Becoming a matter of veterinary concern.
Abstract: Horses in Great Britain are living into increasingly older age and are often regarded as friends or family members by their owner. The horse is reliant on their owner to meet their needs and this paper discusses how horse owners frame an issue that becomes a matter of veterinary concern within the context of the older horse. Qualitative methods were used to explore the experiences of owners and veterinarians. Data were collected and analysed using a grounded theory approach during the period 2019-2022. Analysis identified that owners undertook an ongoing and iterative process of assessment, monitoring and decision making in relation to the animal and any changes they observed. Matters that became a veterinary concern required the owner to formulate the issue as something that fell within the knowledge domain of the veterinarian. Veterinarians had a medicalised view of older horse health and their perspectives on socially acceptable care were shaped by their understanding of species-specific needs, and whether owners were providing appropriately for those needs. The formulation of a matter of veterinary concern was itself shaped by an owner's experiential knowledge of both veterinary matters and their horse. The extent to which owners felt like they and their individual horse mattered during interactions with veterinarians affected whether they adopted veterinary advice and the nature of future veterinary employment. Findings demonstrate how matters of health, disease, and the role of professionalised forms of medical knowledge, are not static but constantly changing and interacting over time. An issue that became a matter of veterinary concern was contextual, and rooted in individual relationships. The significance of veterinarian-owner interactions in shaping future consumption of veterinary health care may be underestimated.
Copyright © 2024 Smith, Pinchbeck, McGowan, Ireland and Perkins.
Publication Date: 2024-05-30 PubMed ID: 38872799PubMed Central: PMC11169876DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1355996Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research study examines how horse owners in Great Britain, where horses are living to an older age and are often considered as family members, decide when an issue with their horse becomes a veterinary matter. It investigates the relationship between horse owners and veterinarians, demonstrating the vital role of this interaction in health care decisions.
Research Approach
- The researchers used qualitative methods to understand the experiences of both horse owners and veterinarians. They applied grounded theory, a systematic methodology in the social sciences involving the construction of theory from data.
- The study was conducted over a three-year period, from 2019 to 2022.
Understanding Horse Owners’ Decision Making
- The study found that horse owners continuously assess, monitor, and make decisions about their horses’ health based on their observations.
- If an issue becomes a veterinary concern, horse owners need to present the problem as something within the veterinarian’s area of expertise, which requires a good understanding of veterinary matters on the owner’s part.
Veterinarian’s Perspective on Horse Health
- From the veterinarian’s perspective, their approach to older horse health is often medicalised. Their views on what constitutes appropriate care are shaped by their understanding of species-specific needs.
- Their recommendations are based on whether they believe the horse owners are providing adequately for those needs.
The Role of Interactions Between Owners and Veterinarians
- The way a horse owner frames a problem as a veterinary concern is significantly influenced by their personal experience with both veterinary matters and their horse.
- The researchers found that the extent to which horse owners felt understood and their individual horse is valued during interactions with veterinarians, influenced whether they followed veterinary advice and the type of veterinary assistance they would seek in the future.
Interactions Shaping Health Care Consumption
- The study suggests that health, disease, and the role of professional medical knowledge, are dynamic, constantly changing and interacting over time.
- It demonstrates the importance of individual relationships in determining what becomes a veterinary concern, and highlights the possibility that the significance of the interaction between veterinarian and owner in determining future use of veterinary health care may be underestimated.
Cite This Article
APA
Smith R, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Ireland J, Perkins E.
(2024).
Becoming a matter of veterinary concern.
Front Vet Sci, 11, 1355996.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1355996 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Equine Clinical Science, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Department of Equine Clinical Science, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Department of Equine Clinical Science, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
- Department of Primary Care and Mental Health, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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