The use of nutritional supplements in dressage and eventing horses.
Abstract: The aim of the study was to determine which types of nutritional supplements were used in dressage and eventing horses, and the reasons that owners used supplements. An online questionnaire was distributed through British Eventing and Dressage websites, to collect data on demographics of owners and their horses, supplements used and their opinion on health and performance problems. Data were evaluated using descriptive analysis, Sign and Fisher's exact tests for quantitative data, and categorisation of qualitative data. In total, 599 responses met the inclusion criteria (441 dressage and 158 eventing horse owners). Participants had 26.4 (3-60) (mean (range)) years of riding experience, owned 1.2 (0-10) horses and used 2 (0-12) supplements in their highest performing horse. The main health and performance issues identified for dressage were 'energy/behaviour', 'lameness' and 'back and muscle problems'. The main issues for eventing were 'stamina and fitness levels',' lameness' and 'energy/behaviour'. The main reasons for using supplements in their highest performing horse were 'joints and mobility', and 'behaviour' for dressage, and 'electrolytes', and 'joints and mobility' for eventing. Lameness and behavioural problems were significant concerns within both disciplines. There was incongruence between owners' opinions of problems within their discipline and their reasons for using supplements.
Publication Date: 2016-02-08 PubMed ID: 26925239PubMed Central: PMC4762206DOI: 10.1136/vetreco-2015-000154Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research examined the types of nutritional supplements used in dressage and eventing horses. The study also looked into the reasons why horse owners use these supplements, primarily focusing on issues related to health and performance.
Methodology
- The research utilized an online questionnaire distributed through the websites of British Eventing and Dressage to gather data relevant to the study, such as the owners’ demographics, the supplements they used, and their opinions on health and performance problems.
- The data was then evaluated using a combination of descriptive analysis, Sign and Fisher’s exact tests for quantitative information, and categorization of qualitative data.
Participants
- Out of the total responses received, 599 met the criteria for inclusion in the analysis, which equated to 441 dressage and 158 eventing horse owners.
- The respondents reported a mean of 26.4 years of riding experience, owned an average of 1.2 horses, and used around 2 different supplements on their top-performing horse.
Key Findings
- The main health and performance issues identified for dressage horses centered around energy and behaviour, lameness, and back and muscle problems.
- For eventing horses, stamina and fitness levels, lameness, and energy and behaviour were the primary concerns.
- The primary reasons for the use of supplements in the highest-performing dressage horses were related to joint and mobility and behaviour while for eventing horses, electrolytes and joint and mobility were the prime reasons.
- Lameness and behavioural problems were significant concerns in both disciplines.
Incongruity in Use of Supplements
- Interestingly, the study identified an incongruence between the owners’ perception of the problems within their discipline and their reasons for supplement usage. This finding raises questions around why that disconnect exists and merits further investigation.
Cite This Article
APA
Agar C, Gemmill R, Hollands T, Freeman SL.
(2016).
The use of nutritional supplements in dressage and eventing horses.
Vet Rec Open, 3(1), e000154.
https://doi.org/10.1136/vetreco-2015-000154 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, College Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK; Cockburn Veterinary Group, Coalville, Leicestershire, UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, College Road, Loughborough, Leicestershire, UK; Elizabeth Smith Veterinary Practice, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey , Guildford , UK.
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, College Road , Loughborough, Leicestershire , UK.
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Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Moore-Colyer M, Westacott A, Rousson L, Harris P, Daniels S. Where Are We Now? Feeds, Feeding Systems and Current Knowledge of UK Horse Owners When Feeding Haylage to Their Horses. Animals (Basel) 2023 Apr 7;13(8).
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- Murray JMD, Hanna E, Hastie P. Equine dietary supplements: an insight into their use and perceptions in the Irish equine industry. Ir Vet J 2018;71:4.
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