The Welfare of Delman Horses in Indonesia: Policy, Economic, and Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration Perspectives on Working Animals

Abstract

Traditional Carriage horses—locally known as kuda delman, remain an important mode of transport and tourism in several Indonesian cities. However, their welfare conditions are often overlooked due to economic constraints, limited veterinary access, and weak regulatory enforcement. This study provides a descriptive review of carriage horse welfare in Indonesia, using a qualitative literature-based approach. Welfare conditions are examined through internationally recognised frameworks including the Five Freedoms, Five Domains Model, and Welfare Quality® principles, supported by the Wageningen UR (2011) assessment protocol. The finding indicate that nutritional challenges, excessive workloads, and poor access to heatlhcare remain the most common welfare concerns. These conditions are closely linked to income instability among drivers and the absence of standardized welfare monitoring systems. To achieve sustainable welfare improvement, stronger cross-sector collaboration is required, involving government authorities, veterinary professionals, NGOs, and carriage communities. This paper highlights the need for policy recognition of carriage horses as working animals and outlines opportunities to align welfare improvement with national development goals.