An investigation of risk factors for foot-related lameness in a United Kingdom referral population of horses.

This study explored the factors contributing to foot-related lameness in horses, focusing particularly on injuries or diseases of the podotrochlear apparatus (PTA). The research revealed that certain characteristics, including age, horse breed, work discipline, and the ratio between a horse’s body weight and height, played crucial roles in the risk of foot pain, with different factors posing variable levels of risk.

Methodology and Overall Findings

• The research was a retrospective study analyzing data from all horses examined at a referral center from 2001 to 2010.
• Among 4618 examined horses, 1132 suffered from foot pain.
• The study used univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses to understand the incidence of foot pain in relation to various factors.

Age as a Risk Factor

• Horses aged between 6-9 and 10-15 years were found to have an increased risk of foot pain compared to horses that were less than 6 years old. The odds ratios (OR) were 1.60 and 1.72 for the two age groups respectively.
• Similarly, horses with an age between 10-15 years (OR = 2.12) and more than 15 years (OR = 3.36) were found to have a higher risk for PTA injury than younger horses.

Breed as a Risk Factor

• The research also reported Thoroughbred cross-breeds to be more susceptible to foot pain (OR = 1.53) and PTA injury (OR = 1.73) than Warmblood breeds.

Work Discipline as a Risk Factor

• Show jumpers had an elevated risk of pain (OR = 1.44) and PTA and other injuries (OR = 2.29) compared to dressage horses.
• Contrastingly, racehorses were found to have a reduced risk of all types of foot pain (OR = 0.13) compared with dressage horses.

Bodyweight-Height Ratio as a Risk Factor

• Horses with a body weight to height ratio in the upper two quartiles (3.45-3.71 or >3.71) were more likely to experience foot pain compared to those in the lowest quartile (<3.19), with odd ratios of 1.55 and 1.44 respectively.
• Similar trends were found for PTA injuries, with horses in the upper ratios having higher odds (OR = 2.75 and 2.06 respectively).

Conclusion

• The research concluded that age, breed, work discipline, and the body weight to height ratio of a horse significantly influence its risk of foot pain. However, the authors suggested that other yet undetermined factors are also likely to play a role.