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1.
Pony Club is one of the leading junior equestrian organisations in the world, and was established to teach young people the many aspects of horsemanship. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the health and performance of Pony Club horses from the perspective of their owners. In-depth interviews were conducted with Pony Club members at two sites in Australia, and topics relating to participants' background with horses, horse attributes valued by participants, horse health and performance, and Pony Club-related matters. The in-depth interviews were taped, transcribed and analysed, by describing the themes and issues recorded in the dialogue and conducting cross-case analysis (finding similarities and dissimilarities between participants with respect to each of the above-mentioned topics). A total of 32 interviews were conducted. The participants' background with horses varied greatly. The horse attributes valued by > or =59% of participants included temperament, size, ability and suitability for riders. A range of issues relating to health and performance were important to > or =53% of participants, including horse temperament, nutrition, internal parasites, lameness and foot-care, and colic. Soundness and preventive health measures were rarely mentioned (< or =16% of participants). Friends or knowledgeable horse people were identified as the first point of contact for horse-health matters, and veterinarians were only used as a last resort or for serious problems. Members of Pony Club learned about their horses by trial and error. Optimal performance was described as a horse that was willing to do as the rider asked. Poor performance was usually the result of the horse misbehaving, and could include a resistance to rider commands, pigrooting and bucking.  相似文献   

2.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether therapeutic riding resulted in higher levels of stress or frustration for horses than did recreational riding and whether therapeutic riding with at-risk individuals was more stressful for the horses than was therapeutic riding with individuals with physical or emotional handicaps. DESIGN: Observational study. ANIMALS: 14 horses in a therapeutic riding program. PROCEDURE: An ethogram of equine behaviors was created, and horses were observed while ridden by 5 groups of riders (recreational riders, physically handicapped riders, psychologically handicapped riders, at risk children, and special education children). Number of stress-related behaviors (ears pinned back, head raised, head turned, head tossed, head shaken, head down, and defecation) was compared among groups. RESULTS: No significant differences in mean number of stress-related behaviors were found when horses were ridden by recreational riders, physically handicapped riders, psychologically handicapped riders, or special education children. However, mean number of stress-related behaviors was significantly higher when horses were ridden by the at-risk children. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that for horses in a therapeutic riding program, being ridden by physically or psychologically handicapped individuals is no more stressful for the horses than is being ridden in the same setting by recreational riders. However, at-risk children caused more stress to the horses, suggesting that the time horses are ridden by at-risk children should be limited both daily and weekly.  相似文献   

3.
Oral soft tissue ulcers are common disorders of horses, but it is unclear if their prevalence is increased by riding horses with a bit and bridle. Oral examinations were performed on 113 horses and ponies, all which had received routine dental floating, that were divided into four groups depending on when they had last been ridden with a bit and bridle. The subjects comprised: group 1, a randomly selected population of ridden horses; group 2, a group of horses examined after being rested at pasture for 5 weeks; group 3, the previous group following 7 weeks of riding with a bit and bridle, and group 4, brood mares that had not been ridden for at least 11 months. Lip and intraoral soft tissue lesions were recorded at seven pre-determined locations, with lesions classified as large or small; acute or chronic.The examinations showed that horses that were currently being ridden with a bit and bridle had a significantly higher prevalence of large and acute buccal ulcers opposite the maxillary Triadan 06 teeth and of the commissures of the lips, as compared to horses that were not being currently ridden. It was concluded that using a bit and bridle can cause oral ulceration even in horses that have regular prophylactic dental floating. It is suggested that riding tack should be individually fitted for each horse and also that prophylactic dental treatments should be individually adapted for each horse.  相似文献   

4.
This case report describes the endoscopic findings and outcome in 6 horses diagnosed with dynamic epiglottic retroversion (ER) during exercise. Horses included 2 showjumpers, one eventer, one pleasure riding horse and 2 Thoroughbred racehorses. All were adults (age range: 4–10 years). Dorsal angulation of the epiglottis was identified at rest in one horse. However, resting endoscopy was unremarkable in the remaining 5 horses. Exercising endoscopy was performed during high‐speed treadmill exercise in 3 horses and during ridden exercise in the other 3. Intermittent ER occurred during inspiration in all horses and the frequency increased with increasing speed. In 2 horses the epiglottis retroverted beyond the rima glottidis. All horses made an abnormal respiratory noise described as a ‘grunt’ when retroversion of the epiglottis occurred. Poll flexion was found to be an exacerbating factor in the nonracehorses. Two horses continued in work but abnormal inspiratory noise persisted. Surgical treatment, in the form of subepiglottic resection, was attempted in one horse. However, it never raced again after the procedure. Of the remaining horses, 2 were retired and the third was subjected to euthanasia.  相似文献   

5.
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6.
An Internet survey was used to investigate the relationship between riders’ responses to their horse’s behavior in 8 commonly encountered riding scenarios and the frequency of generic behavior problems displayed by their horse during ridden work. There was a significant negative correlation between the percentage of rewarding rider responses to appropriate behavior scenarios from their horse and ridden behavior problem score (P = 0.007), but there was no association between punishing rider responses toward inappropriate behavior scenarios and their horses’ generic ridden behavior problem score. Consistency of reward for appropriate behavior scenarios and punishment of inappropriate behavior scenarios had no correlation with the horses’ generic ridden behavior problem score. However, riders who used a higher proportion of rewarding responses overall, even toward inappropriate behavior scenarios, had horses with fewer generic ridden behavioral problems (P = 0.011). These respondents reported using reassuring responses to calm their horse and may have had greater success by responding to their horses’ emotional state than by responding to their behavior per se.  相似文献   

7.
Nutrition is a critical component of equine health. Horse owners' knowledge of nutrition is likely to affect their feeding practices. The aim of this study was to survey feeding practices, dietary supplement use, and knowledge about equine nutrition in New England by surveying a subpopulation of horse owners (67/337 or 19.8%) who brought their horses to the Large Animal Hospital at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University between July and September 2008. All owners reported feeding hay, with the majority feeding grass or timothy hay. Most owners (96%) reported feeding a concentrate in addition to hay. Approximately 84% of owners reported including at least one dietary supplement in their horse's daily feeding. The most commonly used supplements were chondroprotectives, electrolytes, and multivitamins. Survey questions designed to assess the owner's knowledge of nutrition suggested that many owners may not have a basic understanding of principles of equine nutrition; less than 50% knew the daily water and hay requirements for a horse, and 69% lacked knowledge about the proper use of concentrates in a diet. Most of the surveyed owners consulted multiple sources of information concerning equine nutrition, including veterinarians (n = 36), trainers (n = 27), feed stores (n = 10), and the internet (n = 7). Although the major source of information was the veterinarian, it appears that the communication between horse owners and their veterinarian about optimal feeding practices could be enhanced. This survey demonstrated areas in the veterinarian–client dialog that need to be addressed when evaluating the health and well-being of the horse.  相似文献   

8.
'Rollkur' or 'overbending' is the low and deep riding of a dressage horse during training or warming up. Lately, this technique has been criticized, and not necessarily objectively, on welfare grounds. To be able to evaluate these criticisms, more needs to be known about the workload and stress of horses being ridden 'rollkur'. The aim of the present study was to compare the workload of eight riding-school horses when being ridden deep and round with a draw rein ('rollkur') and when being ridden in a natural frame with only light rein contact ('free'). Workload (as measured by heart rate and blood lactate concentration) was slightly higher when horses were ridden 'rollkur' than when they were ridden 'free'. There were no differences in packed cell volume, or glucose and cortisol concentrations. No signs of uneasiness or stress could be determined when the horses were ridden 'rollkur'. Subjectively, all horses improved their way of moving during 'rollkur' and were more responsive to their rider.  相似文献   

9.
Equine headshaking syndrome is a problematic behavior that has been described in literature for more than 100 years. The signs of headshaking syndrome appear frequently and violently so that riding the horse can be dangerous. The aim of this research was to gain an overview of the underlying causes of equine headshaking syndrome to identify effective treatment options, reduce the distress of horses and, in a second step, potentially improve therapeutic possibilities for horse owners and veterinarians. Most studies on prevalence originate from Anglo-American countries, so this research was to provide an overview of German horses; therefore, an online survey was designed by experts in the field (researchers and veterinarians) and answered by German horse owners. Questionnaires were pretested by a small group of horse owners (n = 5) and redesigned accordingly. The final questionnaire consisted of 27 questions, which were divided into seven open questions with an associated text field and 20 multiple-choice questions (Supplementary Material 1). For some of the multiple-choice questions, multiple answers were permitted. In total, 163 completed questionnaires were obtained from owners of headshaking horses (ntotal = 163). Gender distribution of the horses resulted in 64.4% geldings, 33.7% mares, and 1.8% stallions. Most horses were German warmbloods (55.4%). The average age was 12.7 years (with a wide range of 5 to 34 years). The vertical movement of the head was the most frequently mentioned symptom in 75.5% of the evaluated horses. In 18.4% of the cases, the horse owners identified stress as the main trigger for headshaking. Furthermore, 18.4% claimed that their horses suffered from additional stereotypical behavior. The percentages do not refer to the same horses here. 11.0% of the participants in this study tried scientifically evaluated therapies such as surgical therapy (1.2%) or medical treatment (9.8%). In addition, 54.0% of the owners utilized a nose cover to reduce the symptoms of the headshaking syndrome. A high percentage of 84.0% used alternative therapies such as physiotherapy (31.9%), change of equipment (22.7%), or change of riding style (29.4%). Overall, this study provides a useful overview of causes and effective therapies.  相似文献   

10.
The objective was to evaluate the effects of gymnastic training on stride characteristics of walk and trot in therapy horses carrying riders of different weights. Eighteen horses used for therapeutic riding 5 days/week were randomly divided into 2 groups. Nine horses performed gymnastic (GYM) exercises after therapeutic riding on 4 days/week for 3 months, 9 horses did no additional exercises (SED). On days 0 and 90, an inertial sensor mounted to the girth on the ventral midline was used to evaluate stride characteristics when horses were ridden at walk (1.3 m/second) and trot (3.0 m/second) by able-bodied riders representing rider: horse body weight ratios (BWRs) 15%, 20%, and 25%. On day 0, the measured variables did not differ significantly between sedentary (SED) and GYM groups, but on day 90, the following statistically significant results were found: GYM-trained horses had higher regularity for all BWRs at walk and 15% and 20% BWRs at trot. Higher stride symmetry was found in GYM-trained horses carrying 25% BWRs at walk and all rider weights at trot. Dorsoventral displacement was higher in GYM-trained horses when carrying 20% and 25% BWRs at walk and 25% BWRs at trot. Dorsoventral power was lower in SED-trained versus GYM-trained horses carrying 15% BWR at walk and 20% BWR at trot. A more regular and symmetrical stride with a larger range of dorsoventral trunk motion is likely to provide a better therapeutic riding experience.  相似文献   

11.
A survival analysis was used to compare the culling rate of Icelandic horses due to the presence of radiographic and clinical signs of bone spavin. A follow-up study of 508 horses from a survey five years earlier was performed. In the original survey 46% of the horses had radiographic signs of bone spavin (RS) and/or lameness after flexion test of the tarsus. The horse owners were interviewed by telephone. The owners were asked if the horses were still used for riding and if not, they were regarded as culled. The owners were then asked when and why the horses were culled. During the 5 years, 98 horses had been culled, 151 had been withdrawn (sold or selected for breeding) and 259 were still used for riding. Hind limb lameness (HLL) was the most common reason for culling (n = 42). The rate of culling was low up to the age of II years, when it rose to 0.05 for horses with RS. The risk ratio for culling was twice as high for horses with RS compared with horses without RS and 5.5 times higher for culling because of HLL. The risk of culling (prognostic value) was highest for the combination of RS with lameness after flexion test, next highest for RS and lowest for lameness after flexion test as the only finding. It was concluded that bone spavin affects the duration of use of Icelandic horses and is the most common cause of culling due to disease of riding horses in the age range of 7-17 years.  相似文献   

12.
A telephone survey was conducted of 100 racing stables, 100 riding schools and 100 competition establishments (8,427 horses in total) to determine what management practices were being applied to horses showing stereotypic behaviour, and to determine the underlying reasons for them by assessing the perceptions and opinions of the people working with the horses. The results indicated that horse owners are concerned about stereotypic behaviour, first, because it reduces the performance of the animal (31, 30 and 27 per cent of the owners of racing stables, riding schools and competition establishments respectively), secondly, because it has adverse clinical effects on the horse (52, 55 and 56 per cent), and thirdly, because it reduces the monetary value of the animal (45, 59 and 31 per cent). The belief that these behaviours are learnt or copied also affects the management of affected horses: they are not allowed on to the premises by 4, 32 and 17 per cent of owners of racing stables, riding schools and competition establishments, respectively; attempts are made to remove the causal factors of the stereotypy by 35, 43 and 36 per cent; the behaviours are physically prevented by 77, 67 and 79 per cent, and the affected horses are kept separate from other horses by 39, 30 and 48 per cent.  相似文献   

13.
Reasons for performing study: Traumatic injuries are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the horse and consequently pose a serious threat to horses' wellbeing. To date, there have been no published studies assessing the frequency of injuries in the general horse population of the UK. Objectives: To obtain information regarding husbandry management strategies and injury prevalence in horses aged ≤15 years, with the aim of identifying predisposing risk factors for injury. Methods: A postal questionnaire was distributed to a randomly selected sample of horse owners across north‐west England, Midlands and north Wales. Factors associated with injury were assessed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis performed with the binary outcome variable defined as whether or not the horse had sustained an injury within the previous 12 months. Results: A usable questionnaire response rate of 68% (652/953) was achieved. Forty percent of horses had sustained a traumatic injury within the past year, of which 62% occurred in the field and 13% during ridden exercise. Factors identified as being associated with an increased risk of traumatic injury included the following: breed other than cob or pony (P = 0.001), shorter duration of ownership (P = 0.002), being turned out with an increasing number of horses (P = 0.001), being used for competitive (P = 0.001) or Parelli (P = 0.006) purposes. Stabling at all times during the spring (P = 0.005), the use of wood fencing in paddocks (P = 0.05) and being prone to becoming distressed if left alone in a field (P = 0.04) were also found to be associated with an increased risk of injury. Stabling at all times during winter was associated with a decreased risk of injury (P = 0.006). Conclusions and potential relevance: Risk factors for sustaining injuries have been identified in association with management practices. This information may be used to educate owners regarding management of their horse(s) in order to prevent injury.  相似文献   

14.
Medical records of 22 horses with humeral fractures were reviewed. The horses were from 2 to 144 months old (mean, 25.8 +/- 37.3 months). Ten horses were treated with stall confinement, 3 were treated surgically, and 9 were euthanatized at the time of diagnosis. Seven of 10 horses treated nonsurgically (stall confinement) were able to be ridden 5 to 12 months after the diagnosis was made (mean, 7.5 +/- 2.6 months). One horse treated nonsurgically was euthanatized 6 months after diagnosis because of laminitis in the contralateral limb. Two horses treated nonsurgically were lost to follow-up evaluation. Two of the 3 horses treated surgically had fractures repaired with Rush pins. The fractured humerus of the third horse was repaired with lag screws. Of the 3 surgically treated horses, 1 was pasture sound 10 months after surgery, but developed varus deviation in the contralateral carpus 6 weeks after repair; 1 horse was euthanatized 2 weeks after surgery because of failure of the implant; and the other horse was sound for riding 10 months after surgery. On the basis of these findings, young horses with humeral fractures that are treated nonsurgically can become sound for riding.  相似文献   

15.
Reasons for performing study: It is unknown if different locomotor activities are equally effective at meeting the stabled horse's need for exercise and if they attenuate unwanted behaviour. Hypothesis: Alternative forms of exercise influence the intensity of locomotor activities during a period of turn‐out (the so‐called rebound effect) and the occurrence of unwanted or undesirable activities during standard handling situations. Method: Twenty‐four horses kept in stables were randomly assigned to one of 4 exercise regimes (walker, treadmill, turn‐out and riding) for 4 consecutive days. Because these forms of exercise provide additional environmental stimulation, beyond that provided by exercise, each horse served as its own control in 4 corresponding (no exercise) control treatments presented in a balanced order. Unwanted behaviour was tested by taking horses to weighing scales and loading and unloading them onto a 4‐horse float by an experienced handler and the rebound effect was tested by releasing them into a large arena for a period of 15 min at the end of the exercise and control treatments. Results: Locomotor activities made up a large part of behaviour in the large arena following control treatments and all exercise regimes were sufficient to reduce the intensity of walking (P<0.05), trotting (P<0.01) and cantering (P<0.001) on release into a large arena. Exercise regime reduced the number of bucks (P<0.01) and rolling (P<0.05) during rebound tests suggesting that turn‐out was having a stronger effect than the other 3 exercise regimes. Exercise regimes significantly reduced the amount of unwanted behaviour and the number of commands given by the handler during weighing (P<0.05) but had no effect on these behaviours during loading onto a float. Conclusion: Providing stabled horses with one hour/day of exercise on a walker, treadmill, turn‐out or by being ridden are all effective at allowing expression of locomotor activities in stabled horses. Potential relevance: Providing stabled horses with regular exercise is likely to provide positive effects on horse welfare, training ability and handler safety.  相似文献   

16.
The objectives of this study were to compare horses’ gaits in hand and when ridden; to assess static and dynamic saddle fit for each horse and rider; to apply the Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram (RHpE) and relate the findings to gait abnormalities consistent with musculoskeletal pain, rider position and balance and saddle fit; and to document noseband use and its relationship with mouth opening during ridden exercise. Data were acquired prospectively from a convenience sample of horses believed by their owners to be working comfortably. All assessments were subjective. Gait in hand and when ridden were evaluated independently, by two assessors, and compared using McNemar’s test. Static tack fit and noseband type were recorded. Movement of the saddle during ridden exercise, rider position, balance and size relative to the saddle was documented. RHpE scores were based on assessment of video recordings. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis was used to determine factors which influenced the RHpE scores. Of 148 horses, 28.4% were lame in hand, whereas 62.2% were lame ridden (P<0.001). Sixty per cent of horses showed gait abnormalities in canter. The median RHpE score was 8/24 (interquartile range 5, 9; range 0, 15). There was a positive association between lameness and the RHpE score (P<0.001). Riding School horses had higher RHpE scores compared with General Purpose horses (P = 0.001). Saddles with tight tree points (P = 0.001) and riders seated at the back of the saddle rather than the middle (P = 0.001) were associated with higher RHpE scores. Horses wearing crank cavesson compared with cavesson nosebands had higher RHpE scores (P = 0.006). There was no difference in mouth opening, as defined by the RHpE, in horses with a noseband with the potential to restrict mouth opening, compared with a correctly fitted cavesson noseband, or no noseband. It was concluded that lameness or gait abnormalities in canter may be missed unless horses are assessed ridden.  相似文献   

17.
Historically, lameness has been evaluated in hand or on the lunge, but some lamenesses may only be apparent ridden. The objectives were to compare the response to flexion tests, movement in hand, on the lunge, and ridden in sports horses in regular work, assumed to be sound by the owners. It was hypothesized that lameness may be apparent in ridden horses that was not detectable in hand or on the lunge. Fifty-seven sports horses in regular work and assumed to be sound were assessed prospectively in hand, on the lunge on both soft and firm surfaces, and ridden. Flexion tests of all four limbs were performed. Lameness was graded (0–8) under each circumstance in which the horse was examined and after each flexion test. Fourteen horses (24.6%) were sound under all circumstances. Six horses were sound in hand, on the lunge, and ridden but showed a grade 1 or 2 lameness after flexion of a single limb. Sixteen horses (26.3%) were lame in hand. Twenty-four horses (42.1%) showed lameness on the lunge on a soft surface, and 23 horses (40.4%) were lame on the lunge on a firm surface. Twenty-seven horses (47.4%) showed lameness ridden; seven (12.3%) were only lame ridden. There was no significant association between age (P = .09) or work discipline (P = .1) and lameness. It was concluded that freedom from lameness in straight lines is not a reliable indicator of soundness. Some lamenesses are only apparent ridden.  相似文献   

18.
The practice of horse rugging has important implications for horse welfare and performance, but in Australia, rugging practices have not been properly documented. The objective of this study was to obtain an understanding of Australian horse rugging practices. An online survey reviewed the management of 2659 Australian horses over 12 months. Of the reported horses a total of 84.8% were rugged, although most owners (69.5%) indicated that they were unsure whether horses needed to be rugged at all. Rugging was felt by 59.8% of owners to be a requirement for horses in competition. Riding and competition were significantly associated with the use of rugs. Nearly all respondents (89.0%) felt that ‘over-rugging’ was a concern. However, 4.8% of owners would use up to 4 rugs at any one time on their horse and 21.4% of horses were still rugged in temperatures above 20°C in Australia. Many Australian horse owners (42.8%) also believe that horses feel cold if they are not rugged. Anthropomorphism when it comes to rugging horses cannot be justified as the horse has a much wider thermoneutral zone (TNZ) than humans. Australian climate, owner opinions, equestrian discipline and whether a horse is used for riding influence Australian horse rugging practices. However, current practices are based on limited available research and are not necessarily to the benefit of the horse. The major limitation was that the survey likely attracted respondents who are interested in the topic creating a self-selection bias.  相似文献   

19.
Lack of willingness to go forward freely, lack of power, shortened steps, stiffness of the cervical or thoracolumbosacral regions are common nonspecific signs of musculoskeletal causes of poor performance in sports horses. Understanding musculoskeletal causes of poor performance requires knowledge of how normal horses move, the requirements of specific work disciplines, the nomenclature used by riders to describe how a horse is performing and the interactions between horses and riders. Determining the underlying causes needs an in‐depth history and clinical assessment, including in hand, on the lunge and ridden. Ridden exercise should include all aspects with which the rider is experiencing problems. Change of the rider can sometimes help to differentiate between horse and rider problems, but most normal horses are compliant and just because a horse goes better for a more skilled rider does not preclude an underlying pain‐related condition. Lungeing and ridden exercise should include not only trot but also transitions and canter which may highlight gait abnormalities not seen at trot. An accurate history combined with thorough clinical examination of the whole horse should permit the establishment of a list of problems requiring further investigation.  相似文献   

20.
Despite being largely studied as models of equine nutrition, few published data exist on actual nutritional requirements of Miniature horses. Small equines are particularly prone to obesity, insulin resistance, and the metabolic disorders for which these are risk factors. Improper feed rationing, overfeeding in particular, puts horses at risk for these metabolic problems. Feed manufacturers, however, generally supply feeding recommendations for horses weighing ≥360 kg, whereas the average Miniature horse weighs around 100 kg. Lack of nutritional guidelines for small equines makes it difficult for owners to properly estimate the amount of hay and grain to feed their Miniature horse. The purpose of this study was to determine whether feeding recommendations provided by feed manufacturers for average-sized horses could be linearly extrapolated to Miniature horses. This study surveyed nutritional management of 12 mature Miniature horses that represented the ideal body condition of the breed. Each horse’s hay, grain, and pasture intake was recorded and the average daily digestible energy (DE) intake was calculated from those data. The daily DE intake of the surveyed horses was compared with the extrapolated recommendations published by several different sources. When linearly extrapolated to fit the body weight of a Miniature horse, recommendations significantly (P < .002) misestimated the amount of daily DE that the surveyed horses were consuming. The majority of recommendations overestimated the DE consumed by the Miniature horses per day. However, one source that was designed specifically for Miniature horses, severely (P < .001) underestimated their required DE.  相似文献   

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