Prevalence of owner-reported ocular problems and veterinary ocular findings in a population of horses aged ≥15 years.

The research article explores the disparity between owner-reported ocular diseases in horses and the findings of veterinary ocular examinations in horses aged fifteen years and above. The research indicates a high prevalence of ocular abnormalities in aged horses which is not regularly identified by horse-owners, suggesting a gap in reliable owner-reported information on horse ocular health.

Objective and Methodology

• This research aimed to examine the prevalence of ocular diseases reported by horse owners in horses aged fifteen years and above. It also sought to document ocular findings from professional veterinary examinations and compare them with owner-reported ailments.
• The researchers used a cross-sectional study approach for this objective.
• Horse owners were invited to complete a survey about their horses’ management routines, clinical signs and medical history to gauge owner awareness of ocular diseases.
• The research project furthered its studies on a subset of the horses that underwent professional ophthalmological examination with the goal of determining risk factors for the manifestation of ocular disease.

Results

• The results of the study were quite telling as abnormal ocular findings were discovered in 287 out of 327 horses aged fifteen years and above that had an ophthalmic examination. Yet, the presence of ocular diseases as reported by the owners was a mere 3.3%.
• There was low concordance between owner-reported ocular disease and the results of the veterinary examinations across all categories analyzed. This means that many owners either underestimated or failed to recognize ocular disease in their horses.
• The research found that an owner-reported history of ocular discharge increased the likelihood of veterinary-reported diminished vision in the horse.
• Increasing age was linked to higher odds of the presence of an eye abnormality or cataract. Amongst breeds, the Appaloosa horses showed higher incidences of cataracts compared to others.
• The study also concluded that horses in work were less likely to have an eye abnormality.

Conclusions and Limitations

• The research acknowledges a potential volunteer bias, suggesting that horse-owners who already suspected illnesses in their animals, or had a greater concern for their animal’s well-being, might have been more likely to participate in the initial recruitment phase of the study.
• Despite this limitation, the study demonstrated a high prevalence of ocular lesions in aged horses, which was primarily unreported by the owners. This brings attention to the problems that arise when relying solely on owner-reported information to gauge the ocular health of horses.