on identifying negative states toward a balanced, evidence-based consideration of positive welfare and a good life for horses.

About the Special Issue

Current welfare science has made substantial advances in validating indicators of pain, fear, frustration, and discomfort, providing essential tools for safeguarding horses and human safety. However, a predominantly deficit-based framing can unintentionally polarize scientific and equestrian debate.

Drawing on developments in positive psychology, human well-being, and the Five Domains model, this Special Issue argues that equine welfare should be understood along a continuum where positive, neutral, and negative experiences coexist. Central to this reframing is the need to identify, validate, and promote positive indicators of welfare, embedding core concepts such as friends, forage, and freedom as foundational to equine wellbeing.

Potential Topics for Submission

We welcome original research papers, reviews, short communications, and conceptual frameworks addressing (but not limited to) the following themes:

  • Develop and validate indicators of positive affective states in horses, including behavioral, physiological, and cognitive markers of contentment, engagement, pleasure, and positive anticipation.

  • Apply continuum-based welfare assessment frameworks that contextualize transient negative states within broader evaluations of overall welfare, quality of life, and the balance of positive and negative experiences across time.

  • Draw parallels with human sport, health, and wellbeing paradigms, exploring how models of positive psychology, resilience, and empowerment might be translated to equine contexts.

  • Examine the competitive horse as an athlete, investigating how welfare frameworks can accommodate the physiological and psychological demands of training and competition while maintaining ethical standards.

Key Information & Submission Timeline

  • Publication Model: Articles will be published on a rolling basis upon acceptance, starting January 2027.

  • Submission Deadline: 31 January 2027

  • Average Time to First Editorial Decision: 6–8 weeks

Researchers, equine scientists, veterinarians, and welfare practitioners are invited to submit their manuscripts directly through our online submission system.

Quick Links

For editorial inquiries regarding the Special Issue, please contact the editorial office at ijes@rasayely-journals.com.