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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2025; 15(3); 397; doi: 10.3390/ani15030397

Healthy as a Horse? Characterising the UK and Ireland’s Horse Owners, Their Horses, and Owner-Reported Health and Behavioural Issues.

Abstract: This study focuses on recreational horse owners in the UK and Ireland to explore the relationship between horse characteristics and welfare issues. An online questionnaire was distributed to 1501 horse owners to collect data on the owners, horses, and health/behavioural issues. Most respondents were female (98%), lived in England (56%), and did not insure their horses for veterinary costs (51%). Horses were typically over 5 years of age (96%), taller than 154 cm (55%), and mostly geldings (65%). Common welfare issues reported included lameness (26%), handling problems (11%), antisocial behaviours (9%), and abnormal oral behaviours (9%). Older horses were 4.23 times more likely to have lameness issues than younger horses (95% CI [2.17, 9.27], < 0.001), while sport horse breeds were 3.12 times more likely to exhibit abnormal oral behaviours (95% CI [2.10, 4.73], < 0.001) compared to other breed types. Whilst the study found a relatively low rate of welfare issues, the main problems reported were consistent with those seen in other studies. Age and breed appeared to influence the prevalence of these issues, although the relationships were weak. The study suggests that factors such as the owner's attitudes, knowledge, and management practices may play a significant role in the incidence of welfare problems. Further research is needed to explore the impact of management on horse welfare.
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Publication Date: 2025-01-31 PubMed ID: 39943167PubMed Central: PMC11816239DOI: 10.3390/ani15030397Google 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.

Overview

  • This study surveyed horse owners in the UK and Ireland to understand the characteristics of horses and owners, along with common health and behavioral issues.
  • It identified key welfare problems and examined how factors like horse age and breed are linked to these problems.

Study Purpose and Population

  • The research aimed to explore the relationship between horse characteristics and welfare issues among recreational horse owners.
  • An online questionnaire was distributed, receiving responses from 1501 horse owners in the UK and Ireland.
  • The majority of respondents were female (98%) and resided mainly in England (56%).
  • About half (51%) did not insure their horses for veterinary costs.

Horse Demographics

  • Most horses reported were over 5 years of age (96%), indicating a mature horse population.
  • Height-wise, 55% of horses were taller than 154 cm.
  • Geldings made up the majority (65%), which commonly reflects the typical horse population in recreational settings.

Reported Welfare Issues

  • Key health and behavioral problems identified included:
    • Lameness (26% of horses) – difficulty or pain in movement.
    • Handling problems (11%) – difficulties in managing or controlling the horse.
    • Antisocial behaviors (9%) – problematic or aggressive behavior exhibited.
    • Abnormal oral behaviors (9%) – such as crib-biting or chewing, considered indicators of stress or welfare concern.

Associations with Horse Characteristics

  • Older horses were significantly more likely to experience lameness: they were 4.23 times more likely compared to younger horses, demonstrating a strong age-related risk.
  • Sport horse breeds were 3.12 times more likely to show abnormal oral behaviors compared to other breeds, indicating breed-specific tendencies in behavioral issues.
  • Although these factors influenced welfare issues, the overall strength of the associations was weak, suggesting other factors also play important roles.

Implications and Conclusions

  • The study suggested that although reported welfare problems are relatively low, the typical issues match those seen in previous research on horse welfare.
  • Age and breed influence the prevalence of issues but do not fully explain it, highlighting the complexity of welfare determinants.
  • Owner-related factors such as attitudes, knowledge, and horse management practices are proposed to significantly affect horse health and behavior.
  • Recommendations included the need for further research into how these management factors impact horse welfare to improve outcomes for recreational horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Watson WL, MacKay JRD, Dwyer CM. (2025). Healthy as a Horse? Characterising the UK and Ireland’s Horse Owners, Their Horses, and Owner-Reported Health and Behavioural Issues. Animals (Basel), 15(3), 397. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030397

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 15
Issue: 3
PII: 397

Researcher Affiliations

Watson, Wendy Leah
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, Scotland EH25 9RG, UK.
MacKay, Jill R D
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, Scotland EH25 9RG, UK.
Dwyer, Cathy M
  • The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and The Roslin Institute, Easter Bush Campus, Scotland EH25 9RG, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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