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Eventing Study: Specific Factors Increase Odds Of A Fall During Cross-Country Phase

Falls during the cross-country phase of eventing competition can be dramatic, both visually and in terms of the potential for injury to both horse and rider. A Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI)-funded study sought to determine which factors increased the risk of a fall.

Drs. Euan Bennet and Tim Parkin of Bristol Veterinary School spearheaded the study. The duo used data from every horse-and-rider team who started in International, Championship, Olympic, or World Equestrian Games competition between January 2008 and December 2018.

In total, 202,771 horses competed in this timeframe, with 187,602 beginning the cross-country phase. Of these, 1.5 percent reported a fallen horse and 3.5 percent had an unseated rider.

The scientists reported that the following may contribute to a fall:

Horses competing at higher levels
Horses whose previous start was more than 60 days ago
Horses with minimal starts at their current competition level
Horses competing over longer cross-country courses
Horses with more competition in the cross-country phase
Mares were at increased odds of falling compared with geldings

Research into the riders showed that:

Male athletes showed increased odds of experiencing a fall
Younger athletes were more likely to fall
Horse-athlete combinations who recorded a score in the dressage phase that was higher than 50 (i.e. poor performance) showed increased odds of falling during the cross-country phase
Less experienced athletes were more likely to fall
Athletes whose previous start was more than 30 days ago demonstrated increased odds of a fall
Athletes who did not finish their previous event, for any reason, showed increased odds of a fall

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Modifications to reduce the risk of injury to both horse and rider have been suggested. These include adjusting minimum eligibility requirements (MERs) to ensure horses and riders are competing at appropriate ability levels.

The scientists hope the FEI will utilize this research to create evidence-based eventing rules that protect horse and rider safety as well as competitiveness.

Study Shows Possible Link Between Equine Obesity And Asthma

It's been proven that carrying extra pounds can cause humans to develop asthma, and researchers are now attempting to find a link between obesity and breathing issues in horses.

Texas A&M and the Morris Animal Foundation are funding research on the debilitating condition. Currently, the main treatment option for asthmatic horses is the use of corticosteroids, which can cause laminitis in overweight equines.

Texas A&M researcher Dr. Michelle Coleman intends to use 60 horses brought to the University's veterinary teaching hospital for the study. The research team will assess each horse's body condition, identify if they have insulin issues, and determine their asthmatic state by listening to their lungs and taking fluid samples from their lower airways. The horses will be divided into four groups of 15: Obese and asthmatic, non-obese and asthmatic, obese and healthy, and non-obese and healthy.

Each group will be examined for inflammation markers, including cytokine levels. The cytokine levels in humans differ between obese asthmatic people and non-obese asthmatic people. The study will also look at each horse's lung microbiota to see if there is a difference in obese asthmatic horses and non-obese asthmatic horses.

Researchers hope the results from the study will allow horse owners and veterinarians to identify horses at higher asthmatic risk and assist in preventing asthma or intervening in such situations earlier.

Additional Proof That Corticosteroids Don’t Increase Laminitis Risk For Horses

Drs. Katya Potter, Kim Stevens and Nicola Menzies-Gow have completed a study that challenges the belief that corticosteroids increased a horse's risk of developing laminitis. The scientists note that the concern of laminitis is based on only a handful of reports, though multiple studies have been done dispelling the notion that all horses given corticosteroids are at risk of the painful hoof condition.

The veterinarians reviewed case histories of 410 horses that had been treated at two equine clinics. Half of the horses had received standard doses of corticosteroids as part of their treatment protocol; the other 205 were “control” horses that were treated at the clinic, but did not receive corticosteroids. The scientists recorded the age, breed, sex and medical history of each horse and then noted if the horse developed laminitis in the two weeks after treatment. They found that only four of the 410 horses developed laminitis: two that had received corticosteroids and two that had not.

They also completed a second part of the study where they collected the same information on 1,565 horses treated at both clinics with corticosteroids. They found that 10 horses developed laminitis, meaning that less than 1 percent of horses given corticosteroids developed laminitis.

The researchers determined that this is no higher an incidence than the general equine population; the risk of developing laminitis was similar whether they had been treated with corticosteroids or not. However, the study revealed some similarities among the horses that developed laminitis: Some had previously developed laminitis or were obese; others had equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Many of those who developed laminitis were ponies.

The scientists note that it is impossible to determine if the administration of corticosteroids contributed to the occurrence of laminitis—it is just as likely that they developed laminitis because of other risk factors, and it's just is coincidence that it occurred while the horse was being treated with corticosteroids.

The team reminds owners who have a horse that is overweight or has an endocrine disorder that they should be cautious about laminitis year-round, not just when the horse is receiving corticosteroids.