Equine health survey highlights the prevalence of lameness.

This study on equine health in the UK reveals that lameness, particularly caused by degenerative joint disease, is the most common issue affecting horses, with nearly 19% of horses suffering from it.

Survey details and result summary

• The National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) is conducted annually by the Blue Cross in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association, with the support of animal health company Zoetis.
• In the recent survey, 1246 responses were collected, covering 4730 horses. This was a significant rise in responses from previous years.
• Lameness was reported as affecting 18.6% of horses, a rise from the 13.8% reported in previous surveys conducted between 2010 and 2012.
• Of the cases of lameness reported, foot lameness was observed in 3.8% of horses, and degenerative joint disease was recorded in 14.8% of horses.

Other prevalent health issues

• Skin disease was found in 14.6% of the horses, and sarcoids (a type of tumor) affecting 2.8% of the horses surveyed.
• Survey results also indicated melanoma as a prevalent tumor, being reported in 1% of horses, leading the survey organisers to suggest further investigation into these tumors.

Weight and vaccination observations

• The survey found 8% of the horses to be overweight, while most (41%) were recorded as having an ideal or normal weight.
• Another interesting observation from the survey data points to a discrepancy between owner perception of their horse’s weight and previously published data.
• Regarding vaccinations, the survey results showed that 95% of the horses were up-to-date with their tetanus and influenza vaccinations. This figure is significantly higher when compared to other research data or pharmaceutical data.

Use of survey data

• The increase in survey participants and the consistency of NEHS data highlight its relevance to the equestrian industry.
• Data from the survey will be released to equine and veterinary colleges and universities as primary source material. This is because of the growing recognition of NEHS data as important resource material for students.