Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Vaccination Status of Horses in Poland Based on an Internet Survey of the Horse Owners.
Abstract: Preventing the spread of infectious diseases in horses requires breaking the chain of infection through appropriate prophylaxis. In Poland, where the horse population reached 273,006 in 2023, vaccinations are voluntary and primarily the responsibility of horse owners, with mandatory influenza vaccinations limited to sport horses. This study aimed to evaluate the vaccination status of Polish horses against infectious diseases through a survey of 980 horse owners and an analysis of 123 horse passports from slaughterhouses. Survey participants represented all provinces, predominantly owning warmblood horses (86%), but also 10% coldblood and 4% ponies or unidentified. Nearly half engaged in equestrian competitions. While over 90% of sport and pleasure horses were vaccinated against key diseases such as equine influenza and tetanus, only 2.4% of slaughter horses had similar prophylaxis. Cold-blooded horses were underrepresented in the survey (10.4%) but made up 68.3% of the analyzed slaughterhouse sample. The findings highlight a significant disparity in vaccination practices, primarily influenced by the horse's intended use, with sport and leisure horses receiving better preventive care than slaughter horses. These results underscore the need for targeted educational efforts and policy interventions to improve the epizootiological status of Poland's horse population and ensure a more uniform approach to disease prevention. A limitation of this study is the accuracy of vaccination records in horse passports, as some owners may not have them during vaccination, leading to discrepancies.
Publication Date: 2025-03-14 PubMed ID: 40150363PubMed Central: PMC11939541DOI: 10.3390/ani15060834Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- 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.
The research article is about exploring the vaccination status of horses in Poland based on an Internet survey of horse owners. The study highlights disparities in the vaccination practices in terms of the horse’s purpose, with leisure and sport horses receiving better preventive care than slaughter horses.
Research Objective and Context
- The objective of this research was to evaluate the vaccination status of Polish horses against infectious diseases.
- The context of the study is centered on Poland where equine vaccinations are majorly voluntary, except for mandatory cutaneous influenza vaccinations for sport horses.
Methods used in the research
- The researchers used an internet survey of horse owners and analysis of horse passports from slaughterhouses as methods of data collection.
- A total of 980 horse owners participated in the survey, representing all provinces of Poland.
- Along with survey data, the study also analyzed 123 horse passports obtained from slaughterhouses.
Research Findings
- The research found that more than 90% of sport and pleasure horses in the country were vaccinated against key diseases like equine influenza and tetanus.
- Contrarily, only a minute percentage (2.4%) of slaughter horses had similar prophylaxis.
- A notable discrepancy was found in vaccination practices, influenced largely by the horse’s intended use.
- Leisure and sport horses received better preventive care compared to the slaughter horses.
Research Limitations
- The study notes that the accuracy of vaccination records in horse passports could be a potential limitation.
- During vaccination, some horse owners may not have these passports leading to possible discrepancies in the records.
Conclusions and Recommendations
- The study highlights the need for better policy interventions and targeted educational efforts to improve the epizootiological status of Poland’s horse population.
- It underscores the importance of a more uniform approach towards disease prevention in horses, irrespective of their intended use.
Cite This Article
APA
Rykala M, Jasiak M, Niedzwiedz A.
(2025).
Vaccination Status of Horses in Poland Based on an Internet Survey of the Horse Owners.
Animals (Basel), 15(6).
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060834 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Internal Diseases with Clinic for Horses, Dogs, and Cats, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 47, 50-366 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Department of Internal Diseases with Clinic for Horses, Dogs, and Cats, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 47, 50-366 Wroclaw, Poland.
- Department of Internal Diseases with Clinic for Horses, Dogs, and Cats, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, pl. Grunwaldzki 47, 50-366 Wroclaw, Poland.
Conflict of Interest Statement
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
References
This article includes 12 references
- Polish Horse Breeders Association The Horse Population in Poland. [(accessed on 15 January 2025)]. Available online: https://www.pzhk.pl/hodowla/poglowie-koni-polsce/
- Central Equidae Database The Number of Equidae. [(accessed on 1 December 2024)]. Available online: https://www.pzhk.pl/hodowla/statystyka-cbdk/
- Polish Equestrian Association Development Strategy of Polish Horse Riding in the Years 2019–2022. [(accessed on 1 December 2024)]. Available online: https://pzj.pl/sites/default/files/%20Strona%20WWW.%20PZJ.Nowelizacja%2010.05.2019%20r.%20MSiT%20STRATEGIA%20ROZWOJU%20POLSKIEGO%20%20%20JE%C5%B9DZIECTWA%202019-2022.pdf.
- Official Journal of the European Union Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/262 of February 17, 2015, Laying Down, Pursuant to Council Directives 90/427/EEC and 2009/156/EC, Rules on Methods for the Identification of Equidae. [(accessed on 15 January 2025)]. Available online: https://www.pzhk.pl/wp-content/uploads/Rozporzadzenie_UE-2015_262.pdf.
- Polish Equestrian Association Veterinary Regulations of the Polish Equestrian Federation. [(accessed on 15 January 2025)]. Available online: https://pzj.pl/sites/default/files/przepisy/Przepisy%20Weterynaryjne_2.pdf.
- Koskinen H.I.. A Survey of Horse Owner’s Compliance with the Finnish Vaccination Program. J. Equine Vet. Sci. 2014;34:1114–1117.
- National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) *018 Report. [(accessed on 10 January 2025)]. Available online: https://www.bluecross.org.uk/national-equine-health-survey-0.
- Types of Horse Use in Poland—Meat Use. [(accessed on 1 December 2024)]. Available online: http://konie-pkz.dzs.pl/rodzaje-uzytkowania/miesne/
- Central Statistical Office Salaries in Poland According to Data from the Central Statistical Office. [(accessed on 10 January 2025)]; Available online: https://stat.gov.pl/
- Paillot R., Pitel P.-H., Pronost S.. Florida Clade 1 Equine Influenza Virus in France. Vet. Rec. 2019;184:101.
- Koch R.T., Erazo D., Folly A.J., Johnson N., Dellicour S., Grubaugh N.D., Vogels C.B.. Genomic Epidemiology of West Nile Virus in Europe. One Health 2024;18:100664.
- Cowled B., Ward M.P., Hamilton S., Garner G.. The Equine Influenza Epidemic in Australia: Spatial and Temporal Descriptive Analyses of a Large Propagating Epidemic. Prev. Vet. Med. 2009;92:60–70.
Citations
This article has been cited 0 times.Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
