A survey of aged horses in Queensland, Australia. Part 1: management and preventive health care.
Abstract: To describe management practices and routine preventive care of aged horses in Queensland, Australia, including effects of owner characteristics, affiliation to an equestrian group and retirement of the horse. Methods: Owners of horses were contacted via Equestrian Australia (EA) and asked to complete a questionnaire about their aged horses (e.g. age, breed, sex and colour); their use and management, including preventive health care; and use of equine healthcare providers. Results: Horses aged 15 years or greater represented one-third of the total horses owned in the population sample. The median age of the horses was 20.7 years (range 15-44 years). Basic husbandry and preventive health care varied depending on demographic region, age of the horse and its use. Affiliation with EA was associated with the breed and use of the horse, but not with management or preventive health care other than frequency of hoof care visits. Retired horses had reduced basic husbandry and preventive health care compared with non-retired horses. There was reduced preventive health care in rural compared with urban areas. The majority (61%) of horses in the current study had not been visited by a veterinarian in the previous 12 months. Conclusions: Aged horses constitute a large subgroup of the Australian horse population. Although basic management is at a high level for most aged horses, it appears to be reduced following the horse's retirement and in the more rural areas. There was limited veterinary involvement in preventive healthcare strategies for aged horses, especially in rural areas.
© 2010 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal © 2010 Australian Veterinary Association.
Publication Date: 2010-10-21 PubMed ID: 20958281DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-0813.2010.00637.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This study discusses the care and management practices for aged horses in Queensland, Australia. The research highlights key findings about how these practices are influenced by factors such as horse retirement and equestrian group affiliations. The research also explores the use of healthcare providers for these horses.
Methodology
- The researchers conducted a survey among owners of horses via Equestrian Australia and collected data about several details about the horses, their management and preventive healthcare practices, and usage of healthcare providers.
- The study focussed on horses aged 15 years or older, which comprised a third of the total population sample.
Key Findings
- Basic husbandry and preventive health care varied widely depending on the region, age of the horse, and the purpose for which it was used.
- Affiliation with Equestrian Australia was observed to influence the breed and use of the horse, but it did not have an impact on the management or preventive care practices, except for the frequency of hoof care visits.
- Retired horses had significantly fewer basic husbandry and preventive health care compared to non-retired horses.
- Rural areas showed lesser preventive healthcare measures compared to urban areas.
- A significant majority (61%) of the horses in the study had not had a check-up with a veterinarian in the past year.
Conclusions
- Aged horses were found to make up a significant portion of the Australian horse population.
- Despite most aged horses having high-level basic management, the study found that preventive care declined when the horse was retired, and also in more rural areas.
- Healthcare provision for aged horses was slightly lacking, particularly in rural areas, and there was limited veterinary involvement in implementing preventive healthcare strategies.
Cite This Article
APA
McGowan TW, Pinchbeck G, Phillips CJ, Perkins N, Hodgson DR, McGowan CM.
(2010).
A survey of aged horses in Queensland, Australia. Part 1: management and preventive health care.
Aust Vet J, 88(11), 420-427.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2010.00637.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
MeSH Terms
- Aging / physiology
- Animal Husbandry / methods
- Animals
- Confidence Intervals
- Data Collection
- Female
- Horse Diseases / prevention & control
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Odds Ratio
- Queensland
- Rural Population
- Urban Population
- Veterinary Medicine / trends
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Cellai S, Gazzano A, Casini L, Gazzano V, Cecchi F, Macchioni F, Cozzi A, Pageat L, Arroub S, Fratini S, Felici M, Curadi MC, Baragli P. The Memory Abilities of the Elderly Horse. Animals (Basel) 2024 Oct 25;14(21).
- Asahi Y, Arai T, Tanaka Y. Changes in plasma metabolite concentrations and enzyme activities in aging riding horses. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1345548.
- Sundra T, Kelty E, Rossi G, Rendle D. Retrospective assessment of the use of extended-release cabergoline in the management of equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Front Vet Sci 2024;11:1332337.
- DeNotta S, McFarlane D. Immunosenescence and inflammaging in the aged horse. Immun Ageing 2023 Jan 6;20(1):2.
- Cox EG, Bell R, Greer RM, Jeffcott LB. A survey on the use of rugs in Australian horses. Aust Vet J 2023 Jan;101(1-2):9-26.
- Mandal S, Denham MM, Spencer SJ, Denham J. Exercise regulates shelterin genes and microRNAs implicated in ageing in Thoroughbred horses. Pflugers Arch 2022 Nov;474(11):1159-1169.
- Deng L, Shi S, Li J, Tang C, Han Y, Xie P. A Survey of Smallholder Farms Regarding Demographics, Health Care, and Management Factors of Donkeys in Northeastern China. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:626622.
- Maśko M, Domino M, Jasiński T, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O. The Physical Activity-Dependent Hematological and Biochemical Changes in School Horses in Comparison to Blood Profiles in Endurance and Race Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Apr 14;11(4).
- Hu K, Stewart AJ, Yuen KY, Hinrichsen S, Dryburgh EL, Bertin FR. The effect of freeze-thaw cycles on determination of immunoreactive plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone concentrations in horses. J Vet Intern Med 2020 May;34(3):1350-1356.
- Stephenson EB, Peel AJ, Reid SA, Jansen CC, McCallum H. The non-human reservoirs of Ross River virus: a systematic review of the evidence. Parasit Vectors 2018 Mar 19;11(1):188.
- Rogers CW, Bolwell CF, Gee EK. Proactive Management of the Equine Athlete. Animals (Basel) 2012 Dec 19;2(4):640-55.
- McGowan C. Welfare of Aged Horses. Animals (Basel) 2011 Oct 31;1(4):366-76.
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