What is the definition of inhumane treatment?

• A. Any act that causes fear in a horse.
• B. Any physical contact that is permitted by standard training manuals.
• C. Treatment that would be considered humane by most handlers.
• D. Treatment of a horse will be considered inhumane if a person, educated or experienced in accepted equine training techniques, would perceive the conduct of an individual to be inhumane.

Answer: (D)

The main idea is that inhumane treatment is judged by an informed standard: if a person who is educated or experienced in accepted equine training techniques would perceive the conduct toward the horse as inhumane, then it qualifies as inhumane. This anchors the definition in the perspective of knowledgeable observers who understand humane handling and welfare, not just in how the act makes a horse feel or in what a majority of handlers think. The other options fall short because fear alone isn’t a sufficient measure, actions allowed by manuals aren’t automatically non-harmful, and the determination isn’t based on what most handlers consider humane but on what a trained evaluator would perceive as inhumane.