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Home / Equine Research Bank / Aust Vet J / A survey on the use of rugs in Australian horses.
Australian veterinary journal2022; 101(1-2); 9-26; doi: 10.1111/avj.13219

A survey on the use of rugs in Australian horses.

Abstract: The practice of horse rugging has important implications for horse welfare and performance, but in Australia, rugging practices have not been properly documented. The objective of this study was to obtain an understanding of Australian horse rugging practices. An online survey reviewed the management of 2659 Australian horses over 12 months. Of the reported horses a total of 84.8% were rugged, although most owners (69.5%) indicated that they were unsure whether horses needed to be rugged at all. Rugging was felt by 59.8% of owners to be a requirement for horses in competition. Riding and competition were significantly associated with the use of rugs. Nearly all respondents (89.0%) felt that 'over-rugging' was a concern. However, 4.8% of owners would use up to 4 rugs at any one time on their horse and 21.4% of horses were still rugged in temperatures above 20°C in Australia. Many Australian horse owners (42.8%) also believe that horses feel cold if they are not rugged. Anthropomorphism when it comes to rugging horses cannot be justified as the horse has a much wider thermoneutral zone (TNZ) than humans. Australian climate, owner opinions, equestrian discipline and whether a horse is used for riding influence Australian horse rugging practices. However, current practices are based on limited available research and are not necessarily to the benefit of the horse. The major limitation was that the survey likely attracted respondents who are interested in the topic creating a self-selection bias.
© 2022 The Authors. Australian Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Veterinary Association.
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Publication Date: 2022-11-27 PubMed ID: 36437593PubMed Central: PMC10098481DOI: 10.1111/avj.13219Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 study looked into the practices of horse rugging in Australia. The results showed that most horses were rugged, but many owners were unsure if this was necessary, and many also over-rugged their horses or kept them rugged in warm weather.

Objective of the Study

  • The purpose of this study was to understand the prevalent practices of horse rugging in Australia, looking specifically at how widely it was done, and to what extent it was necessary. The researchers used an online survey to gather data, and their study included the management of 2659 horses over a year.

Key Findings

  • The results showed that 84.8% of the horses surveyed were rugged, but 69.5% of horse owners reported being unsure if horses needed to be rugged at all. Most owners who participated in competitions felt that it was a requirement to rug horses, and the use of rugs was strongly associated with riding and competing.
  • In terms of over-rugging, the vast majority of respondents (89.0%) felt that this was a concern. Despite this, some owners (4.8%) would use up to four rugs on their horse at any one time, and 21.4% still rugged their horses in temperatures above 20°C. On top of this, 42.8% of owners believed that horses feel the cold if they’re not rugged.
  • This anthropomorphism, or attribution of human characteristics or behavior to animals, is unjustified when it comes to the rugging of horses, as horses have a much wider thermoneutral zone (TNZ) than humans. This is the range of temperatures in which a horse can maintain thermal balance without expending additional energy.

Contributing Factors and Influences

  • The research found that the Australian climate, owner opinions, equestrian discipline, and the use of a horse for riding all influenced horse rugging practices. However, they noted that these practices are based on limited available research and may not necessarily be beneficial to the horse.

Limitations of the Study

  • The study acknowledged that the survey likely attracted respondents who were interested in the topic, which may have led to what is known as a self-selection bias (where participants in the research are not representative of the general population) in the findings.

Cite This Article

APA
Cox EG, Bell R, Greer RM, Jeffcott LB. (2022). A survey on the use of rugs in Australian horses. Aust Vet J, 101(1-2), 9-26. https://doi.org/10.1111/avj.13219

Publication

Australian veterinary journal
ISSN: 1751-0813
NlmUniqueID: 0370616
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 101
Issue: 1-2
Pages: 9-26

Researcher Affiliations

Cox, E G
  • The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney, Australia.
Bell, Rjw
  • The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney, Australia.
Greer, R M
  • Torus Research, Brisbane, Australia.
  • Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Mater Research Institute-UQ, South Brisbane, Australia.
Jeffcott, L B
  • The University of Sydney, Faculty of Science, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, The University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden, Sydney, Australia.

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Animals
  • Horses
  • Australia
  • Animal Husbandry
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Horse Diseases

Grant Funding

  • University of Sydney

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest for the work presented here. The University of Sydney provided funding for the data analysis as part of the Masters of Veterinary Science funding for the first author.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
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