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Cross-sectional survey of owner knowledge and husbandry practices, tack and health issues affecting working horses in Lesotho.
Abstract: To establish baseline parameters of equine health, owner knowledge and husbandry practices and tack against which benefits to local horses arising from an equine charity's training programme in Lesotho could be measured. Objective: To describe and investigate associations between owner knowledge and equine husbandry practices, horse health and tack-related parameters prior to the start of the training programme. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in the catchment area of students attending the first training course. Owners from randomly selected villages were interviewed about horse care using a standardised, structured questionnaire, administered face to face in local language. Horses were clinically examined and tack assessed according to standardised protocols. Results: Clinical examinations were performed on 312 horses and 287 owners were interviewed. Owners had variable knowledge of equine husbandry and limited understanding of appropriate primary and preventive healthcare. Equine health problems identified included ecto- and endoparasite infestation, mouth lesions, overgrown and unbalanced feet and tack-associated wounds. The majority of tack was in poor condition, dirty and ill-fitting. With the exception of below-average body condition score, no associations were found between key adverse horse-related clinical findings and owners reporting their horse as being 'unhealthy'. Conclusions: Working horses in Lesotho have a range of physical problems, many of which could be ameliorated through targeted owner education. With limited access to veterinary advice and scarce resources, improved availability of affordable local equine trade skills is key to improving equine health. Conclusions: Findings could be used to inform and direct training programmes to maximise benefits to equine health and to serve as a baseline against which to monitor effects of educational and other interventions.
© 2011 EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2011-08-18 PubMed ID: 21848533DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2011.00442.xGoogle 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.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article “Cross-sectional survey of owner knowledge and husbandry practices, tack and health issues affecting working horses in Lesotho” aimed to understand the knowledge and practices of horse owners in Lesotho, and the impact on the health of their equines and the condition of their tack (equipment). The study served as a baseline before the initiation of a training program by an equine charity.
Objective and Methodology
The objective of the research was to describe and investigate associations between:
- Owner knowledge
- Equine husbandry practices
- Horse health
- Tack-related parameters
A cross-sectional survey methodology was employed, with face-to-face interviews of horse owners in Lesotho. Horses were also clinically examined and the tack was evaluated based on standardised protocols.
Findings
The research established that:
- Owners ranged in their knowledge and understanding of horse care and appropriate healthcare practices.
- Common equine health issues were identified, including parasite infestations, mouth lesions, poorly managed hooves, and wounds associated with tack usage.
- Most of the tack being used was found to be dirty, in poor condition, and ill-fitting.
Surprisingly, there was no association found between major adverse horse-related clinical findings and owners perceiving their horse to be ‘unhealthy’, with the exception of horses that had a below-average body condition score.
Conclusions
Based on the findings, the research concluded that working horses in Lesotho often suffer from a range of physical problems which could be improved with better owner education. Given the limited access to veterinary advice and scarce resources in Lesotho, the study suggested that improving local skills in the equine trade and providing affordable resources could be key to improving equine health. The survey also provides useful baseline data to monitor the effects of the equine charity’s training program and other potential interventions.
Cite This Article
APA
Upjohn MM, Shipton K, Pfeiffer DU, Lerotholi T, Attwood G, Verheyen KL.
(2011).
Cross-sectional survey of owner knowledge and husbandry practices, tack and health issues affecting working horses in Lesotho.
Equine Vet J, 44(3), 310-318.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2011.00442.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, North Mymms, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK. mupjohn@rvc.ac.uk
MeSH Terms
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Animal Husbandry / methods
- Animals
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Data Collection
- Female
- Foot Diseases / prevention & control
- Foot Diseases / veterinary
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horses / physiology
- Humans
- Lesotho / epidemiology
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Ownership
- Parasitic Diseases, Animal / prevention & control
- Poverty
- Young Adult
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Merridale-Punter MS, Wiethoelter AK, El-Hage CM, Hitchens PL. Prevalence and Factors Associated with Working Equid Lameness in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 10;12(22).
- Wild I, Freeman S, Robles D, Matamoros D, Ortiz M, Rodriguez J, Burford J. Owners' Knowledge and Approaches to Colic in Working Equids in Honduras. Animals (Basel) 2021 Jul 13;11(7).
- Fröhlich N, Sells PD, Sommerville R, Bolwell CF, Cantley C, Martin JE, Gordon SJG, Coombs T. Welfare Assessment and Husbandry Practices of Working Horses in Fiji. Animals (Basel) 2020 Feb 28;10(3).
- Pinsky TC, Puja IK, Aleri J, Hood J, Sasadara MM, Collins T. A Pilot Welfare Assessment of Working Ponies on Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. Animals (Basel) 2019 Jul 9;9(7).
- Mohite DS, Sheikh CS, Singh S, Kalita J, Williams S, Compston PC. Using Qualitative Methods to Explore Farrier-Related Barriers to Successful Farriery Interventions for Equine Welfare in India. Animals (Basel) 2019 May 18;9(5).
- Stringer AP, Christley RM, Bell CE, Gebreab F, Tefera G, Reed K, Trawford A, Pinchbeck GL. Owner reported diseases of working equids in central Ethiopia. Equine Vet J 2017 Jul;49(4):501-506.
- Sánchez-Casanova RE, Masri-Daba M, Alonso-Díaz MÁ, Méndez-Bernal A, Hernández-Gil M, Fernando-Martínez JA. Prevalence of cutaneous pathological conditions and factors associated with the presence of skin wounds in working equids in tropical regions of Veracruz, Mexico. Trop Anim Health Prod 2014 Mar;46(3):555-61.
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