FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Competing interests at the heart of equine sports medicine e...
Equine veterinary journal2023; doi: 10.1111/evj.13942

Competing interests at the heart of equine sports medicine ethics: A scoping review and thematic analysis.

Abstract: The ethics of using horses in sport is receiving increasing attention and media scrutiny. Sports medicine ethics is an important and well-established discipline within human medicine and biomedical ethics, which has, thus far, received little application to the equine veterinary field. Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to explore the existing literature on equine sports medicine ethics, to understand the current concerns and issues, and to map areas for future research. Methods: Scoping review. Methods: Academic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CAB abstracts) were searched to identify papers, published in English, between 2000 and 2022, that mentioned aspect(s) of the ethics of veterinary provision to the performance horse. Additionally, grey (including lay) literature was identified through global search engines to locate supplementary and opinion articles. Relevant data on article characteristics and ethical concerns were extracted and charted. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key issues. Results: A literature source of 41 papers/articles was used; of which 35 were from veterinary sources, mostly veterinary journals and conference proceedings. Several themes were identified including: competing stakeholder interests; governing bodies, rules and regulations; provision of optimal veterinary care; confidentiality; and social licence for the veterinary profession. The most commonly mentioned specific ethical concern was the use of medication in performance horses. Conclusions: In this scoping review, we have not sought to critically analyse the ethical arguments within the included literature, but rather to collate them so that an overview of ethical concerns can be established. Conclusions: Further consideration is required as to how the veterinary profession and sporting governing bodies can support individual veterinary surgeons to strive for the highest levels of professional conduct in equine sports medicine. The veterinary profession should continue to work towards establishing processes for determining what veterinary practices are ethical, optimal, excessive, permissible and impermissible.
© 2023 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2023-05-10 PubMed ID: 37163211DOI: 10.1111/evj.13942Google 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
  • Review

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 evaluates the literature on the ethics of equine sports medicine, highlighting the current issues and future areas of concern. It indicates that further consideration is required to establish ethical, optimal, excessive, permissible, and impermissible practices in equine sports medicine.

Research Objective

  • The main aim of this scoping review was to explore the existing literature on equine sports medicine ethics. It aimed to comprehend the current concerns, issues, and map the potential areas for future research.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers implemented a scoping review approach, where academic databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and CAB abstracts were searched for papers published in English between 2000 and 2022.
  • The papers had to focus on the ethical aspects of the veterinary treatment provided to sports horses.
  • Supplementary literature and opinion articles were also identified through global search engines. These are primarily referred to as grey (including lay) literature.
  • Data relevant to article characteristics and ethical concerns were extracted, charted, and later subjected to thematic analysis to identify key issues.

Research Results

  • The researchers reviewed a total of 41 papers/articles, 35 of which were from veterinary sources such as veterinary journals and conference proceedings.
  • They identified several themes including competing stakeholder interests, governing bodies, rules and regulations, the provision of optimal veterinary care, confidentiality, and social license for the veterinary profession.
  • The use of medication in performance horses was the most commonly mentioned ethical concern in the reviewed literature.

Conclusions

  • The researchers did not seek to critically analyse ethical arguments in this scoping review; their intention was to compile the ethical concerns to establish an overview.
  • Further contemplation is deemed necessary regarding how the veterinary profession and sporting governing bodies can empower individual veterinary surgeons to aim for the highest levels of professional conduct in equine sports medicine.
  • The veterinary profession should keep working to establish processes that determine ethical, optimal, excessive, permissible, and impermissible practices in this domain.

Cite This Article

APA
Allen K, Anderson L, King M, Mullan S. (2023). Competing interests at the heart of equine sports medicine ethics: A scoping review and thematic analysis. Equine Vet J. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13942

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Allen, Kate
  • Bristol Veterinary School, Bristol, UK.
Anderson, Lynley
  • Bioethics Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
King, Mike
  • Bioethics Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Mullan, Siobhan
  • Bristol Veterinary School, Bristol, UK.
  • School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

References

This article includes 62 references
  1. Campbell MLH. An ethical framework for the use of horses in competitive sport: theory and function.. Animals (Basel) 2021;11(6):1725.
  2. Walsh D. Look beyond Gordon Elliott's callous pose and you will find stories of neglect, of abandoned racehorses. The Sunday Times [cited 2021 Mar 8]. Available from: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/look-beyond-elliotts-callous-pose-and-youll-find-stories-of-neglect-in-the-sport-0rvdlpp5s
  3. Bogdanich W, Drape J, Ruiz R. At the track, racing economics collide with veterinarians' oath.. The New York Times [cited 2012 Sept 21].
  4. International Federation of Sports Medicine. Available from: https://www.fims.org/about/code-ethics/
  5. American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Available from: https://www.vsmr.org/
  6. Rogers CW, Bolwell CF, Gee EK. Proactive management of the equine athlete.. Animals (Basel) 2012;2(4):640-55.
  7. Mitchell RD. Welfare concerns for the US sport horse - a matter of practice ethics?. Equine Vet Educ 2019;31(5):228-9.
  8. Campbell M. Ethical analysis of the use of animals for sport.. In: Wathes CM, Corr SA, May SA, McCulloch SP, Whiting MC, editors. Veterinary and animal ethics: proceedings of the first international conference on veterinary and animal ethics. West Sussex, UK: Wiley-Blackwell; 2011. p. 201-15.
  9. Daudt HM, van Mossel C, Scott SJ. Enhancing the scoping study methodology: a large, inter-professional team's experience with Arksey and O'Malley's framework.. BMC Med Res Methodol 2013;13:48.
  10. Tricco AC, Lillie E, Zarin W, O'Brien KK, Colquhoun H, Levac D. PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR): checklist and explanation.. Ann Intern Med 2018;169(7):467-73.
  11. American Association of Equine Practitioners. Available from: https://aaep.org/
  12. American Veterinary Medical Association. Available from: https://www.avma.org/
  13. British Equine Veterinary Association. Available from: https://www.beva.org.uk/
  14. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Available from: https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/
  15. European College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation. Available from: https://www.ecvsmr.org/
  16. Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Available from: https://www.rcvs.org.uk/home/
  17. Ramey DW. Ethics and equine medicine: curse, pipedream, or opportunity?. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2013;59:1-8.
  18. Campbell ML. The role of veterinarians in equestrian sport: a comparative review of ethical issues surrounding human and equine sports medicine.. Vet J 2013;197(3):535-40.
  19. Lesser FR. Decisions that matter: the complementary roles of law, morals, and ethics in equine practice.. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2012;58:62-8.
  20. Rollin BE. An ethicist's commentary on racehorse abuse.. Can Vet J 2011;52(12):1284.
  21. McIlwraith CW, Rollin BE. Equine welfare.. UFAW animal welfare series. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell; 2011.
  22. Stein V. Injury rehabilitation ethics in equestrian and equine athletes within the racing industry.. Sacred Heart University, Academic Festival [Online thesis] 2020.
  23. Grice AL. Handling Unethical Clients in Veterinary Medicine, EquiManagement; 2020, Online magazine.. .
  24. Ramey DW. Ethics: equine sports medicine fraught with ethical dilemmas.. Equine Vet Educ 2017;34.
  25. McKee M. Ethics: ethical considerations for racetrack practitioners.. Equine Vet Educ 2016;3.
  26. Campbell MLH. Animals, ethics and us; a veterinarian's view of human-animal interactions.. Sheffield, UK: 5m Publishing; 2019.
  27. Owers R. Are vets failing our horses, proceedings, animal welfare foundation.. 2017.
  28. Schecter A. Every day, I almost quit: confessions of a racetrack veterinarian, NBS News, May 16, 2014.. .
  29. Palmer SE. Addressing the ethical challenges of veterinary practice in a pari-mutuel environment.. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2012;58:69-71.
  30. Blea JA. Ethical issues for the racetrack practitioner: a daily requirement.. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2012;58:83-4.
  31. Swanson TD. Ethics in equine practice economics.. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2009;25(3):455-61.
  32. Waterman S, Durenburger J. Drug and medication control programs in equine athletes.. In: Cole C, Bentz B, Maxwell L, editors. Equine Pharmacology. Iowa, US, West Sussex, UK, and Oxford, UK: Wiley Blackwell; 2014. p. 131-6.
  33. Nagy A, Dyson SJ, Murray JK. A veterinary review of endurance riding as an international competitive sport.. Vet J 2012;194(3):288-93.
  34. Campbell MLH. When does use become abuse in equestrian sport?. Equine Vet Educ 2013;25(10):489-92.
  35. Blea JA. Responsible use of medication in performance horses/racehorses.. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2020;66:379-82.
  36. Kinnison T, Cardwell JM. Conflict between direct experience and research-based evidence is a key challenge to evidence-based respiratory medicine on British racing yards.. Front Vet Sci 2020;7:266.
  37. Collins J, Hanlon A, More SJ, Wall PG, Duggan V. Policy Delphi with vignette methodology as a tool to evaluate the perception of equine welfare.. Vet J 2009;181(1):63-9.
  38. Ramey D, Rollin B. Veterinary medical ethics. An ethicist's commentary on animal health and welfare.. Can Vet J 2014;55(6):522-3.
  39. Leite CL Jr. Saving Seabiscuit: an argument for the establishment of a Federal Equine Sports Commission.. Jeffrey Moorad Sports Law J 2021;28(1):135-69.
  40. McLellan J. Review of bisphosphonate use in the racehorse: magic bullet or Russian roulette?. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2018;64:221-7.
  41. Rollin BE. Equine welfare and emerging social ethics.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2000;216(8):1234-7.
  42. Dodman NH. Protecting horses at the track.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011;239(2):182-3.
  43. Larkin M. Initiative focuses on racing integrity. AAEP's prescription for racing reform to seek non-race day EIPH treatments.. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2015;247(6):582-3.
  44. Gustafson S. Performance horse veterinary ethics.. Acta Sci Vet Sci 2020;2(3):38-40.
  45. McLellan J. Science-in-brief: bisphosphonate use in the racehorse: safe or unsafe?. Equine Vet J 2017;49(4):404-7.
  46. Seo J, Tsuzuki N, Haneda S, Yamada K, Furuoka H, Tabata Y. Comparison of allogeneic platelet lysate and fetal bovine serum for in vitro expansion of equine bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells.. Res Vet Sci 2013;95(2):693-8.
  47. Yaneselli K, Barrachina L, Remacha AR, Algorta A, Vitoria A, Cequier A. Effect of allogeneic platelet lysate on equine bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cell characteristics, including immunogenic and immunomodulatory gene expression profile.. Vet Immunol Immunopathol 2019;217:109944.
  48. Greet T. Are vets failing our horses. Animal Welfare Foundation Discussion Forum. 2017 Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOUZxtPAgOo
  49. Campbell M. Too hot to handle?. In Pract 2016;38:414-5.
  50. Waller P, Lomnicka I, Lucas C, Johnson S, Dirikolu L. The medication violations in racehorses at Louisiana racetracks from 2016 to 2020.. Vet Med Sci 2022;8(2):553-60.
  51. Jamieson C, Keenan P, Kirkwood D, Oji S, Webster C, Russell KA. A review of recent advances in 3D bioprinting with an eye on future regenerative therapies in veterinary medicine.. Front Vet Sci 2021;7:584193.
  52. Harris G. Ethics of firing debated at BEVA congress.. Vet Rec 2012;171(13):312-4.
  53. Andrews G. Racehorse abuse - a comment.. Can Vet J 2012;53(5):457.
  54. Campbell ML. Freedoms and frameworks: how we think about the welfare of competition horses.. Equine Vet J 2016;48(5):540-2.
  55. Palmer SE. Responsible horse ownership and racing reform.. Proc Am Assoc Equine Pract 2010;56:354-6.
  56. AVMA. Therapeutic medications in racehorses [2022 Feb 11]. Available from: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/therapeutic-medications-racehorses
  57. AVMA. Guidelines for horse show veterinarians [2022 Feb 11]. Available from: https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/avma-guidelines-horse-show-veterinarians
  58. CVMA. Animals in Sport and Competition [2022 Feb 11]. Available from: https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/policy-and-outreach/position-statements/statements/animals-in-sport-and-competition/
  59. CVMA. The use of thermocautery for the treatment of lameness in horses [2022 Feb 11]. Available from: https://www.canadianveterinarians.net/policy-and-outreach/position-statements/statements/the-use-of-thermocautery-for-the-treatment-of-lameness-in-horses/
  60. McDougall R. Systematic reviews in bioethics: types, challenges, and value.. J Med Philos 2014;39:89-97.
  61. Birchley G, Ives J. Fallacious, misleading and unhelpful: the case for removing 'systematic review' from bioethics nomenclature.. Bioethics 2022;36(6):635-47.
  62. Holm S, McNamee MJ, Pigozzi F. Ethical practice and sports physician protection: a proposal.. Br J Sports Med 2011;45:1170-3.

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,344 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.