The legal system for horse protection in ancient China

Abstract

The concept of "animal welfare" originated relatively recently and refers to fulfilling the basic needs of animals to avoid unnecessary suffering. However, in ancient China, ecological awareness similar to current “animal welfare” had already been awoken and codified in the form of a series of legal systems, among which were specific regulations for horses that entailed giving them a good life, as well as a series of “animal welfare” regulations more in line with the current sense, such as not hitting them in the face, nor using genetically related horses for breeding. This paper analyses the current legal framework of animal protection to trace the legal system on horse protection throughout the history of China.