FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Equine veterinary journal2007; 39(4); 301-308; doi: 10.2746/042516407x180129

A survey of horse owners in Great Britain regarding horses in their care. Part 2: Risk factors for recurrent airway obstruction.

Abstract: Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO) is a commonly encountered respiratory condition of horses. Despite this, the epidemiology of this predominately manageable and reversible disease in Great Britain has been largely ignored. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of RAO in the general horse population of Great Britain and to investigate possible risk factors for RAO associated with management or early life. Methods: Horse owners were surveyed using a self-administered postal questionnaire that contained a risk-screening questionnaire (RSQ) designed to identify horses with RAO. These owners were randomly selected, following geographical stratification, using 2-stage cluster sampling of veterinary practices and their clients. Multilevel, multivariable logistic regression models were used to investigate risk factors for RAO in the selected horse population. Results: The estimated true prevalence of RAO in the selected horse population was 14.0% (95%CI 10.7-17.4%). Risk factors for RAO identified in a general horse management logistic regression model included increasing age and exposure to an urbanised environment. Recurrent airway obstruction has long been associated with mature horses while the association with an urbanised environment could be related to different management practices in these areas or possibly air pollution could be involved. The second model associated exposure to hay and respiratory infection in early life with a horse having RAO in later life. Challenges to the respiratory system in early life may be involved in the development of this disease. Conclusions: Recurrent airway obstruction is a significant health problem in the horse population of Great Britain. This form of epidemiological investigation highlights potential risk factors for the disease.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2007-08-29 PubMed ID: 17722720DOI: 10.2746/042516407x180129Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article investigates the prevalence of Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) in horses, a common respiratory condition, in Great Britain and examines potential risk factors associated with the disease. The study determined that 14.0% of horses in their sample population suffered from RAO, with risk factors including aging and exposure to urban environments or hay, and respiratory infections early in life.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers conducted a survey of horse owners in Great Britain via a self-administered postal questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to pinpoint horses with Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO).
  • Veterinary practices and their clients were randomly selected to participate in the survey following geographical stratification in a two-stage cluster sampling.
  • To investigate potential risk factors for RAO, they used multilevel, multivariable logistic regression models on the collated data from the questionnaires.

Key Findings

  • Based on the survey, the estimated true prevalence of RAO in the selected horse population was 14.0%.
  • The study found that the risk factors for RAO in general horse management include increasing age and exposure to an urbanised environment. Exposure to an urbanised environment could be linked to either different management practices in these areas, or it could suggest the possibility that air pollution may play a role in developing the disease.
  • Another risk factor for RAO identified by the research is the exposure of a horse to hay and respiratory infections early in life. The findings suggest that challenges to the respiratory system early in life could be implicated in the development of the disease later on.

Conclusion

  • The research concludes that Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) is a significant health issue for the horse population in Great Britain, as it impacts a sizeable portion of the horse population.
  • The study offers insights into the risk factors of the disease, which can be used to improve our understanding of, and response to, this health issue in the horse population.

Cite This Article

APA
Hotchkiss JW, Reid SW, Christley RM. (2007). A survey of horse owners in Great Britain regarding horses in their care. Part 2: Risk factors for recurrent airway obstruction. Equine Vet J, 39(4), 301-308. https://doi.org/10.2746/042516407x180129

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 0425-1644
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 39
Issue: 4
Pages: 301-308

Researcher Affiliations

Hotchkiss, J W
  • Division of Companion Animals, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK.
Reid, S W J
    Christley, R M

      MeSH Terms

      • Age Factors
      • Air Pollutants / adverse effects
      • Animal Husbandry / methods
      • Animals
      • Cluster Analysis
      • Female
      • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
      • Horses
      • Logistic Models
      • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / epidemiology
      • Lung Diseases, Obstructive / veterinary
      • Male
      • Multivariate Analysis
      • Prevalence
      • Recurrence
      • Respiratory Tract Infections / complications
      • Respiratory Tract Infections / epidemiology
      • Respiratory Tract Infections / veterinary
      • Risk Factors
      • Seasons
      • Surveys and Questionnaires
      • United Kingdom / epidemiology

      Citations

      This article has been cited 40 times.
      1. Woodrow JS, Sheats MK, Cooper B, Bayless R. Asthma: The Use of Animal Models and Their Translational Utility. Cells 2023 Apr 5;12(7).
        doi: 10.3390/cells12071091pubmed: 37048164google scholar: lookup
      2. Kang H, Lee GKC, Bienzle D, Arroyo LG, Sears W, Lillie BN, Beeler-Marfisi J. Equine alveolar macrophages and monocyte-derived macrophages respond differently to an inflammatory stimulus. PLoS One 2023;18(3):e0282738.
        doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282738pubmed: 36920969google scholar: lookup
      3. Woodrow JS, Hines M, Sommardahl C, Flatland B, Lo Y, Wang Z, Sheats MK, Lennon EM. Initial investigation of molecular phenotypes of airway mast cells and cytokine profiles in equine asthma. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:997139.
        doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.997139pubmed: 36713876google scholar: lookup
      4. Rutledge JJ, Paegelow J, Ritchey J, Singh A, Rizzi T, Murray C, Gilliam L, Crisman E, Williams NJ, Holbrook TC. Nebulized glycosylated caffeic acid phenylether ester attenuation of environmental particulate-induced airway inflammation in horses. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:958567.
        doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.958567pubmed: 36406065google scholar: lookup
      5. Klier J, Fuchs S, Winter G, Gehlen H. Inhalative Nanoparticulate CpG Immunotherapy in Severe Equine Asthma: An Innovative Therapeutic Concept and Potential Animal Model for Human Asthma Treatment. Animals (Basel) 2022 Aug 16;12(16).
        doi: 10.3390/ani12162087pubmed: 36009677google scholar: lookup
      6. Janssen P, Tosi I, Hego A, Maréchal P, Marichal T, Radermecker C. Neutrophil Extracellular Traps Are Found in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluids of Horses With Severe Asthma and Correlate With Asthma Severity. Front Immunol 2022;13:921077.
        doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.921077pubmed: 35911691google scholar: lookup
      7. Höglund N, Koho N, Rossi H, Karttunen J, Mustonen AM, Nieminen P, Rilla K, Oikari S, Mykkänen A. Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles From the Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid of Healthy and Asthmatic Horses. Front Vet Sci 2022;9:894189.
        doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.894189pubmed: 35799843google scholar: lookup
      8. Golding E, Neavyn Neita A, Walshe N, Hanlon A, Mulcahy G, Duggan V. Survey of the knowledge and perceptions of horse owners in Ireland of common clinical conditions and their impact. Equine Vet J 2023 Mar;55(2):270-281.
        doi: 10.1111/evj.13589pubmed: 35575027google scholar: lookup
      9. Mainguy-Seers S, Diaw M, Lavoie JP. Lung Function Variation during the Estrus Cycle of Mares Affected by Severe Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 17;12(4).
        doi: 10.3390/ani12040494pubmed: 35203202google scholar: lookup
      10. Mainguy-Seers S, Boivin R, Pourali Dogaheh S, Beaudry F, Hélie P, Bonilla AG, Martin JG, Lavoie JP. Effects of azithromycin on bronchial remodeling in the natural model of severe neutrophilic asthma in horses. Sci Rep 2022 Jan 10;12(1):446.
        doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-03955-9pubmed: 35013387google scholar: lookup
      11. Kang H, Bienzle D, Lee GKC, Piché É, Viel L, Odemuyiwa SO, Beeler-Marfisi J. Flow cytometric analysis of equine bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells in horses with and without severe equine asthma. Vet Pathol 2022 Jan;59(1):91-99.
        doi: 10.1177/03009858211042588pubmed: 34521286google scholar: lookup
      12. Borowska A, Wolska D, Niedzwiedz A, Borowicz H, Jaworski Z, Siemieniuch M, Szwaczkowski T. Some Genetic and Environmental Effects on Equine Asthma in Polish Konik Horses. Animals (Basel) 2021 Aug 3;11(8).
        doi: 10.3390/ani11082285pubmed: 34438743google scholar: lookup
      13. Payette F, Charlebois A, Fairbrother JH, Beauchamp G, Leclere M. Nicoletella semolina in the airways of healthy horses and horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2021 May;35(3):1612-1619.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.16140pubmed: 33942932google scholar: lookup
      14. de Wasseige S, Picotte K, Lavoie JP. Nebulized dexamethasone sodium phosphate in the treatment of horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2021 May;35(3):1604-1611.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.16113pubmed: 33817859google scholar: lookup
      15. Davis KU, Sheats MK. The Role of Neutrophils in the Pathophysiology of Asthma in Humans and Horses. Inflammation 2021 Apr;44(2):450-465.
        doi: 10.1007/s10753-020-01362-2pubmed: 33150539google scholar: lookup
      16. Hulliger MF, Pacholewska A, Vargas A, Lavoie JP, Leeb T, Gerber V, Jagannathan V. An Integrative miRNA-mRNA Expression Analysis Reveals Striking Transcriptomic Similarities between Severe Equine Asthma and Specific Asthma Endotypes in Humans. Genes (Basel) 2020 Sep 28;11(10).
        doi: 10.3390/genes11101143pubmed: 32998415google scholar: lookup
      17. Ribitsch I, Baptista PM, Lange-Consiglio A, Melotti L, Patruno M, Jenner F, Schnabl-Feichter E, Dutton LC, Connolly DJ, van Steenbeek FG, Dudhia J, Penning LC. Large Animal Models in Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering: To Do or Not to Do. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020;8:972.
        doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00972pubmed: 32903631google scholar: lookup
      18. Couetil L, Cardwell JM, Leguillette R, Mazan M, Richard E, Bienzle D, Bullone M, Gerber V, Ivester K, Lavoie JP, Martin J, Moran G, Niedźwiedź A, Pusterla N, Swiderski C. Equine Asthma: Current Understanding and Future Directions. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:450.
        doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.00450pubmed: 32903600google scholar: lookup
      19. Kaiser-Thom S, Hilty M, Gerber V. Effects of hypersensitivity disorders and environmental factors on the equine intestinal microbiota. Vet Q 2020 Dec;40(1):97-107.
        doi: 10.1080/01652176.2020.1745317pubmed: 32189583google scholar: lookup
      20. Manguin E, Pépin E, Boivin R, Leclere M. Tracheal microbial populations in horses with moderate asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2020 Mar;34(2):986-995.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.15707pubmed: 31985115google scholar: lookup
      21. White SJ, Moore-Colyer M, Marti E, Hannant D, Gerber V, Coüetil L, Richard EA, Alcocer M. Antigen array for serological diagnosis and novel allergen identification in severe equine asthma. Sci Rep 2019 Oct 23;9(1):15170.
        doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-51820-7pubmed: 31645629google scholar: lookup
      22. Raudsepp T, Finno CJ, Bellone RR, Petersen JL. Ten years of the horse reference genome: insights into equine biology, domestication and population dynamics in the post-genome era. Anim Genet 2019 Dec;50(6):569-597.
        doi: 10.1111/age.12857pubmed: 31568563google scholar: lookup
      23. Klier J, Bartl C, Geuder S, Geh KJ, Reese S, Goehring LS, Winter G, Gehlen H. Immunomodulatory asthma therapy in the equine animal model: A dose-response study and evaluation of a long-term effect. Immun Inflamm Dis 2019 Sep;7(3):130-149.
        doi: 10.1002/iid3.252pubmed: 31141308google scholar: lookup
      24. Davis KU, Sheats MK. Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cytology Characteristics and Seasonal Changes in a Herd of Pastured Teaching Horses. Front Vet Sci 2019;6:74.
        doi: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00074pubmed: 30923711google scholar: lookup
      25. Boivin R, Pilon F, Lavoie JP, Leclere M. Adherence to treatment recommendations and short-term outcome of pleasure and sport horses with equine asthma. Can Vet J 2018 Dec;59(12):1293-1298.
        pubmed: 30532286
      26. Bullone M, Lavoie JP. The Contribution of Oxidative Stress and Inflamm-Aging in Human and Equine Asthma. Int J Mol Sci 2017 Dec 5;18(12).
        doi: 10.3390/ijms18122612pubmed: 29206130google scholar: lookup
      27. Couëtil LL, Cardwell JM, Gerber V, Lavoie JP, Léguillette R, Richard EA. Inflammatory Airway Disease of Horses--Revised Consensus Statement. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Mar-Apr;30(2):503-15.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.13824pubmed: 26806374google scholar: lookup
      28. Nogradi N, Couetil LL, Messick J, Stochelski MA, Burgess JR. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation provides an additional benefit to a low-dust diet in the management of horses with chronic lower airway inflammatory disease. J Vet Intern Med 2015 Jan;29(1):299-306.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.12488pubmed: 25307169google scholar: lookup
      29. Park T, Hong S, Murray L, Lee J, Shah A, Mesa JC, Lee H, Couetil L, Lee CH. Wearable smart textile band for continuous equine health monitoring. Biosens Bioelectron 2026 Jan 15;292:118073.
        doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2025.118073pubmed: 41076872google scholar: lookup
      30. Lendl L, Wirth C, Merle R, Barton AK. Influence of a Standardized Lunging Exercise Test on BALF Cytology in Horses Suffering from Mild-Moderate Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 19;15(16).
        doi: 10.3390/ani15162428pubmed: 40867756google scholar: lookup
      31. Dlugopolska D, Siwinska N, Noszczyk-Nowak A. Equine Asthma in a Comparative Perspective: Cardiovascular and Neurological Manifestations of Asthma Across Different Species. Animals (Basel) 2025 Aug 12;15(16).
        doi: 10.3390/ani15162371pubmed: 40867700google scholar: lookup
      32. Nyerges-Bohák Z, Kovács L, Povázsai Á, Hamar E, Póti P, Ladányi M. Heart rate variability in horses with and without severe equine asthma. Equine Vet J 2025 May;57(3):611-618.
        doi: 10.1111/evj.14414pubmed: 39275917google scholar: lookup
      33. Portaels J, Van Crombrugge E, Van Den Broeck W, Lagrou K, Laval K, Nauwynck H. Aspergillus Fumigatus Spore Proteases Alter the Respiratory Mucosa Architecture and Facilitate Equine Herpesvirus 1 Infection. Viruses 2024 Jul 27;16(8).
        doi: 10.3390/v16081208pubmed: 39205182google scholar: lookup
      34. Mozo Vives B, Mainguy-Seers S, Lavoie JP. Comparative study of the bronchodilator efficacy and adverse effects of salbutamol and hyoscine butylbromide in horses with severe asthma. J Vet Intern Med 2024 May-Jun;38(3):1835-1841.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.17057pubmed: 38609079google scholar: lookup
      35. Jentsch MC, Lübke S, Schrödl W, Volke D, Krizsan A, Hoffmann R, Kaiser-Thom S, Gerber V, Marti E, Wagner B, Schnabel CL. Immunoproteomics enable broad identification of new Aspergillus fumigatus antigens in severe equine asthma. Front Immunol 2024;15:1347164.
        doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1347164pubmed: 38487534google scholar: lookup
      36. Diez de Castro E, Fernandez-Molina JM. Environmental Management of Equine Asthma. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jan 30;14(3).
        doi: 10.3390/ani14030446pubmed: 38338089google scholar: lookup
      37. Leduc L, Costa M, Leclère M. The Microbiota and Equine Asthma: An Integrative View of the Gut-Lung Axis. Animals (Basel) 2024 Jan 13;14(2).
        doi: 10.3390/ani14020253pubmed: 38254421google scholar: lookup
      38. Simões J, Tilley P. Decision Making in Severe Equine Asthma-Diagnosis and Monitoring. Animals (Basel) 2023 Dec 16;13(24).
        doi: 10.3390/ani13243872pubmed: 38136909google scholar: lookup
      39. Leduc L, Leclère M, Gauthier LG, Marcil O, Lavoie JP. Severe asthma in horses is associated with increased airway innervation. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):485-494.
        doi: 10.1111/jvim.16941pubmed: 38054207google scholar: lookup
      40. Simões J, Sales Luís JP, Madeira de Carvalho L, Tilley P. Severely Asthmatic Horses Residing in a Mediterranean Climate Shed a Significantly Lower Number of Parasite Eggs Compared to Healthy Farm Mates. Animals (Basel) 2023 Sep 15;13(18).
        doi: 10.3390/ani13182928pubmed: 37760328google scholar: lookup
      Subscribe to our newsletter
      Join 99,727 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.