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
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- Journal Article
Summary
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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.
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This article includes 12 references
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