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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2021; 11(5); 1215; doi: 10.3390/ani11051215

Response of UK Horse, Pony and Donkey Owners to the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract: In the UK, March 2020 was a time of great uncertainty as COVID-19 became increasingly widespread. The government responded by making suggestions about how people could reduce the risk of spread on 16 March, moved swiftly into closing schools on the 18 March before announcing a mandatory lockdown on the 23rd March. This was a challenging time for UK equestrians who had to balance maintaining their equine's routine and daily care alongside the increasing biosecurity measures. A cross-sectional survey was distributed to UK equestrians via social media over two days (28 and 29 March 2020) to better understand the decisions made by UK horse, pony and donkey owners during this time. Data from 452 respondents were generated across all four countries comprising the UK, although there were no significant differences in owner response to the pandemic between locations. The changes respondents made differed between the 16th and the 18th of March 2020, with an early emphasis on improving yard biosecurity and opting to stop riding, as well as reducing the time spent at the yard. After the 18 March, respondents placed more emphasis on risk reduction by changing the activities they did with their horse, including riding, with common examples including avoiding "high risk" activities such as riding on busy roads, jumping, riding young or nervous horses. Few respondents reported having an emergency plan in place should they become ill or otherwise unable to care for their equine. The findings highlight areas that would significantly benefit from in-depth investigation in future research. Equestrian behaviour and mindset around risk-taking and risk perception have already been researched in relation to equestrian activities and sport but have received little attention in the context of wider health challenges. Understanding the uptake of emergency planning and preparation in the UK equestrian community also warrants consideration. Using this information effectively to promote forward planning is likely to be of great benefit in equestrian responses to future health or climate-related crises.
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Publication Date: 2021-04-23 PubMed ID: 33922408PubMed Central: PMC8145022DOI: 10.3390/ani11051215Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • 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 article focuses on the responses of UK horse, pony, and donkey owners to the COVID-19 pandemic during its early stages in March 2020. It investigated how they balanced daily care routines for their equines with the increasing biosecurity measures put in place due to COVID-19.

Survey Methodology

  • A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the study. It was distributed to UK equestrians via social media over two days (28 and 29 March 2020) to obtain a broad yet informed perspective on how the equestrian community was responding to the pandemic.
  • The data gathered was from 452 respondents, conveniently sourced from all four countries encompassing the UK. This gave the research a comprehensive geographical perspective.

Findings and Analysis

  • The research found that there was no significant difference in the response of horse, pony, and donkey owners across the different locations in the UK. This indicates a general uniformity in practices and attitudes towards the pandemic in the equestrian community regardless of the region.
  • The measures implemented by equestrians changed between 16th and 18th March 2020 as the information available about the pandemic evolved. The initial response included improving yard biosecurity and reducing riding, as well as decreasing the time spent at the yard.
  • After 18th March, when the severity of the situation became clearer, owners started to limit the kind of activities they did with their horses to reduce risk further. These changes included activities such as not riding on busy roads, avoiding jumps, or not riding young or nervous horses that might require more intensive management.
  • A significant finding was that few respondents reported having an emergency plan should they become too ill to care for their equine, highlighting an area of potential vulnerability within the community.

Implications of the Study

  • The study represents an opportunity to shed light on areas that would significantly benefit from in-depth investigation in future research. Understanding equestrian behavior, risk management, and preparation around wider health challenges can help devise better coping strategies.
  • The study underscores the need to promote the importance of emergency planning in the equestrian community to ensure the appropriate care of equines particularly during health or climate-related crises.

Cite This Article

APA
Hockenhull J, Bell C, White J, Rogers S. (2021). Response of UK Horse, Pony and Donkey Owners to the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Animals (Basel), 11(5), 1215. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051215

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 11
Issue: 5
PII: 1215

Researcher Affiliations

Hockenhull, Jo
  • Human Behaviour Change for Animals (HBCA), Norfolk NR9 4DE, UK.
Bell, Catherine
  • Equine Behaviour and Welfare Association, Surrey GU8 6AX, UK.
White, Jo
  • Human Behaviour Change for Animals (HBCA), Norfolk NR9 4DE, UK.
Rogers, Suzanne
  • Human Behaviour Change for Animals (HBCA), Norfolk NR9 4DE, UK.
  • Equine Behaviour and Welfare Association, Surrey GU8 6AX, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Citations

This article has been cited 4 times.
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