The relationship between horse owners and horses encompasses various aspects of equine management, care, and interaction. This topic explores the dynamics between humans and horses, focusing on areas such as husbandry practices, welfare considerations, and the psychological and physical effects of human interaction on horses. It includes studies on training methods, behavioral assessments, and the impact of owner expertise on horse health and performance. Additionally, the topic examines the influence of human-animal bonds on horse behavior and well-being. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that investigate these interactions and their implications for equine management and welfare.
Stowe CJ, Kibler ML.The unwanted horse issue continues to be a major concern in the U.S. equine industry. Nonprofit organizations dedicated to rescuing, retraining, and rehoming unwanted horses are critical in minimizing this problem. This study utilized data collected nationwide from organizations that provide these services for thoroughbreds retired from racing to identify individual horse characteristics that influenced length of stay at the adoption facility as well as characteristics that increased the probability that an adopted horse would be returned to the facility. The results suggested that horses with...
Hartmann E, Bøe KE, Christensen JW, Hyyppä S, Jansson H, Jørgensen GH, Ladewig J, Mejdell CM, Norling Y, Rundgren M, Särkijärvi S....Keeping horses in groups is widely recommended but limited information is available about how this is implemented in practice. The aim of this survey was to describe how horses are kept in the Nordic countries in relation to sex, age, breed, and equestrian discipline and to assess owners' attitudes toward keeping horses in groups. Horse owners in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden were approached using a web-based questionnaire, which was translated into 4 languages and distributed online via equestrian forums, organizations, and social media. The number of respondents was 3,229, taking care...
Theoret CL, Bolwell CF, Riley CB.To determine the frequency and type of skin wounds encountered by New Zealand veterinarians in their equine patients, the duration and estimated costs of treatment as well as the expected outcomes for these wounds. Methods: An online survey was sent to all veterinarians registered with the New Zealand Equine Veterinary Association. The survey comprised questions on the location and experience of respondents, the number of wound-related cases in relation to the total equine caseload, the type and anatomical location of wounds treated, the frequency, duration and costs of treatments, the outcome...
Maninchedda U, Nottrott K, Gangl M.This retrospective study on 37 horses was conducted to assess long-term complications, scarring, cosmetic appearance and owner satisfaction of horses that underwent transpalpebral enucleation with (n=26) or without (n=11) non-absorbable sutured meshwork prosthesis between 2006 and 2013. Postoperative complications related to the surgery were wound infection, discharge and dehiscence, and no significant difference between groups was found. In one horse, the meshwork had to be removed in order to treat a chronic fistula. Horses with infection or inflammation before surgery were more likely to en...
Lotstra RJ, van den Broek J, Power T, Marr CM, Wijnberg ID.Atrial fibrillation is a common equine arrhythmia. Quinidine alone, or with digoxin are common treatments. Studies on outcome in Warmblood populations in which duration of the AF is often unknown are limited. Objective: To identify the factors that are associated with the success of full treatment cardioversion with oral medication, and establish whether there are differences in these factors between institutions. Methods: Retrospective case series using patient records of Equine University Clinic of Utrecht University and Rossdales Equine Hospital, Newmarket. Methods: Forty-nine horses treate...
Kalamanova A, Stringer AP, Freeman SL, Burford JH.Colic is a common reason for owners to seek veterinary treatment for their working equids in Morocco. There is no information available regarding cultural, religious or educational barriers to obtaining treatment or about the typical workload of these animals which may predispose them to colic. Objective: To characterise the typical workload and feeding regimens of working equids in Morocco; to characterise the ability of owners to recognise the clinical signs and causes of colic; and to identify specific barriers to the veterinary treatment of colic. Methods: Questionnaire-based survey. Metho...
Thompson K, Matthews C.Horse riding and horse-related interactions are inherently dangerous. When they occur on public roads, the risk profile of equestrian activities is complicated by interactions with other road users. Research has identified speed, proximity, visibility, conspicuity and mutual misunderstanding as factors contributing to accidents and near misses. However, little is known about their significance or incidence in Australia. To explore road safety issues amongst Australian equestrians, we conducted an online survey. More than half of all riders (52%) reported having experienced at least one acciden...
Haigh L, Thompson K.Equestrian activities pose significant head injury risks to participants. Yet, helmet use is not mandatory in Australia outside of selected competitions. Awareness of technical countermeasures and the dangers of equestrian activities has not resulted in widespread adoption of simple precautionary behaviors like helmet use. Until the use of helmets whilst riding horses is legislated in Australia, there is an urgent need to improve voluntary use. To design effective injury prevention interventions, the factors affecting helmet use must first be understood. To add to current understandings of the...
Gerding JC, Gilger BC.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is a leading cause of vision loss in horses. Objective: To assess the prognosis and impact of ERU on affected horses and their owners by evaluating the signalment, treatment and outcome (including the loss of use, vision assessment and economic loss). Methods: Retrospective impact study. Methods: Medical records of horses presenting to the North Carolina State University Veterinary Health Complex (NCSU-VHC) with ERU between 1999 and 2014 were reviewed. Signalment, clinical signs, ophthalmic examination findings, treatments and outcomes were evaluated. Owner quest...
Rothacker CC, Boyle AG, Levine DG.The purpose of this retrospective case series was to assess the outcome of an autologous vaccination procedure on single and multiple sarcoid lesions, determine complication rate, and report owner satisfaction. Medical records (18 cases) from January 2009 through May 2014 were evaluated to identify horses undergoing the procedure. Signalment, number, size, anatomic location of lesions, and type of historical treatment were recorded. Follow-up was obtained via standardized owner survey, veterinary examination, and digital images. Data recorded and analyzed included ancillary therapies post-proc...
Caspar GL, Dhand NK, McGreevy PD.Human preferences for certain morphological attributes among domestic animals may be entirely individual or, more generally, may reflect evolutionary pressures that favor certain conformation. Artificial selection for attributes, such as short heads and crested necks of horses, may have functional and welfare implications because there is evidence from other species that skull shape co-varies with behaviour. Crested necks can be accentuated by flexion of the neck, a quality that is often manipulated in photographs vendors use when selling horses. Equine head-and-neck positions acquired through...
Dyson S, Greve L.Several studies have shown that there is a high prevalence of ill-fitting saddles. Many riders do not have saddle fit professionally assessed on at least an annual basis. Back dimensions can change considerably over the period of a year and therefore saddle fit should be assessed several times yearly, especially if work intensity has been altered. Saddle fit should be evaluated before and after exercise because back dimensions can change during work. Ideally, horses should be ridden in individual purpose-fitted saddles, rather than the same saddle being used on several horses. There remains li...
Whay HR, Dikshit AK, Hockenhull J, Parker RM, Banerjee A, Hughes SI, Pritchard JC, Reix CE.Previous studies have found the prevalence of lameness in working horses to be 90-100%. Risk factors for lameness in this important equine population, together with risk-reduction strategies adopted by their owners, are poorly understood. The objective was to uncover risk factors for lameness and limb abnormalities in working horses, by associating clinical lameness examination findings on three occasions over two years with owner reported changes in equine management and work practices over this period. Results: Twenty-one communities of horse owners in Jaipur, India, took part in a participa...
Campbell ML.Embryo transfer (ET) is an accepted and successful technique for obtaining foals from mares without interrupting their competition careers. Recent research, however, suggests that the potential of factors including heat, exercise, repeated embryo flushing and repeated manipulation of the reproductive cycle using exogenous hormones to have a negative impact on fertility may have been underestimated. This paper reviews the evidence base for involvement of these factors in repeated failures to recover embryos from nongeriatric competition mares without obvious clinical or pathological indications...
Reix CE, Dikshit AK, Hockenhull J, Parker RM, Banerjee A, Burn CC, Pritchard JC, Whay HR.Participatory methods are increasingly used in international human development, but scientific evaluation of their efficacy versus a control group is rare. Working horses support families in impoverished communities. Lameness and limb abnormalities are highly prevalent in these animals and a cause for welfare concern. We aimed to stimulate and evaluate improvements in lameness and limb abnormalities in horses whose owners took part in a 2-year participatory intervention project to reduce lameness (PI) versus a control group (C) in Jaipur, India. Results: In total, 439 owners of 862 horses part...
Scott I, Bishop RM, Pomroy WE.There is growing concern that given the high frequency with which anthelmintics are being administered to many horses, anthelmintic resistance amongst equine helminth populations will be an increasing problem, rendering many of the currently available products unusable with little prospect of new products becoming available, at least in the near future. Worldwide, much reliance has been placed on the macrocyclic lactone (ML) group of anthelmintics, but resistance has been reported to these products as well as to the two other major anthelmintic classes used in this species, the benzimidazoles ...
Lincoln VJ, Page PC, Kopp C, Mathis A, von Niederhäusern R, Burger D, Herholz C.Species belonging to the Culicoides complexes (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae), obsoletus and pulicaris, in Switzerland, are potential vectors of both bluetongue virus (BTV) and African horse sickness virus (AHSV). The epidemic of BTV in 2006 and 2007 in Europe has highlighted the risk of introduction and spread of vector-borne diseases in previously non-endemic areas. As a measure of prevention, as part of an integrated control programme in the event of an outbreak of African horse sickness (AHS), it is of utmost importance to prevent, or substantially reduce, contact between horses and Culicoides....
Gill Harris reports from this year's National Equine Forum, where one of the main themes was the horse industry and government. The forum, held in London on March 5, was attended by more than 200 people with a connection to the equestrian industry. Lord de Mauley, parliamentary undersecretary of state for natural environment and science at Defra, set the course of the proceedings.
Karrasch NM, Hubbell JA, Aarnes TK, Bednarski RM, Lerche P.This study compared cardiorespiratory variables in dorsally recumbent horses anesthetized with guaifenesin-ketamine-xylazine and spontaneously breathing 50% or maximal (> 90%) oxygen (O2) concentrations. Twelve healthy mares were randomly assigned to breathe 50% or maximal O2 concentrations. Horses were sedated with xylazine, induced to recumbency with ketamine-diazepam, and anesthesia was maintained with guaifenesin-ketamine-xylazine to effect. Heart rate, arterial blood pressures, respiratory rate, lithium dilution cardiac output (CO), inspired and expired O2 and carbon dioxide partial pr...
Scantlebury CE, Zerfu A, Pinchbeck GP, Reed K, Gebreab F, Aklilu N, Mideksa K, Christley R.Epizootic lymphangitis (EZL) is reported to have a significant impact upon livelihoods within resource-poor settings. This study used a participatory approach to explore peoples' experiences of EZL and examine the perceived impact of disease, owner knowledge and understanding of EZL, lay management of disease and, attitudes and strategies towards disease prevention. Focus-group discussions were held with 358 cart-horse owners and drivers recruited from 7 towns attended by SPANA (Society for the protection of animals abroad) mobile veterinary clinics and 2 unexposed towns where no SPANA clinics...
Jones B, Goodfellow J, Yeates J, McGreevy PD.There is increasing controversy about the use of the whip as a performance aid in Thoroughbred horseracing and its impact on horse welfare. This paper offers a critical analysis of the British Horseracing Authority's (BHA) 2011 Report Responsible Regulation: A Review of the Use of the Whip in Horseracing. It examines the BHA's process of consultation and use of science and public opinion research through the application of current scientific literature and legal analysis. This analysis suggests that the BHA's findings on the welfare impact and justification for whip use are insufficiently defe...
Peitzmeier MD, Koontz ZD, Lynch TM, Hughes FE, Slone DE.This retrospective study provides long-term results of medial patellar ligament (MPL) desmoplasty in horses with intermittent upward fixation of the patella (UFP) that were treated at a single referral hospital over a 7-year period. Follow-up interviews were conducted with owners, trainers, or referring veterinarians using a standardized questionnaire. Overall, 71% of horses returned to their intended use with only 18% at a higher level. Recurrence of UFP was noted in 33% of cases. Satisfaction with the procedure was generally low, with only 50% of owners being completely satisfied. Further in...
Giles SL, Nicol CJ, Rands SA, Harris PA.Nuchal crest adiposity in horses and ponies has been associated with an enhanced risk of metabolic health problems. However, there is no current information on the prevalence of, and risk factors specific to, nuchal crest adiposity in horses and ponies. In addition, the cresty neck score has not previously been utilised across different seasons within a UK leisure population, it is not know whether nuchal crest adiposity shows the same seasonal trends as general obesity. Results: A Cresty Neck Score (CNS, 0-5) was given to 96 horses with access to pasture (>6Â h per day) at the end of winter a...
Mallicote M.There are few diseases that ignite as much fervor among horse owners as strangles. Streptococcus equi subsp equi (strangles) infections frequently require the treating veterinarian to manage not only the clinical cases but also the biosecurity and provision of information to all involved parties. Although the disease is typically characterized by low mortality and high morbidity, restrictions of horse movement that result from appropriate quarantine procedures often frustrate the involved parties. The aims of this article are to provide clinically relevant information for diagnosis, treatment,...
Fontenot RL, Mochal-King CA, Sprinkle SB, Wills RW, Calder CD.This study aimed to describe the clinical use of oral fluoxetine hydrochloride administration in horses using a retrospective medical records analysis and to determine owner perception of efficacy via a standardized questionnaire. The records of ninety-five horses for which fluoxetine had been prescribed by the equine service of a veterinary teaching hospital from November 2010 and February 2019 were identified, and data were collected from the medical records. A standardized questionnaire was used to obtain data from owners regarding length of administration, ease of administration, adverse e...
Carroll HK, Bott-Knutson RC, Mastellar SL.Two surveys of equine owners/managers and professionals using convenience sampling via multimodal distribution were conducted on perceptions of equid health and well-being (n = 142) and equine nutrition and feeding practices (n = 151). Surveys were distributed in 2014-2015 (health and well-being) and 2016 (nutrition and feeding) to similar email lists and social media sites; both included questions regarding information-seeking preferences. Respondents were mostly female (62% health and well-being, 84% nutrition and feeding) and had over 20 years of equine ownership/management experience (4...
Macpherson ML.Equine placentitis is a complex disease that has devastating consequences for horse owners. Placentitis is a significant cause of foal loss annually. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of the disease are paramount for survival of the affected neonate. This article discusses current information on pathogenesis of the disease as well as diagnostic and therapeutic options.
Tuemmers C, Quezada G, Morales R, Serri M.In the AraucanÃa Region there are no studies on the seroprevalence of leptospirosis in horses. Serological samples from 100 draft horses from Mapuche communities of four communes in the region were analyzed using the microMAT technique. The seroprevalence was 35% for at least one serovar of Leptospira spp. being the most frequent serovars canicola (22%), grippotyphosa (21%), hardjo (13%) and pomona (10%). It was evident that the equine populations studied are exposed to infection by Leptospira spp. and reveal a potential risk of transmission to their owners.
Clayton HM, MacKechnie-Guire R.Not too long ago, tack often fell into the "one size fits all" category but, fortunately, times have changed. In recent years, tack has become not only more functional but also a fashion statement. This article describes scientific concepts of the saddle, bridle, and bit with emphasis on clinical signs associated with ill-fit or incorrect use.
Askarov A, Kuznetsova A, Gusmanov R, Askarova A, Kovshov V.There is a lack of reliable data in agribusiness regarding the economic efficiency of horse breeding, and this limits its further development. The purpose of this study was to create rational parameters for the development of productive horse breeding as an effective agricultural business, in particular, in relation to farms. Methods: The methods of investigation used were induction and deduction, as well as analytical, statistical, and economic-mathematical analysis. We also used the dynamics of time series, CVP analysis, direct costing, and microeconomic analysis. Data were taken from the Ru...
Magnusson LE, Ekman S.Osteoarthrosis (OA) of the antebrachiocarpal joint from 7 riding horses is described. The horses were old mares and developed severe OA, with ankylosis in some of the joints. The lesions were bilateral, and the owners noticed the lameness in a late event. The cause of severe OA in these mares is not clear. The fact that OA was bilateral indicates that a single traumatic injury is unlikely as an etiologic factor. Considering the severe joint lesions it took long time before the horse-owners noticed the lameness. It is discussed if the threshold of pain is higher in the antebrachiocarpal joint c...
Burrell KL, Burford JH, England GCW, Freeman SL.The survival of horses diagnosed with critical colic (requiring referral or euthanasia) relies on rapid and effective decision-making by the owner and veterinary practitioner. Objective: To explore UK horse owners' and veterinary practitioners' experiences of decision-making for critical cases of equine colic. Methods: Qualitative study using a phenomenological approach. Methods: Individual, semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 14 horse owners and 13 veterinary practitioners (vets) who had experienced a critical decision (referral or euthanasia) for a horse with colic. A pu...
Hutchens DE, Paul AJ, DiPietro JA.Routine anthelmintic treatments are one of the most important components of an equine wellness program used by horse owners and veterinarians today. Thirteen different compounds are available in the United States in the treatment of gastrointestinal parasites, most of which are available over the counter. As a result, there is a decreased reliance on the veterinarian to perform routine tube dewormings. Therefore, the future of the veterinarian's role in the management of gastrointestinal parasites is likely to be in the consultation and design of parasite control programs. With this in mind, t...
Doxey DL, Milne EM, Ellison J, Curry PJ.Responses to questionnaires were received from 31 owners of horses or ponies treated for chronic grass sickness (dysautonomia). Contrary to previous opinions the respondents indicated that the majority of the animals were capable of strenuous work, had regained the weight they had lost and, apart from a few residual problems such as difficulty in coping with dry fibrous food, had returned to a normal life. They had recovered slowly and had involved the owners in considerable extra work, but all the owners indicated that they considered the effort to have been worthwhile.
Line SW, Hart BL, Sanders L.Males horses castrated prepubertally occasionally display stallion-like sexual and aggressive behavior as adults. A retrospective survey of 140 horse owners was undertaken to compare the effectiveness of prepubertal versus postpubertal castration on objectionable sexual and aggressive behavior. Of 94 geldings that had been castrated prepubertally (before 2 years of age), 20% to 30% displayed stallion-like sexual behavior and aggression toward horses, and 5% were aggressive toward people in a stallion-like manner. This occurrence of problem behavior was not significantly different from the occu...
Keller P, Vanwesenbeeck I, Hudders L, Decloedt A.Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM) is becoming increasingly popular in horses. Online, cross-sectional survey in 1532 horse owners. Attitude towards CAVM, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and intention for future CAVM use were measured based on the theory of planned behaviour. Structural equation modelling was performed to characterize factors influencing intention to use CAVM. Past use of CAVM, predominantly manual therapies and herbal supplements, was reported by 72.5% of all participants. Frequently reported indications were improving horse's well-being,...
Wilson BJ, Thompson KR, McGreevy PD.The annual Melbourne Cup Thoroughbred horse race has iconic status among many Australians but sits in the context of increasing criticism of the welfare of Thoroughbred racing horses and the ethics of gambling. Despite heated debates and protests playing out in the public domain, there is scant empirical research to document Australian attitudes to the Melbourne Cup, or horse racing more generally. Specifically, little is known about how support for or against the Melbourne Cup correlate with age, gender, income and level of education. To provide a more nuanced understanding of attitudes towar...
Grubbs ST, Amodie D, Rulli D, Wulster-Radcliffe M, Reinemeyer C, Yazwinski T, Tucker C, Hutchens D, Smith L, Patterson D.The safety and efficacy of 2% moxidectin/12.5% praziquantel oral gel administered at a rate of 0.4 mg moxidectin and 2.5 mg praziquantel/kg was studied in client-owned horses under field use conditions. Four hundred horses (300 treated with moxidectin/praziquantel oral gel and 100 treated with vehicle) were enrolled, feces were collected, and eggs were counted. Investigators as well as horse owners were masked to treatment assignment. No adverse reactions to treatment were observed in any horses. Moxidectin/praziquantel gel reduced Anoplocephala spp by more than 99% and provided a significant ...
Stowe CJ, Kibler ML.The unwanted horse issue continues to be a major concern in the U.S. equine industry. Nonprofit organizations dedicated to rescuing, retraining, and rehoming unwanted horses are critical in minimizing this problem. This study utilized data collected nationwide from organizations that provide these services for thoroughbreds retired from racing to identify individual horse characteristics that influenced length of stay at the adoption facility as well as characteristics that increased the probability that an adopted horse would be returned to the facility. The results suggested that horses with...
McNeill LR, Bott RC, Mastellar SL, Djira G, Carroll HK.In South Dakota, the status of equid well being is relatively unknown. This study sought to (a) gain understanding about the current perceptions of nonhuman animal well being in South Dakota, with an emphasis on horses and other equids; (b) determine the level of care equids are reportedly receiving and the perceived challenges to equine well being in South Dakota, and (c) determine if people from diverse geographical locations (east or west of the Missouri River) have similar views on the well being of equids in South Dakota. Respondents indicated the current level of equid well being in Sout...
DeBenedette V.Horseback riding carries several risks, some of which can be minimized if riders take riding lessons, wear proper headgear and footgear, and remember that they are on top of a large, willful animal.
Kienzle E, Bockhorni T.The nutritional status of 36 patients with equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) under pergolide treatment was investigated. Methods: The body condi tion score (BCS) and feeding were determined at the beginning of the study and after 60 and 120 days. Sampled blood for control of pergolid therapy were used for insulin and glucose measurement. A standardized questionnaire regarding the symptoms of the disease, including hypertrichosis and weight change, was completed by the owners. Results: The mean BCS (scale of 1 = cachexia to 9 = grossly obese) was 3.1 ± 0.8 (large horses 2.7 Â...
Scharf A, de Solis CN, Sampson SN, Glass K, Watts AE.To determine the short-term effect of plantar fasciotomy and neurectomy (PFN) of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve on the proximal suspensory ligament (PSL) cross-sectional area (CSA) in horses with hindlimb proximal suspensory desmopathy (PSD). Methods: Analytical, observational, cohort study. Methods: Twenty-one horses. Methods: Records of horses with chronic PSD treated by PFN were included if a preoperative ultrasonographic examination was available and at least one postoperative ultrasonographic examination. One masked observer measured the ultrasonographic cross-sectional area...
Jackson M, Vizard A, Anderson G, Clarke A, Whitton R.OBJECTIVES Describe the association between the purchase price of Thoroughbred yearlings sold in Australia and racing performance as 2- and 3-year-olds. METHODS Race performance data of 2773 Thoroughbred yearlings sold at auction during 2003 were collected. Associations between purchase price and the probability of starting, the number of race starts and the prize money earned were examined. RESULTS In total, 2206 (79.6%) horses started a race. The mean number of race starts was six and the mean prize money earned was A$24,420. A total of 1711 (61.5%) horses earned prize money, 402 (14.4%) ear...
Eysker M, van Doorn DC, Lems SN, Weteling A, Ploeger HW.Due to excessive and inappropriate use of dewormers anthelmintic resistance has developed as a significant problem in horse parasites in the Netherlands. Since it is unlikely that new classes of anthelmintics against horse nematodes will be introduced in the near future, it is important to use the present drugs wisely. Veterinarians should advice horse owners about worm control programs with a more targeted approach. The number of anthelmintic treatments should be reduced and, through selective anthelmintic treatments, further development of anthelmintic resistance should be delayed. Preferabl...
Davies J, Thomas C, Rizwan M, Gwenin C.The pH drop in the hindgut of the horse is caused by lactic acid-producing bacteria which are abundant when a horse's feeding regime is excessively carbohydrate rich. This drop in pH below six causes hindgut acidosis and may lead to laminitis. Lactic acid-producing bacteria and have been found to produce high amounts of L-lactate and D-lactate, respectively. Early detection of increased levels of these bacteria could allow the horse owner to tailor the horse's diet to avoid hindgut acidosis and subsequent laminitis. Therefore, 16s ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) sequences were identified a...
Nichols JL, Robinson JS, Hiney KM, Terry R, Ramsey JW.This study investigated equine nutrition knowledge and educational needs of licensed veterinarians in the United States who were exclusively or predominately equine practitioners. It found veterinarians regard their peers as an important resource of nutritional knowledge, ranking ahead of all other sources except a PhD equine nutritionist. Interestingly, only 21% of veterinarians felt good about their knowledge level in equine nutrition after graduating from veterinary school. Although veterinarians in this study reported equine nutrition to be an area of weakness, 75% had not pursued continui...
Gille C, Kayser M, Spiller A.Whereas in former times horses were reserved primarily for people involved in agriculture, elite equestrians or the military, nowadays equestrian sport has become an activity for people with a wide variety of backgrounds. However, as more and more people become involved with equestrian sport today, the knowledge concerning animal husbandry in general is diminishing due to an alienation from agricultural themes in modern societies. As a consequence, this development affects both riding ability and the appraisal of horses, especially with respect to the purchase of horses. In order to analyse wh...
Laukkanen T, Karma L, Virtala AM, Mykkänen A, Pehkonen J, Rossi H, Tuomola K, Raekallio M.Equine dental diseases are often underdiagnosed and their signs inadequately reported. Many horse owners have difficulties in recognizing pain-related behavioral signs and in associating them with dental pain. Our objective was to determine what type and degree of dental findings may cause behavioral signs associated with dental pain. In this cross-sectional study, dental examination was performed on 183 adult horses and cheek tooth findings were scored. Owners filled in an internet-based questionnaire including 35 questions concerning eating behavior, bit behavior, and general behavior of the...
Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Benedict KM, Saville WJ, Voelker LD, Wagner BA.Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a serious and often fatal neurologic disease of horses, but few studies have investigated risk factors. Objective: To evaluate operation- and individual-level factors associated with likelihood of the occurrence of EPM. Methods: Data were collected as part of a study of the US equine industry from 1,178 operations representing 83.9% of horses and 51.6% of operations with > or =3 horses in 28 states. Methods: Probability-based sampling was used to enroll representative operations in a cross-sectional study. Interviews were conducted to collect info...
Ikinger CM, Baldamus J, Spiller A.Human interactions with horses entail certain risks. Although the acceptance and use of protective gear is increasing, a high number of incidents and very low or inconsistent voluntary use of safety equipment are reported. While past studies have examined factors influencing the use of safety gear, they have explored neither their influence on the overall safety behavior, nor their relative influence in relation to each other. The aim of the present study is to fill this gap. We conducted an online survey with 2572 participants. By means of a subsequent multiple regression analysis, we explore...
Rohlf CM, Garcia TC, Fyhrie DP, le Jeune SS, Peterson ML, Stover SM.Shear forces at the surface-hoof interface affect hoof slide, surface grip, forces transferred to the limb, and injury risk. However, the variation in shear forces among surfaces with different compositions have not been quantified. Shear ground reaction forces were measured on five dirt and seven synthetic arena surfaces. Cohesion/adhesion and angle of internal friction/coefficient of friction were calculated. Surface composition, surface temperature, cushion depth, and moisture content were also measured. The effects of surface material (dirt/synthetic) on shear properties were assessed usin...
