Survey of the knowledge and perceptions of horse owners in Ireland of common clinical conditions and their impact.
Abstract: As the primary decision-maker for their horse's health and welfare, owners' knowledge of clinical conditions may impact their horse's health. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the emotional impact of equine illness on the owner can be severe but research is lacking. Objective: To evaluate horse owners' self-declared knowledge of eight common equine health conditions and perceptions of the quality of information available; to ascertain respondents' perceptions of the severity of impact on their horse of the conditions and potential emotional impact on themselves and to establish the factors of greatest concern to owners when their horse has a health condition and influential factors on end-of-life decisions. Methods: Online survey of horse owners. Methods: An online survey comprising three sections was created: respondent demographics; vignettes of clinical conditions; concerns and decision-making regarding illness and euthanasia. Vignettes focused on arthritis; Pars Pituitary Intermedia Dysfunction; Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS); gastric ulcers; high intestinal worm burden; dermatophilosis ('mud rash'); quidding and head tossing; and equine asthma. Respondents were self-selecting. The survey was circulated for completion by horse owners residing in Ireland and Northern Ireland obtaining 491 valid responses. Results: Respondents declared that they had the highest knowledge of mud rash, with 84.1% rating their knowledge as very good compared to 42% of respondents for EMS. There was positive correlation between the perceived impact on their horse and emotional impact on the owner for all conditions ranging from weak (arthritis 0.36, P < 0.001) to strong (EMS 0.62, P < 0.001). Pain, discomfort, and quality of life were reported as the most common concerns when their horse has a medical condition or when considering euthanasia. Conclusions: Potential bias among respondents towards computer literate owners, with good literacy and interest in equine health conditions. Conclusions: Knowledge of equine health conditions, perceived impact of conditions on the horse and emotional impact on their owners varied significantly between conditions.
© 2022 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
Publication Date: 2022-06-15 PubMed ID: 35575027PubMed Central: PMC10084215DOI: 10.1111/evj.13589Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article examines the knowledge and perceptions of horse owners in Ireland about conventional equine health issues, their potential effects on both the horse and the owner, as well as their views on the quality of available information, and the factors influencing decisions about the horse’s health and end-of-life considerations. An online survey was used to garner responses, including queries about arthritis, gastric ulcers, horse asthma, and other common conditions.
Survey Methodology
- The study used an online survey divided into three sections— participant demographics, clinical condition vignettes, and concerns and decision-making factors regarding the illness and euthanasia.
- The clinical conditions displayed as vignettes included arthritis; Pars Pituitary Intermedia Dysfunction; Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS); gastric ulcers; high intestinal worm burden; dermatophilosis (‘mud rash’), quidding and head tossing, and equine asthma.
- The survey engaged horse owners residing in both Ireland and Northern Ireland, yielding 491 valid responses.
Study Results
- Participants’ self-reported knowledge was highest for ‘mud rash,’ with 84.1% rating their knowledge as very good compared to 42% of respondents for EMS.
- There was a positive correlation found between the perceived impact on the horse and emotional impact on the owner for all conditions, ranging from weak for arthritis (0.36, P < 0.001) to strong for EMS (0.62, P < 0.001).
- Most concerns when their horse has a medical condition or when considering euthanasia were about pain, discomfort, and quality of life.
Study Conclusions
- The study alerts to potential bias among respondents towards computer-literate owners, with good literacy and interest in equine health conditions.
- It concludes that the knowledge of equine health conditions, perceived impact of conditions on the horse, and emotional impact on their owners varied significantly among conditions.
Cite This Article
APA
Golding E, Neavyn Neita A, Walshe N, Hanlon A, Mulcahy G, Duggan V.
(2022).
Survey of the knowledge and perceptions of horse owners in Ireland of common clinical conditions and their impact.
Equine Vet J, 55(2), 270-281.
https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13589 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
MeSH Terms
- Horses
- Animals
- Quality of Life
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Surveys and Questionnaires
- Exanthema / veterinary
- Metabolic Syndrome / veterinary
- Arthritis / veterinary
Grant Funding
- Aideen Cresswell Undergraduate Bursary / World Horse Welfare
Conflict of Interest Statement
No competing interests have been declared.
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Citations
This article has been cited 4 times.- Pimenta J, Cotovio M. Equine Veterinarian Perspectives on Mucocutaneous Tumors in Horses: A Survey-Based Study in Portugal. Animals (Basel) 2025 Jun 23;15(13).
- Meiseberg LK, Delarocque J, de Buhr N, Ohnesorge B. Clinical variability of equine asthma phenotypes and analysis of diagnostic steps in phenotype differentiation. Acta Vet Scand 2024 Sep 18;66(1):51.
- Medeiros PR, Figueiredo LS, de Melo UP, Mariz ALB, de Brito EL, Araújo IRDS, Silva ALDC, Costa MHDS, Ferreira C, Assis DB, da Silva CRM, de Souza AL, de Souza MPDS. Survey on sanitary practices and knowledge about infectious diseases among equine owners in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Braz J Vet Med 2023;45:e003323.
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