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Home / Equine Research Bank / Acta Vet Scand / Culling rate of Icelandic horses due to bone spavin.
Acta veterinaria Scandinavica2004; 44(3-4); 161-169; doi: 10.1186/1751-0147-44-161

Culling rate of Icelandic horses due to bone spavin.

Abstract: A survival analysis was used to compare the culling rate of Icelandic horses due to the presence of radiographic and clinical signs of bone spavin. A follow-up study of 508 horses from a survey five years earlier was performed. In the original survey 46% of the horses had radiographic signs of bone spavin (RS) and/or lameness after flexion test of the tarsus. The horse owners were interviewed by telephone. The owners were asked if the horses were still used for riding and if not, they were regarded as culled. The owners were then asked when and why the horses were culled. During the 5 years, 98 horses had been culled, 151 had been withdrawn (sold or selected for breeding) and 259 were still used for riding. Hind limb lameness (HLL) was the most common reason for culling (n = 42). The rate of culling was low up to the age of II years, when it rose to 0.05 for horses with RS. The risk ratio for culling was twice as high for horses with RS compared with horses without RS and 5.5 times higher for culling because of HLL. The risk of culling (prognostic value) was highest for the combination of RS with lameness after flexion test, next highest for RS and lowest for lameness after flexion test as the only finding. It was concluded that bone spavin affects the duration of use of Icelandic horses and is the most common cause of culling due to disease of riding horses in the age range of 7-17 years.
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Publication Date: 2004-04-13 PubMed ID: 15074629PubMed Central: PMC1831549DOI: 10.1186/1751-0147-44-161Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

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 investigates the rate at which Icelandic horses are taken out of service (culled) due to the symptoms of a bone deformity known as bone spavin. According to the study, horses with radiographic signs of bone spavin are twice as likely to be culled as those without, and the probability (risk ratio) of being culled is highest for horses exhibiting radiographic signs combined with lameness after a flexion test.

Study Details

  • The study used survival analysis to assess the culling rate of Icelandic horses associated with bone spavin, a common equine joint disease characterized by lameness and deformity of the hock joint.
  • The researchers conducted a follow-up on 508 horses that were studied five years prior. To gain information, the owners of these horses were interviewed via phone. If the horses were no longer being used for riding, they were considered as culled.
  • Over the five-year period, 98 horses had been culled, 151 had been taken out of the riding pool (either sold or selected for breeding), and 259 were still used for riding. The primary reason for culling was hind limb lameness or HLL (42 occurrences).

Insights and Conclusions

  • The act of culling was typically low until the horse reached the age of 11, at which point the rate increased, particularly for horses showing radiographic signs of bone spavin.
  • The likelihood of culling was twice as high for horses with these radiographic signs compared to those without. The risk was even greater (5.5 times higher) for culling due to HLL.
  • The highest risk of culling was observed in horses exhibiting both radiographic signs of bone spavin and lameness following a flexion test. The risk was somewhat lower for horses showing radiographic signs alone and lowest for horses displaying only lameness after the flexion test.
  • The researchers concluded that the presence of bone spavin significantly impacts the usable lifespan of Icelandic horses, making it the most common reason for culling among riding horses aged 7-17 years due to disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Björnsdóttir S, Arnason T, Lord P. (2004). Culling rate of Icelandic horses due to bone spavin. Acta Vet Scand, 44(3-4), 161-169. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0147-44-161

Publication

Acta veterinaria Scandinavica
ISSN: 0044-605X
NlmUniqueID: 0370400
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 44
Issue: 3-4
Pages: 161-169

Researcher Affiliations

Björnsdóttir, S
  • Hólar Agricultural College, Saudárkrókur, Iceland. systa@holar.is
Arnason, Th
    Lord, P

      MeSH Terms

      • Animals
      • Bone Diseases / epidemiology
      • Bone Diseases / mortality
      • Bone Diseases / veterinary
      • Breeding
      • Horse Diseases / epidemiology
      • Horses
      • Iceland / epidemiology
      • Lameness, Animal / epidemiology
      • Lameness, Animal / mortality
      • Surveys and Questionnaires
      • Survival Analysis

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