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BMC veterinary research2012; 8; 43; doi: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-43

Summary of current knowledge of the size and spatial distribution of the horse population within Great Britain.

Abstract: Robust demographic information is important to understanding the risk of introduction and spread of exotic diseases as well as the development of effective disease control strategies, but is often based on datasets collected for other purposes. Thus, it is important to validate, or at least cross-reference these datasets to other sources to assess whether they are being used appropriately. The aim of this study was to use horse location data collected from different contributing industry sectors ("Stakeholder horse data") to calibrate the spatial distribution of horses as indicated by owner locations registered in the National Equine Database (the NED). Results: A conservative estimate for the accurately geo-located NED horse population within GB is approximately 840,000 horses. This is likely to be an underestimate because of the exclusion of horses due to age or location criteria. In both datasets, horse density was higher in England and Wales than in Scotland. The high density of horses located in urban areas as indicated in the NED is consistent with previous reports indicating that owner location cannot always be viewed as a direct substitute for horse location. Otherwise, at a regional resolution, there are few differences between the datasets. There are inevitable biases in the stakeholder data, and leisure horses that are unaffiliated to major stakeholders are not included in these data. Despite this, the similarity in distributions of these datasets is re-assuring, suggesting that there are few regional biases in the NED. Conclusions: Our analyses suggest that stakeholder data could be used to monitor possible changes in horse demographics. Given such changes in horse demographics and the advantages of stakeholder data (which include annual updates and accurate horse location), it may be appropriate to use these data for future disease modelling in conjunction with, if not in place of the NED.
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Publication Date: 2012-04-04 PubMed ID: 22475060PubMed Central: PMC3351363DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-43Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
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  • Non-U.S. Gov't

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.

The research investigates the size and spatial distribution of the horse population in Great Britain, using data sets from the horse industry sectors and the National Equine Database to study potential risks and effective control strategies for exotic diseases.

Research Purpose

  • The study aims to use various data sources that provide information about horse locations to get a more accurate gauge of the horse population in Great Britain.
  • One prominent source of data is the National Equine Database (NED). However, the researchers note that it might be faulty in estimating the true size of the horse population, as it relies on owner locations which may not always equate to horse locations.
  • This research wants to cross-reference these data sources to validate their proper usage and understand how they reflect on the actual horse demography.

Research Methodology

  • The researchers created a conservative estimate for the accurately geo-located NED horse population in Great Britain which totaled approximately 840,000 horses. They acknowledge that this is probably an underestimate due to the possible exclusion of horses due to their age or location.
  • In this study, both databases showed that horse density is higher in England and Wales than in Scotland. The researchers observed that a significant number of horses were located in urban areas, according to the NED data.

Research Findings

  • The researchers pointed out that while there are differences in the datasets, they don’t deviate substantially at a regional level.
  • However, potential biases exist in the stakeholder data, such as the exclusion of unaffiliated leisure horses.
  • In spite of this, the similar distributions across datasets suggest the absence of strong regional biases in the NED.

Conclusion and Implications

  • The researchers concluded that stakeholder data could be a valuable resource in observing potential changes in horse demographics in Great Britain. The stakeholder data could be used in future disease modelling due to its annual update feature and accurate horse location information.
  • Thus, these datasets can be critical in understanding the risk of the introduction and spread of unfamiliar diseases and developing effective disease-control strategies for horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Boden LA, Parkin TD, Yates J, Mellor D, Kao RR. (2012). Summary of current knowledge of the size and spatial distribution of the horse population within Great Britain. BMC Vet Res, 8, 43. https://doi.org/10.1186/1746-6148-8-43

Publication

BMC veterinary research
ISSN: 1746-6148
NlmUniqueID: 101249759
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 8
Pages: 43

Researcher Affiliations

Boden, Lisa A
  • Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow G61 1QH, UK. Lisa.Boden@glasgow.ac.uk
Parkin, Tim D H
    Yates, Julia
      Mellor, Dominic
        Kao, Rowland R

          MeSH Terms

          • Animals
          • Demography
          • Equidae / physiology
          • Population Density
          • United Kingdom

          Grant Funding

          • 081696 / Wellcome Trust

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