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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2015; 5(4); 1296-1310; doi: 10.3390/ani5040412

Health Problems and Risk Factors Associated with Long Haul Transport of Horses in Australia.

Abstract: Equine transportation is associated with a variety of serious health disorders causing economic losses. However; statistics on horse transport are limited and epidemiological data on transport related diseases are available only for horses transported to abattoirs for slaughter. This study analysed reports of transport related health problems identified by drivers and horse owners for 180 journeys of an Australian horse transport company transporting horses between Perth and Sydney (~4000 km) in 2013-2015. Records showed that 97.2% (1604/1650) of the horses arrived at their destination with no clinical signs of disease or injury. Based on the veterinary reports of the affected horses; the most common issues were respiratory problems (27%); gastrointestinal problems (27%); pyrexia (19%); traumatic injuries (15%); and death (12%). Journey duration and season had a significant effect on the distribution of transport related issues ( p < 0.05); with a marked increase of the proportion of the most severe problems ( i.e. , gastrointestinal; respiratory problems and death) in spring and after 20 h in transit. Although not statistically significant; elevated disease rate predictions were seen for stallions/colts; horses aged over 10 years; and Thoroughbreds. Overall; the data demonstrate that long haul transportation is a risk for horse health and welfare and requires appropriate management to minimize transport stress.
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Publication Date: 2015-12-10 PubMed ID: 26690482PubMed Central: PMC4693216DOI: 10.3390/ani5040412Google Scholar: Lookup
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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 examines the health risks for horses being transported long distance in Australia, finding most horses arriving without issue but noting an assortment of health problems and increased risk in certain seasons, trip duration, and types of horses.

Introduction

  • The study focuses on understanding the health problems and risks associated with long-distance horse transportation in Australia. This is relevant because diseases that develop during transportation can result in economic losses.
  • The majority of statistical analysis and research data on transportation diseases pertain only to those horses implemented for slaughter, leaving a gap in understanding about transport impact on other horses. This study aims to close this data gap.

Methodology

  • Researchers collected data from 180 horse journeys between Perth and Sydney from 2013 to 2015, a distance of about 4000 km.
  • The data analyzed included health problems that were reported by the drivers and horse owners during these journeys.

Findings

  • The records showed that 97.2% of the horses (1604 out of 1650) arrived at their destinations with no signs of injury or disease, implying that long haul transportation is mostly without incident.
  • However, there were health issues reported in a minority of cases. The main health problems encountered were respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, each accounting for 27% of the issues. these were followed by pyrexia (fever) which accounted for 19% of issues, traumatic injuries which were 15% and death which was at 12%.
  • The study found that the duration of the journey and the season had a significant influence on the distribution of transportation related health problems. More severe problems were noted in the spring season and after the horses had been in transit for over 20 hours.

Implications of the Research

  • Although not proven statistically, the research suggested that stallions, colts, horses over 10 years of age, and Thoroughbreds had a higher likelihood of disease during transportation.
  • The findings reiterate the risk to horse health and welfare posed by long haul transportation, and the importance of proper management strategies to minimize transport-related stress and its associated health problems.

Cite This Article

APA
Padalino B, Hall E, Raidal S, Celi P, Knight P, Jeffcott L, Muscatello G. (2015). Health Problems and Risk Factors Associated with Long Haul Transport of Horses in Australia. Animals (Basel), 5(4), 1296-1310. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani5040412

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 5
Issue: 4
Pages: 1296-1310

Researcher Affiliations

Padalino, Barbara
  • The Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia. barbara.padalino@sydney.edu.au.
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Bari, Bari 70100, Italy. barbara.padalino@sydney.edu.au.
Hall, Evelyn
  • The Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia. evelyn.hall@sydney.edu.au.
Raidal, Sharanne
  • School of Animal and Veterinary Science, Charles Stuart University, Wagga Wagga 2650, NSW, Australia. sraidal@csu.edu.au.
Celi, Pietro
  • DSM Nutritional Products, Animal Nutrition and Health, Columbia, MD 21045, USA. pietro.celi@dsm.com.
  • Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia. pietro.celi@dsm.com.
Knight, Peter
  • Discipline of Biomedical Science, School of Medical Sciences, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Lidcombe 1825, Australia. peter.knight@sydney.edu.au.
Jeffcott, Leo
  • The Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia. leo.jeffcott@sydney.edu.au.
Muscatello, Gary
  • The Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, 425 Werombi Road, Camden 2570, NSW, Australia. gary.muscatello@sydney.edu.au.

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Citations

This article has been cited 29 times.
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