FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Translational animal science2025; 9; txaf072; doi: 10.1093/tas/txaf072

Ohio horse industry survey: feeding and housing management practices.

Abstract: Equine industry housing and feeding management strategies vary widely. Management choices are important as horses spend most of their time in housing environments and demonstrating ingestive/foraging behavior. As of 2023, over 1.4 million Ohioans identified as horse owners and/or enthusiasts. The objectives of this survey were to determine demographics of the Ohio horse industry, commonly used sources of information, knowledge gaps regarding equine management practices, and to explore what may influence equine management choices. Using Qualtrics (Provo, UT), a 52-question online, anonymous survey was made available to Ohio horse owners and industry personnel through local horse organizations and social media from October to December 2023. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics (mean, percentage, frequency) and relationships between variables were explored using Pearson chi-square tests or Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests in SPSS (Armonk, NY). A total of 1,011 usable survey responses were collected. Most respondents had between 1 to 10 yr of horse experience (64%) and identified as primarily white (63%), females (61%), between 35 to 44 yr of age (31%). Quarter Horses (29%) were the most represented breed. Overall, the primary sources of equine management information were internet (15%), veterinarians (14%), and personal contacts (12%). There were differences between respondents' main source of equine information based on horse owners' experience level (X = 60; P < 0.01) and awareness of resources provided by Ohio State University (OSU) Extension (X = 80; P < 0.01). Respondents' familiarity/use of body condition scoring differed based on awareness of OSU Extension resources (H = 234; P < 0.01). For housing management, most respondents either stalled horses with unlimited turnout (31%) or group housed horses on pasture (32%). For feeding management, most respondents fed concentrates (96%), primarily measuring concentrates either by weight (42%) or visual estimation (46%). However, forages were more commonly fed by visual estimation (52%) rather than by weight (18%). Feeding forage twice per day was most common, regardless of access to pasture (49%) or not (30%). Concentrates were more commonly provided once per day (41%) with 21% feeding twice per day. The results from this study can be used to assist in developing educational opportunities and resources and to design horse management research to benefit Ohio's equine stakeholders.
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Society of Animal Science.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2025-07-15 PubMed ID: 40666790PubMed Central: PMC12260154DOI: 10.1093/tas/txaf072Google 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.
LinkedInCopy
  • 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 focuses on the housing and feeding management strategies in the Ohio equine industry, utilizing an online anonymous survey to gather data from horse owners and industry personnel.

Objective of the Research

  • The research aimed to establish demographic data regarding Ohio’s horse industry, identify common sources of information for equine management, highlight knowledge gaps in relevant practices, and explore influences on management choices. The study was intended to benefit Ohio’s horse-lovers and create a roadmap for development of further educational and research opportunities.

Survey Methodology

  • The research was conducted via a 52-question online survey, available to Ohio horse owners and industry personnel through local horse organizations and social media platforms between October and December 2023. The anonymity of respondents was maintained and over 1,011 useful survey responses were gathered.
  • The survey data was analyzed by utilizing descriptive statistics to summarize the data (looking at aspects like mean, percentage, and frequency), and Pearson chi-square tests, Kruskal-Wallis H and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to probe the relationships between various variables.

Survey Results: Demographics

  • The majority of the respondents had 1 to 10 years of horse experience (64%), were primarily Caucasian (63%), females (61%), and within the 35 to 44-years-old age bracket (31%). Among horse breeds, Quarter Horses were found to be the most popular, represented by 29% of the owners.

Survey Results: Sources of Information

  • The top sources for acquiring equine management information were the internet (15%), veterinarians (14%), and personal contacts (12%).
  • The survey responses indicated variations in the main source of equine information depending on the horse owner’s experience and awareness of resources provided by the Ohio State University (OSU) Extension.

Survey Results: Housing and Feeding Practices

  • The survey results showed that most respondents either stalled horses with unlimited turnout (31%) or housed horses on a pasture in groups (32%).
  • Respondents mostly fed horses using concentrates (96%) and the measurement was either by weight (42%) or visual estimation (46%). However, forages were more usually estimated visually (52%) rather than weighed (18%).
  • The data showed that feeding forage twice per day was most common, irrespective of access to the pasture (49%) or lack thereof (30%). Concentrates were normally provided once per day (41%), with only 21% feeding it twice per day.

Impact of the Research

  • This research’s findings can help develop new educational resources, support further research into horse management, and directly benefit equine stakeholders in Ohio.

Cite This Article

APA
Share ER, Mastellar SL, Rumble JN, Eastridge ML. (2025). Ohio horse industry survey: feeding and housing management practices. Transl Anim Sci, 9, txaf072. https://doi.org/10.1093/tas/txaf072

Publication

Translational animal science
ISSN: 2573-2102
NlmUniqueID: 101738705
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 9
Pages: txaf072
PII: txaf072

Researcher Affiliations

Share, Elizabeth R
  • Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Mastellar, Sara L
  • Agricultural Technical Institute, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA.
Rumble, Joy N
  • Department of Agricultural Communication and Extension Leadership, The Ohio State University, Wooster, OH, USA.
Eastridge, Maurice L
  • Department of Animal Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. Preliminary results were presented at the 2025 Equine Science Society Symposium.

References

This article includes 40 references
  1. Altschuld JW, Kumar DD. Needs assessment: An overview.. 2010.
    doi: 10.4135/9781452256795google scholar: lookup
  2. American Horse Council Foundation. Economic Impact of the U.S. Horse Industry.. 2023.
  3. Bezděková B, Jahn P, Vyskočil M. Gastric ulceration, appetite and feeding practices in Standardbred racehorses in the Czech Republic.. Acta Vet. Brno 77:603–607, 2008.
    doi: 10.2754/avb200877040603google scholar: lookup
  4. Broom DM, Johnson KG. Stress and Animal Welfare: Key Issues in the Biology of Humans and Other Animals.. 2019.
  5. DeBoer M, Keener L, Layeux-Parks J, Schueller O, Johnson L, Martinson K. Effect of hay nets on horse bodyweight, body condition score, hay usage, and dental health in mature adult horses.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 136:105051, 2024.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105051pubmed: 38531517google scholar: lookup
  6. Field A. Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics, 5th ed.. 2018.
  7. Glunk EC, Hathaway MR, Weber WJ, Sheaffer CC, Martinson KL. The effect of hay net design on rate of forage consumption when feeding adult horses.. J. Equine. Vet. Sci. 34:986–991, 2014.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2014.05.006google scholar: lookup
  8. Grev AM, Glunk EC, Hathaway MR, Lazarus WF, Martinson KL. The effect of small square-bale feeder design on hay waste and economics during outdoor feeding of adult horses.. J. Equine. Vet. Sci. 34:1269–1273, 2014.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2014.09.004google scholar: lookup
  9. Hartmann KS, Liburt NR, Malinowski K. Rutgers equine science center industry needs assessment survey 2016.. J. Equine. Vet. Sci. 48:1–8, 2017.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2016.07.002google scholar: lookup
  10. Heckel K. Ohio History of 4-H [Fact sheet].. 2018.
  11. Heleski CR. Social license to operate–why public perception matters for horse sport–some personal reflections.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 124:104266, 2023.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2023.104266pubmed: 36898616google scholar: lookup
  12. Herbst AC, Hartmann KS, Brown DO, Malinowski K. 2022 Equine community needs assessment survey.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 142:105193, 2024.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2024.105193pubmed: 39276953google scholar: lookup
  13. Heuschele DJ, Catalano D, Martinson K, Wiersma J. Consumer knowledge and horse preference for different colored oats.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 71:6–12, 2018.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2018.09.003google scholar: lookup
  14. Hockenhull J, Creighton E. The day-to-day management of UK leisure horses and the prevalence of owner-reported stable-related and handling behaviour problems.. Anim. Welf. 24:29–36, 2015.
    doi: 10.7120/09627286.24.1.029google scholar: lookup
  15. Hoffman CJ, Costa LR, Freeman LM. Survey of feeding practices, supplement use, and knowledge of equine nutrition among a subpopulation of horse owners in New England.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 29:719–726, 2009.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2009.08.005google scholar: lookup
  16. Jaqueth AL, Hathaway M, Catalano DN, Linders NC, Mottet R, Martinson KL. Using web-based surveys to explore equine industry practices and future research needs.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 83:102822, 2019.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.102822pubmed: 31791526google scholar: lookup
  17. Jaqueth AL, Iwaniuk ME, Burk AO. Characterization of the prevalence and management of over-conditioned ponies and horses in Maryland.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 68:26–32, 2018.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2018.02.007pubmed: 31256884google scholar: lookup
  18. Lochner HL, Martinson KL, Bianco AW, Hutchinson ML, Wilson ML, Johnston LJ, Dentzman KE. Owner and veterinarian perceptions of equine euthanasia and mortality composting.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 99:103402, 2021.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2021.103402pubmed: 33781423google scholar: lookup
  19. Martinson K, Wilson J, Cleary K, Lazarus W, Thomas W, Hathaway M. Round-bale feeder design affects hay waste and economics during horse feeding.. J. Anim. Sci. 90:1047–1055, 2012.
    doi: 10.2527/jas.2011-4087pubmed: 21984721google scholar: lookup
  20. Mastellar S, Share E, Cambell H. Evaluating Body Comp osition of Horses [Fact sheet].. 2022.
  21. Mastellar SL, Rosenthal EJ, Carroll HK, Bott-Knutson RC. Assessment of equine feeding practices and knowledge of equine nutrition in the midwest.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 62:109–115, 2018.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2017.12.007google scholar: lookup
  22. McGill S, Hayes M, Tumlin K, Coleman R. Characterization of indoor arenas through an anonymous survey.. Trans. Anim. Sci 5:198, 2021.
    doi: 10.1093/tas/txab198pmc: PMC8576445pubmed: 34761167google scholar: lookup
  23. Mertens DM, Wilson AT. Program evaluation theory and practice.. 2018.
  24. Munck A, Guyre PM, Holbrook NJ. Physiological functions of glucocorticoids in stress and their relation to pharmacological actions.. Endocr Rev. 5:25–44, 1984.
    doi: 10.1210/edrv-5-1-25pubmed: 6368214google scholar: lookup
  25. Murray JAM, Bloxham C, Kulifay J, Stevenson A, Roberts J. Equine nutrition: A survey of perceptions and practices of horse owners undertaking a massive open online course in equine nutrition.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 35:510–517, 2015.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2015.02.005google scholar: lookup
  26. O’Leary J, Israel G. Savvy Survey #7: Formatting Questionnaires: AEC401/PD071, 9/2015.. EDIS 7, 2016.
    doi: 10.32473/edis-pd071-2015google scholar: lookup
  27. Orr EL, Staniar WB, Smarsh DN. A survey of pennsylvania horse management: part one—nutrition.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 119:104140, 2022.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104140pubmed: 36244609google scholar: lookup
  28. Podsakoff PM, MacKenzie SB, Lee JY, Podsakoff NP. Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies.. J. Appl. Psychol. 88:879–903, 2003.
    doi: 10.1037/0021-9010.88.5.879pubmed: 14516251google scholar: lookup
  29. Ruet A, Lemarchand J, Parias C, Mach N, Moisan MP, Foury A, Briant C, Lansade L. Housing horses in individual boxes is a challenge with regard to welfare.. Animals 9:621, 2019.
    doi: 10.3390/ani9090621pmc: PMC6770668pubmed: 31466327google scholar: lookup
  30. Sharpe PH. Horse pasture management.. 2024.
  31. Stephenson HM, Green MJ, Freeman SL. Prevalence of obesity in a population of horses in the UK.. Vet. Rec. 168:131, 2011.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.c6281pubmed: 21257596google scholar: lookup
  32. Stowe JC. American horse publications equine industry survey.. 2012.
  33. Suagee JK, Bennet-Wimbush K. Use of a semester-long assignment to influence student learning of equine body condition scoring.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 5:457–458, 2015.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2015.03.188google scholar: lookup
  34. Tzelos T, Morgan ER, Easton S, Hodgkinson JE, Matthews JB. A survey of the level of horse owner uptake of evidence-based anthelmintic treatment protocols for equine helminth control in the UK.. Vet. Parasitol. 274:108926, 2019.
    doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.108926pubmed: 31563583google scholar: lookup
  35. United States Census Bureau. Ohio Quick Facts.. 2024.
  36. Verhaar N, Rogers CW, Gee EK, Bolwell CF, Rosanowski SM. The feeding practices and estimated workload in a cohort of New Zealand competition horses.. J. Equine Vet. Sci 34:1257–1262, 2014.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2014.08.008google scholar: lookup
  37. Visser EK, Van Wijk-Jansen EE. Diversity in horse enthusiasts with respect to horse welfare: an explorative study.. J Vet Behav. 7:295–304, 2012.
    doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2011.10.007google scholar: lookup
  38. Wickens CL, Heleski CR. Crib-biting behavior in horses: a review.. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci. 128:1–9, 2010.
    doi: 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.07.002google scholar: lookup
  39. Wylie CE, Ireland JL, Collins SN, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR. Demographics and management practices of horses and ponies in Great Britain: a cross-sectional study.. Res. Vet. Sci. 95:410–417, 2013.
    doi: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2013.05.004pubmed: 23735292google scholar: lookup
  40. Wyse CA, McNie KA, Tannahil VJ, Murray JK, Love S. Prevalence of obesity in riding horses in Scotland.. Vet. Rec. 162:590, 2008.
    doi: 10.1136/vr.162.18.590pubmed: 18453379google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,928 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.