Tag: Horse Care

Resistance to dewormers is a rapidly growing concern among horse owners as options to rid horses of worm infestations are declining. Large roundworms (ascarids) have proven resistant to all available classes of dewormers, and now a study from Brazil has shown that small strongyles (also called small redworms or cyathostomins) are also showing widespread resistance to anthelmintics.

Brazil is home to 5 to 6 million horses – one of the largest equine populations in the world. Horse owners in Brazil do not routinely use fecal egg counts to determine which horses need to be dewormed; they often blanket deworm the entire herd and routinely switch out deworming products – similarly to how deworming was done previously in the United States. 

Dr. Giordani Mascoli de Favare, and other researchers from the Universidade Estadual Paulista School of Agrarian and Technological Sciences in Brazil, undertook a year-long study in São Paulo to determine the effectiveness of ivermectin as a dewormer on 123 horses on 12 breeding farms. 

The study team completed a fecal egg count to determine baseline worm infestations. After anthelmintic administration, a second fecal egg count should show a reduction in egg load of at least 95 percent. If it doesn't, dewormer resistance is indicated.

None of the horses in the study had been dewormed for at least 60 days prior to the study. Each horse was given the recommended dose of ivermectin by mouth based on their weight. A second fecal egg count test was run on each horse 14 days later. 

The researchers found that the second fecal egg count was below 90 percent on the majority of farms, indicating significant redworm resistance to ivermectin. Additionally, three properties showed counts between 90 and 95 percent, also indicating resistance. Only four of the farms showed a reduction of more than 95 percent.

The authors conclude that these findings highlight the urgent need to utilize different strategies to effectively control anthelmintic resistance in horses. There are no new deworming drugs being created.

Read more at Equine Science Update.

The post Study: Small Strongyles Now Showing Resistance To Ivermectin appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Equestrian sport is moving in the right direction, but it must continue to be brave and proactive to challenge the status quo if is to maintain public acceptance. This was the overarching message from an event for equestrian leaders and the media hosted by World Horse Welfare in London and online to discuss the state of horse sport's social license and the public's perception of the use of horses in sport.

The charity believes welfare is best improved through the strengthening the horse-human relationship and supports the responsible involvement of horses in sport. World Horse Welfare is an independent welfare advisor to horse sport regulators, including the FEI and the British Horseracing Authority.

In his keynote presentation, Roly Owers, Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, outlined the results of a new independent survey conducted by YouGov in mid-May this year which showed that despite a number of high-profile initiatives in the equestrian world, public perception of horses in sport has not yet changed since the same survey was run last year. The survey sampled a larger number of people (4,000+) in 2023, enabling the views of those who regularly interact with horses to be analysed separately.

• Around 60% of the general public are still not content with the status quo: two in five (40%) say they would support the continued involvement of horses in sport only if their welfare was improved and an additional one in five (20%) do not support the continued involvement of horses in sport in any circumstances. These results were largely unchanged from 2022.
• In the 2023 survey, the majority of the general public (57%) believes it is acceptable for horses to be ridden for any purpose, such as for sport or leisure, with only 15% disagreeing slightly or strongly.
• Only 2.3% of the general population identified as having regular interaction with horses.
• The majority of those who interacted regularly with horses (53%) wanted more measures to improve welfare and safety in sport, although statistically they were also more likely to be more content with the status quo.
• Those who interacted regularly with horses said recent media coverage made them feel more confident that the welfare of horses was protected in horse sport (37% of those who interact regularly with horses compared with 14% of those who do not).
• Media coverage had the opposite effect on the confidence of those who do not interact with horses regularly (25% were slightly or much less confident compared with 8% of those who interacted regularly with horses).

A recorded presentation by British showjumper William Whitaker demonstrated that even successful career equestrians can and should challenge the status quo to improve the welfare of their horses. He described how the behaviour of one of his horses led him to seek evidence-based advice which resulted in him changing the way he keeps that horse, and others, to make them more content. He is certain of the link between better welfare and improved performance.

A panel discussion chaired by writer and editor Lucy Higginson and featuring equestrian leaders including Julie Harrington, Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority; Olympic eventer Sam Griffiths; Rishi Persad, British sports television presenter; Theo Ploegmakers, President of the European Equestrian Federation and Dr. Merry Smith MRCVS, equine veterinarian, then explored the survey results further.

Rishi Persad said “The proximity of the survey to the 'big news' coverage of the Grand National this year shows that media coverage can change the public's view but also reflects what is in the public's conscience at the time.”

Theo Ploegmakers was asked whether he saw a similar threat to social license in other countries. He agreed totally that it was relevant internationally but said “The majority of people support our sports but have concerns and there is variation across countries. Some, like Sweden, do everything with a view to social license, but other countries do not have the same sort of horse sport tradition.”

Julie Harrington was asked about the fact that racing in Britain was the only equestrian sport that is licensed.

“Licensing and registration should be seen as a good thing,” said Harrington. “Poor practice influences everyone's business, but we are making headway and a strong body of evidence shows what is being achieved.”

“Recognised good standards have so many benefits, right through the levels, not just among the elite sports animals,” agreed Smith.”We are making progress with independent bodies assessing, but this needs to be further developed.”

Sam Griffiths agreed completely with the principles of licensing but cautioned that “most people compete for the love of horses and at most levels it is not done for money. Existing regulations and red tape are already almost too much for those at lower levels, so there is a genuine fear of over-regulation.”

“We do it for the love of the horses and the horses love their job,” Griffiths said. “You cannot force a horse to do something it doesn't want to do. People mustn't forget that only the horses that have shown their suitability for a certain sport will be competing in that sport.”

Julie Harrington picked up on the tiny percentage of people who identify as having regular involvement with horses.

“This is a worry to me on a number of levels” she said. “These days, everyone gets their stories on social media and if horses are not part of your life, how are these good news stories going to get out there? How do we break through this bubble?”

“We need to listen to everyone but six of the top ten sporting events in the UK are equestrian related, so there is a silent majority which we can't ignore,” said Griffiths.

The floor was then opened to questions from the audience and the panel tackled some thought-provoking topics such as how to get good news stories out from all levels, how to inform the public that horses enjoy their lives and how this can be demonstrated scientifically, and how changes and improvements in welfare can be communicated.

During his summing up, Owers celebrated the progress made by the equestrian world since last year and advised the equestrian world to “Take the complete view, this is all sports and the complete lifetime of the horse. We are moving in the right direction but it will take time and it is vital to be brave and proactive and to challenge the status quo.”

“The horse world is taking fundamental steps down the path to ensure all horses in sport are able to live a good life, and we need to take our colleagues, fellow equestrians and the general public with us when we show how horses can thrive in equestrianism,” said Owers. “Making evidence-based decisions is vital to build that trust and transparency in maintaining public acceptance. So we must double down to make that investment in future research because it is the lifeblood of being able to tell that story about all that is good in horse sport.

“It would be too much to expect that opinion could be shifted by the good work of the past 12 months, but what this research also shows is that those of us in the horse world can see the world from the comfortable confines of our own bubble, so we must actively seek independent opinion to see how we are truly seen. We must also recognise that even within our horse world bubble, there are lots who want change.”

The post British Survey Finds 20 Percent Of People Do Not Support The Use Of Horses In Sport appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Researchers from the University of Lincoln in England have found that horses can produce facial expressions that denote frustration and disappointment. 

Drs. Claire Ricci-Bonot and Daniel Simon Mills note that horses live in a complex social system and are able to communicate using subtle visual signals, including eye direction, ear direction and facial expressions. However, the negative emotional state of a horse is often not recognized and much of lay person's understanding is not based on scientific evidence. 

The study team wanted to identify possible facial markers of emotional states. They used 31 male and female horses that were between two and 23 years old. 

The horses were taught to anticipate a food reward in a standard barn setting. Feed was placed in a bucket covered by a clear cover, which was slid back after 10 seconds to allow the horse access to the feed. Once the horses understood the device and expected feed after 10 seconds the scientists created a three-phase study: 

-Phase One was where the horses anticipated the reward, which resulted in a positive emotional state

-Phase Two was where the horses had to wait for the one minute, then were given the feed reward

-Phase Three was where the horses were given access to the bucket, but no food was available

All phases of the test were recorded and analyzed using the Horse Facial Action Coding System (EquiFACS), an objective system for coding facial movements and behaviors.

The researchers found nine actions and behaviors that differed significantly between the two situations they predicted would induce frustration (waiting on the reward) and disappointment (receiving no reward).

 When the horses had to wait longer for the food reward, they showed more of the whites of their eyes, rotated ears, and were more inclined to turn their heads to one side, which was interpreted as frustration. When they were offered the empty bucket, they tended to lick, lift their nostrils and make chewing motions more than in other phases, which researchers interpreted as signs of disappointment. 

The scientists found that disappointed horses had a tendency to lick the container and that frustrated horses were more likely to bite the feeder. They also found that females were more likely to blink than males in the disappointed phase. 

Read more at HorseTalk

The post Study Quantifies The Signs Of Disappointment And Confusion In Horses’ Facial Expressions appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Many horses develop ulcers over the course of their lifetime. While there are lots of ways to assist in ulcer healing or prevent recurrence, one of the most common piece of advice traded between horse owners is 'cut out the sweet feed.' But is that actually valid?

A horse's diet influences both the development and healing of ulcers, reports The Horse. The stomach can be divided into two main areas: the glandular and the non-glandular regions. The glandular portion of the stomach is closer to the small intestine. The cells of the stomach in this area secrete hydrochloric acid, which breaks down feed. It also secretes mucus, which protects the stomach from the acid. 

The non-glandular portion of the stomach doesn't secrete mucous (or acid), but it is at risk of ulcer development. Some things that predispose a horse to ulcers include low forage intake; non-steroidal anti-inflammatory use, extended time in a stall, high-grain diets and intense exercise. 

Diet has an impact on the environment of the stomach and can make it a more or less hospitable environment for ulcers to form. Horses should ingest 1.5 percent of their body weight in forage daily – preferably continually. Saliva buffers the stomach from acid, and chewed hay creates a mat that floats on top of the fluid in the stomach, preventing it (and the acid) from splashing up and causing ulcers. 

Sweet feeds and other high-grain concentrates can cause stomach acid production to spike in order to break down the sugar in these textured grains. 

Experts say there are a few strategies you could consider when giving sweet feed to an ulcer-prone horse:

-Feeding forage before the grain to buffer the stomach acid. 

-Divide sweet feed into multiple smaller meals to reduce the possibility that the grain will stay in the glandular region of the stomach. 

-Look at other feed options. If a horse must be fed a lot of calories to maintain weight, investigate sweet feeds with higher fat. 

Read more at The Horse

The post Does Sweet Feed Increase Ulcer Risk For Horses? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post