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Thoroughbreds As Therapy Horses: A Study Into The Welfare Of Horses Who Help People

News — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 20:52:48 +0000

A new study will examine the selection, training and welfare of thoroughbred horses as they transition from racetrack to therapy horse. The pioneering project, led by academics at the University of Bristol's Veterinary School in collaboration with Racing to Relate, will develop a recognized global welfare standard for former racehorses who are moving into Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT).

Thoroughbreds are recognized for their sensitivity and this project will provide a research-based approach to retraining them for therapy work. EAT careers could include work with a diverse group of people, from veterans and disabled children to those struggling with mental health issues. The research, which is funded by the John Pearce Foundation, is the first of its kind to study EAT across many countries and will look at practices in the UK, USA, France and Ireland, to understand the impact of EAT on the horses.

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Claire Neveux, Bristol Vet School PhD student for the project, said: “I have worked with Thoroughbreds for about 20 years, mainly with broodmares and young horses, and I have always been amazed by their high reactivity and sensitivity. I'm also fascinated by the human-horse relationship. I had a few opportunities to participate in Equine Assisted Therapy programs as an intern during my graduate studies. That's why, when I met Jennifer Twomey from Racing to Relate, I took the opportunity to be part of this pioneering and collaborative project, and I'm thrilled to contribute to this research. I'm convinced that a better understanding of the thoroughbred personality traits and suitability of horses for EAT is essential for equine and human welfare.”

The main aim of the research is to create a create a global standard for selection and training, to help the racing industry to improve welfare support for off-track racehorses going into a career in EAT. The research will help industry and stakeholders to improve Thoroughbred welfare through a successful transition to their new career in EAT.

Little research has been carried out on the welfare of horses within EAT programs, and especially on the impact it may have on their wellbeing. In particular, this research will analyze the educational process for all horses within the EAT sector, to gain a clearer picture of why and how horses are selected for particular roles. The aim is to fully understand the current selection and training methods within the sector and identify specific characteristics of the thoroughbred, which are suited to a career in EAT. The study will also explore details of the life and routine of equines within EAT, examining existing perceptions and considerations of horse welfare.

Dr. Mathilde Valenchon, Research Fellow at the Bristol Vet School and co-supervisor of the PhD project, added: “I am delighted we successfully developed this research project to understand and facilitate the involvement of ex-racehorses in EAT activities. I have been studying equine behavior, cognition and welfare for the past 12 years. I have always been impressed by the thoroughbred's sensitivity and adaptability. I am thrilled to contribute to a better knowledge of their suitability for EAT and the development of standards, as this will significantly and positively impact the horses' welfare, as well as people's. I am especially proud that our research includes the horse's perspective.”

Dr. Siobhan Mullan, Senior Research Fellow at Bristol Vet School and co-supervisor of the PhD project, said: “Thoroughbred horses involved in EAT programs are performing a really special and valuable role in society, and yet little formal research has been done to understand how to optimize their welfare throughout their transition from racehorse to therapy horse and in the course of their new career. I'm heartened by the interest around the world in using the results of our research to develop standards which will have a long-lasting impact on horse welfare.”

Tempting Tastebuds: How Taste Preference Is Measured Among Horses

News — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 12:10:23 +0000

How do feed manufacturers know horses will readily eat the products they produce? If the manufacturer works with Kentucky Equine Research, more than 30 years of palatability research is taken into consideration.

In this video, research coordinator Michael Sandwick explains the two-choice preference test and how it relates to product development. In these tests, horses are given two feed options in matching buckets, which are rotated daily. Initially, the horse is allowed to smell but not taste the feeds. The handler then turns the horse away from the buckets before releasing it to consume its preferred choice for three minutes. A scribe notes how many times the horse returns to the bucket, lifts its head, or gets distracted by outside factors. After three minutes, the leftover portions are weighed to measure how much of each feed was consumed.

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Sandwick got her start with the company as a summer intern. She is currently finishing her master's degree at Kansas State University while working at the Kentucky Equine Research Performance Center in Ocala.

Learn more about product development at Kentucky Equine Research.

Why Do Horses Eat Weird Things?

News — Wed, 07 Jul 2021 12:24:37 +0000

Quality equine nutrition is paramount to keeping horses looking and feeling their best, but some horses eat things they shouldn't, which could lead to colic or cause long-term health issues. Pica is an eating disorder that involves ingesting items that aren't typically considered food.

Some horses eat:

Manure
Called coprophagy, manure eating is natural. Foals eat manure to populate their digestive tract with beneficial bacteria and some adult horses do the same, but eating feces could be a sign that something more is amiss. Adult horses often eat manure because they're lacking in fiber.
Poisonous Plants
Horses often only eat poisonous plants when they have no other forage option. Knowing what plants are poisonous, and removing them, is important to keeping horses safe. Offer plenty of quality forage so the horse doesn't think poisonous plants are the only edible option.
Dirt
Eating dirt is fairly common, but may indicate horses are seeking minerals like salt, copper or zinc. Check his diet to be sure he's receiving the proper amounts of minerals he needs to be healthy.
Tree Bark
Eating tree bark is natural, but some horses chew bark because they are bored. It's important to ensure that the tree bark the horse is eating isn't poisonous. Additionally, if the horse is ingesting so much bark he's harming the tree, fencing horses away from tree trunks may be necessary. Offering a horse-safe logs to chew on is an option.

Let Them Eat: Horses Undergoing Non-Abdominal Surgery May Be Better Off Eating

News — Sat, 15 May 2021 13:45:10 +0000

Much like human doctors, veterinarians often recommended that horses slated for surgery fast before undergoing anesthesia. In humans, this reduces the risk of the development of aspiration pneumonia; in horses it was thought to decrease the risk of post-operative colic. However, a study has shown that there may be no need for horses scheduled for non-abdominal surgery to refrain from eating.

A retrospective study over a two-year period used 1,965 horses older than two years old that were referred to the Oakridge Equine Hospital in Edmond, Okla., for non-emergency, non-abdominal procedures. The horses had not fasted prior to their surgeries.

Dr. Patricia Baily and her study team found that only 2.5 percent of the horses that had not been fasted became colicky. They also found no correlation between the age of the horse, the surgery performed or the duration of the anesthesia and colic risk.

The scientists conclude that allowing a horse to eat prior to undergoing general anesthesia for a non-abdominal surgery doesn't increase his colic risk. In fact, allowing the horse to eat may help him maintain gut motility, reducing the risk of post-operative colic.

The Scoop On Eating Dirt

News — Tue, 19 Jan 2021 03:02:54 +0000

Many horse owners have been told that a horse that eats dirt is missing specific nutrients in his diet—but this line of thinking is outdated. Seeing a horse licking or chewing dirt is concerning as the ingestion of soil can increase the likelihood he will develop sand colic.

A horse fed the proper amount of a commercial feed formulated for his age and lifestyle should lack for nothing with regards to vitamins, minerals and nutrients; so ingesting soil isn't to “make up” for a deficiency in his diet. If a horse was lacking something in his diet severely enough to make him want to eat dirt, he would show other signs of the deficiency, including weight loss or a dull coat.

Horses typically eat dirt because they're bored. In a natural setting, horses graze nearly constantly—and that time spend chewing is good for their mental health. A horse eating dirt might be seeking the feeling the chewing motion brings, so offering him something like hay in of a slow feeder might give him something to pass the time. Increasing his workload (if possible) or giving him a playful pasturemate may also help ease his boredom.

Is Colic The Only Reason For Bacterial Changes In The Gut? Probably Not

News — Sat, 09 Jan 2021 18:04:24 +0000

It's long been known that the best way to prevent ulcers in horses is to make sure they have something to eat—preferably forage—nearly constantly. But what happens if feed and hay are withheld to not exacerbate a problem, like colic?

Drs. Jaclyn Willette, Dipti Pitta, Nagaraju Indugu, Bonnie Vecchiarelli, Meagan Hennessy, Tamara Dobbie and Louise Southwood found that the bacterial population of a horse's gut changes if he has been without food for at least 10 hours.

Chronic gastrointestinal disease leads to a decrease in variety of bacterial species in the gut of humans and cattle; the same is thought to be true for horses.

The bacteria in a colicking horse's gut is distinctly different from that in a healthy horse's gut. While this could be related to intestinal problems and inflammation that is leading to the colic epsiode, other factors could be at play, including withholding feed, which is an essential tool in managing a horse with colic.

The study team used eight mares for a crossover study that withheld nearly all feed for 24 hours and then allowed each horse free-choice timothy hay for 24 hours. The horses had access to water at all times.

The researchers found that bacteria richness and diversity were significantly lower 10 to 24 hours after the fast began. This limited bacterial population persisted for 2 to 12 hours after the horses were given access to hay. The horse's gut returned to normal 18 to 24 hours after the hay was reintroduced.

The team concluded that the effect of withholding feed should be considered when interpreting data on species and amount of gut bacteria in horses. Their findings may help locate markers that will lead to the development therapeutic interventions for horses that are colicking.

Read the study here.

Sand Colic Survey Results Lead To Interesting Conclusion

News — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 16:30:50 +0000

Horse owners and veterinarians have assumed for many years that horses develop sand colic because they accidentally ingest sand. A new study out of Finland suggests some horses may develop sand colic because they actually seek out and eat the soil.

Drs. Kati E.Niinistö, Meri Määttä, Mirja Ruohoniemi, Maria Paulaniemi and Marja Raekallio conducted an online survey of owners whose horses had been radiographed at some point in their lives to check for sand accumulation in their gut. Survey questions included what signs prompted the call to the veterinarian, how the horse was managed at the time of the vet call and how much sand had accumulated. A total of 447 surveys were used.

The scientists found that the veterinarian was called because the owner suspected sand accumulation and X-rays confirmed the suspicion. Symptoms of sand ingestion seen most often among respondents were colic, diarrhea and poor performance, which his often a subtle sign. “Poor performance” can mean that the horse doesn't want to go forward or may not be moving well.

Horses that exhibited signs of colic often had significant accumulations of sand in their gut. The team also found a correlation between poor performance and large sand accumulation. Horses that were colicky and had poor performance had the highest levels of sand in their gut.

Interestingly, the study team found no connections between sand accumulation, management or housing. This may be because some horses habitually ingest soil. The scientists are collecting samples to determine if any of the horses with sand accumulation are deficient in trace minerals, which would cause them to seek out soil to ingest.

The team also discovered that horses that cleaned up every scrap of hay had larger sand accumulations than horses that didn't eat all their hay. This may be related to keeping horses out for long periods without access to proper grass.

Whether sand ingestion is intentional or a byproduct of greedy horses, prevention of sand accumulation is key. Treating susceptible horses with psyllium a few times a year can clear sand that has already been ingested; feeding in a bucket and offering hay or muzzling horses that forage too much are also options.

Let Them Eat: Preventing Welfare Issues In Stalled Horses

News — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 02:40:45 +0000

Horses stalls overnight can spend multiple long hours with nothing in their stomachs, making them eat more rapidly when fed breakfast. German scientists suggest that horses kept inside should have something to chew on nearly continuously through the overnight hours, whether that's a constant supply of hay or their bedding, reports The Horse.

The Horse also notes that any straw horses ingest should be high quality and introduced slowly; a veterinarian or equine nutritionist should be consulted before adding edible straw to a horse's diet.

Dr. Miriam Baumgartner, of the Technical University of Munich, Germany, noted that horses shouldn't be without food in their system for more than four hours at a time. Horses bedded on non-edible bedding like pellets or sawdust are without something to eat for an average of nine hours each night.

When horses are without food for this amount of time, they “rebound” during the day, Dr. Margit Zeitler-Feicht, Baumgartner's colleague, noted. The duo studied 104 horses that were kept in stalls; those that were stalled on non-edible bedding ate faster with fewer pauses than horses that were kept on straw. They also ingested their evening meals more rapidly than horses kept on straw. The research team reports that this could mean that horses housed on inedible bedding may have compromised welfare.

The team concludes that horses should be offered something to eat continuously throughout the night, whether in the form of hay or edible bedding. To deny them the ability to eat continuously can cause health and welfare issues.

Can Horses Eat Pumpkin Safely?

News — Fri, 23 Oct 2020 23:30:28 +0000

Pumpkins are prevalent at grocery stores, farmer's markets and roadside stands about now, and they're more than just the rage for humans—many horses enjoy the taste of pumpkin, too. High in vitamins A and E, as well as in fiber and folate, pumpkins are tasty treats to many horses.

Instead of throwing away carved pumpkins after Halloween, horse owners can remove the stem and leave the pumpkin in the pasture as a toy or a tasty treat. Some horses enjoy the rind as well as the pulp inside the pumpkin.

If the pumpkin was used as a jack-o'-lantern, be sure to remove any melted wax before offering it to equines. If it was a whole pumpkin used as decoration, there's no need to scrape out the seeds, either—many horses enjoy them as a tasty treat. Pumpkin can also be cut into bite-sized pieces and fed as a treat.

Though pumpkin is safe snacking for most equines, if a horse has been diagnosed with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), signs of the disease may be exacerbated by pumpkin ingestion as it contains a high level of potassium.