A new study published this month in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ)1 has concluded that toxins from the seeds of the sycamore tree (Acer pseudoplatanus) are the likely cause of Atypical Myopathy (AM) in Europe.
However, to avoid confusion, the authors of the study point out that the American Sycamore (also just called 'the sycamore' in the USA), is a completely different species: Platanus occidentalis. Furthermore, the sycamore found in the UK is also known as the sycamore maple in other countries.
The new research follows on the heels of a study in the USA earlier this year that linked toxins from the box elder tree (Acer negundo) with Seasonal Pasture Myopathy (SPM), the US equivalent of AM2. The discovery marks an important step for the future prevention of this fatal disease.
Atypical Myopathy is a highly fatal muscle disease in the UK and Northern Europe. In ten years, approximately twenty European countries have reported the disease. Incidences tend to occur repeatedly in the autumn and in the spring following large autumnal outbreaks. Horses that develop AM are usually kept in sparse pastures with an accumulation of dead leaves, dead wood and trees in or around the pasture and are often not fed any supplementary hay or feed. SPM is a very similar disorder, prevalent in Midwestern USA and Eastern Canada that is now known to be caused by the ingestion of hypoglycin A, contained in seeds from the box elder tree.
The new European research1 was conducted by an international team led by Dominic Votion, University of Liege and involved 17 horses from Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, suffering from Atypical Myopathy. High concentrations of a toxic metabolite of hypoglycin A, were identified in the serum of all of the horses. The pastures of 12 of the horses were visited by experienced botanists and the Acer pseudoplatanus, the sycamore maple, was found to be present in every case. This was the only tree common to all visited pastures.
Researchers believe hypoglycin A is the likely cause of both AM in Europe and SPM in North America. The sycamore and the box elder are known to produce seeds containing hypoglycin A and the pastures of the afflicted horses in Europe and the USA were surrounded by these trees.
Hypoglycin-A is found in various levels in the seeds of plants in the genus Acer as well as in various other genera in the family Sapindaceae such as ackee (Blighia sapida). In ackee, hypoglycin-A levels do vary with ripeness of the fruit and, if the fruit is eaten before it is mature, it causes hypoglycaemia to different degrees including a condition called "Jamaican vomiting sickness" (because of ackee's use in Jamaican cooking) and occasionally death in humans.
Researchers at the Universities of Minnesota2 and Liege are continuing their work to try to uncover exactly how the equine disease occurs. Dr Adrian Hegeman of University of Minnesota said: "It is likely that the most important contributing factors to horses becoming poisoned by hypoglycin-A are the availability of seed in the field combined with lack of other feeding options. The seeds from two species of maples (box elder and sycamore maples) that we have tested include significant quantities of hypoglycin-A.
"We know that seeds contain highly variable quantities from seed to seed, even within a single tree. We do not know yet how hypoglycin-A levels vary seasonally, nor do we know how its abundance varies with different levels of stress to the plant, though this may well explain seasonal variability in the occurrence of the malady. It is possible that conditions that stress the plants may contribute to significant seasonal changes in hypoglycin-A levels. At this point we just don't know. It is common held knowledge that trees under stress usually produce more seed."
Dr Jeff Gillman of University of Minnesota said: "Without question, further analysis of the seeds and other tissues from Acer species needs to be performed along with sampling of plant materials over multiple seasons and at various stress levels. Additionally, one cannot rule out more complex explanations for the seasonality of disease occurrence such as: animals may begin feeding on seed materials in response to depletion of more palatable choices under drought conditions; or simple explanations such as high wind events driving seeds into fields. These sorts of explanations for the occurrence of the disease do not depend on botanical variations in toxicity across seasons, sites or stress levels, yet also require consideration.
"Although limited examples are available, the experience of animals at a pasture site might also confer some degree of behavioral resistance to poisoning due to exposure at sub-lethal levels with prior exposure to seeds in the pasture."
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "This is an important advancement in our understanding of what causes AM and how it can be prevented. In immediate practical terms owners can take prompt measures to avoid exposing their horses to sycamore seeds this autumn. Where horses are grazing in the vicinity of sycamore trees, it is imperative that they are provided with sufficient supplementary feed as this will minimise the risk that horses might be tempted to ingest seeds containing this toxin. This must be done carefully and leaving wet hay on the ground should be avoided so providing extra carbohydrate feeds may be more practical."
References
The survey of 2717 horse owners, 56% of which were leisure owners and 35% professionals, found that most horses (62%) were retired between 15-24 years of age, mainly for health reasons.
Mares had a higher risk of retirement than geldings, which the researchers say may be due in part to mares used for breeding not doing much structured exercise.
Just over 1 in 6 horses in the study were affected by low muscle mass according to their owners.
Age, sex, osteoarthritis, laminitis, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), and primary use were identified as risk factors for low muscle mass.
Geldings had a higher risk of low muscle mass than mares, which the researchers say may be a result of low testosterone.
Horses with owner-reported veterinary-diagnosed PPID, osteoarthritis and laminitis had a higher risk of low muscle mass.
Primary use was identified as a risk factor for low muscle mass, with retired horses having a higher risk than horses used for competition or pleasure riding.
Owner-reported low muscle mass was perceived to affect welfare and the ability to work in the majority of senior horses.
Alisa Herbst, who led the study, said: “A prolonged working/active life may not only be desired by owners but is also likely to provide health and welfare benefits to the horse.
"We hope the results of this study may be useful for veterinarians caring for senior and geriatric equines, by helping to achieve this."
“The information may aid in the investigation of diseases affecting senior horses and in establishing senior horse-owner education programs.
"The low muscle mass risk factor list may assist vets in identifying horses at risk of low muscle mass to be selected for close monitoring.
“Vets may also consider inclusion of an objective measurement of muscle atrophy, such as the muscle atrophy scoring system (MASS)***, in annual wellness exams, so that atrophy can be identified and managed as early as possible."
Sarah Nelson, Product Manager at Mars Horsecare added: “This survey has highlighted several interesting retirement trends.
“With a better understanding of when and why senior horses are being retired we hope, eventually, to be better placed to monitor for, prevent (where possible), and treat the underlying conditions early on, to help horses stay active and healthy for longer.”
https://www.seniorhorsehealth.com
Reference
The Animal Health Trust's (AHT) Dr Sue Dyson has been awarded a place in the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame, in recognition of her contribution to hoof care in horses.
Sue, who is Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the AHT, has lectured internationally and is known for both her clinical work with horses and an extensive research record, having published more than 200 refereed papers on lameness and diagnostic imaging in scientific journals. She has also co-authored several veterinary textbooks as well as training and competing as a high-level rider in international events.
Established in 1997, the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame honours veterinary surgeons who have contributed to the knowledge and recognition of proper hoof care for horses. Vets are nominated either as practicing equine vets who work closely with farriers in the field, or as college and industry vets involved in teaching, research or other important aspects of equine veterinary and hoof care.
Anyone can nominate an equine vet for the award, which is sponsored by the American Farriers Journal, but selection is completed by previous inductees into the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame. Awards are presented each year during the International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Sue said: "I was completely surprised, but absolutely thrilled, to learn that I had been selected to join the distinguished list of people who have previously been appointed to the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame.
"I think it is very humbling to recognise that, despite the knowledge that my team and I have amassed in the last 30 years, there is so much more to learn. From every new finding come many more questions. I hope that the enthusiastic dedication of my team will continue to result in learning and discovering more, and inspire others to do likewise, to the ultimate benefit of the welfare of our great friend, the horse."
Sue has has worked at the AHT for 30 years and is currently researching the association between hindlimb lameness and saddle slip. She has observed some association between the two for several years, however saddle slip has traditionally been attributed to an ill-fitting saddle, asymmetry of the horse's back shape or a crooked rider.
In 2011 Sue carried out a prospective research project with Intern Line Greve: 'Saddle slip may be an indicator of the presence of hindlimb lameness'. It was presented at the 51st Annual Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association, Birmingham 2012, and identified that in some cases, saddle slip was directly linked to the presence of hindlimb lameness.
Research results showed that of 128 horses assessed for lameness grade and degree of saddle slip when ridden by two riders, the saddle consistently slipped to one side in 54% of the horses with hindlimb lameness, in comparison to just 4% of the horses with forelimb lameness. Diagnostic analgesia to abolish the hindlimb lameness eliminated the saddle slip in 97% of the horses observed in the study.
Sue and Line are currently undertaking further research to measure movement of the back, and forces under the saddle, with the aim of explaining biomechanically what is happening during the occurrence of saddle slip.
Academics from the University of Bristol's School of Veterinary Sciences and the neurology team at Southmead Hospital Bristol have published the results of study examining the use of percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (PENS) therapy as a treatment for headshaking syndrome in horses.
The authors say that the condition, a neuropathic facial pain syndrome, often leaves affected horses impossible to ride and dangerous to handle, and can result in euthanasia. At present there are no consistently safe and effective methods for the treatment of headshaking in horses, and the condition is estimated to affect between 10,000 and 20,000 horses in the UK.
The study, which is published in the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ), aimed to discover whether PENS therapy, developed by Algotec Research and Development Ltd, is safe, effective and sustainable for the management of trigeminal-mediated headshaking in horses.
Seven horses diagnosed with trigeminal-mediated headshaking were recruited to the trial. All procedures were carried out in sedated horses with a needle-prick sized area of skin desensitised with local anaesthetic to help probe insertion. A disposable PENS probe was placed just beneath the skin adjacent to the nerve under ultrasonographic guidance. The nerve was stimulated for 25 minutes following a protocol of alternating frequencies and a perception threshold based on human clinical data. The probe was removed and the procedure repeated on the other side. Three or four treatments were used during the protocol, with treatments being repeated when signs of headshaking recurred.
All horses tolerated the procedure well. Three horses developed a haematoma at the site on one occasion and two had increased clinical signs for up to three days following first treatment. Six horses responded well after the first treatment and returned to ridden work at the same level before headshaking began. Five horses continued to respond to further treatment.
Veronica Roberts, Senior Clinical Fellow in Equine Medicine in the University's School of Veterinary Sciences, who led the study, said: "Headshaking in horses is a major welfare issue and can be a significant cause of distress.
"Although it is clear that further work is required, including increasing the number of cases and refining the treatment procedures, the study shows that PENS therapy should be the first-line treatment for trigeminal-mediated headshakers, which have failed to respond to conservative treatment, such as nose-nets."
Despite being a common disease, CVS says very little research has been undertaken into EPD in the UK.
In addition, numerous different treatments are currently used for EPD, for which there is not always robust scientific evidence.
The CVS study, which started in 2022 and will continue till early 2024, involves 20 practices.
Samples have been collected from over 70 cases from horses that have been diagnosed by EPD throughout the UK.
Full blood profiles have been assessed, in addition to bacterial culture analysis of the lesions, PCR analysis for dermatophytes (ringworm fungi), microscopy for ectoparasites (mites) and skin cytology.
An owner questionnaire has also been completed to gather information on EDP management.
Each horse’s lesions have been graded and descriptive data relating to the lesions were recorded.
Data collection is now complete and a team of researchers, led by vet Manuela Diaz Ramos, has started analysing the data.
A full report on the findings, along with treatment and management recommendations, is expected to be presented at a scientific conference later this year.
XLEquine and the Animal Health Trust (AHT) have launched Plan, Prevent, Protect, billed as the UK's first equine biosecurity booklet for horse owners and yard managers to work through with their veterinary surgeon, to minimise disease risk on yards and maintain the health and welfare of the horses in their care.
Mark Tabachnik MRCVS, of XLEquine member practice Wright & Morten Veterinary Surgeons said: "For many yard and horse owners, biosecurity is just not on their radar. It only becomes important after they have had an outbreak! Strangles in particular can have devastating effects which impact not only on horse welfare, but the disruption and paralysis of animal movement has significant consequences with relationships on the yard, not to mention the financial costs in some cases.
"We wanted to develop a practical guide that pre-empts these issues by helping owners to set in place simple and in many cases common sense, plans and procedures to prevent a disease outbreak, along with practical steps should the worst happen, and an outbreak occurs.
"Our veterinary farm colleagues and the medical profession are well ahead in terms of biosecurity measures. It's about changing people's mind-sets. For example the NHS "Catch it Bin it Kill it" campaign has been highly successful in adapting our thoughts and actions towards disease spread, and consequently many of us are more aware of the importance of good biosecurity in one way or another."
Dr Richard Newton, Head of Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance at the AHT was also involved in the development of the booklet. He said: "I hope that this will encourage all equine practices to raise their game, it is so important for the whole equine community."
The booklet is available to all equine clients of XLEquine member practices, or it is available to view at http://www.xlequine.co.uk/content/plan-prevent-protect
A team of top equine vets is aiming to raise £125,000 for the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) by travelling 3000 miles through Europe by motorbike between 22nd August and 9th September.
Sponsored by Elanco Animal Health, the seven-strong team is planning to travel through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Morocco and Spain and deliver lectures to eight European and African veterinary schools in just two weeks.
Led by Professor Derek Knottenbelt from the University of Liverpool, the team also includes Professor Josh Slater from Royal Veterinary College, Dr John Burford from the University of Nottingham, Dr Caroline Hahn from the University of Edinburgh, Dr Michael Hewetson from the University of Helsinki, Ms Joanne Suthers from the University of Liverpool and Dr Edmund Hainisch from the University of Vienna. They are being supported by Jeremy Hulme, chief executive of SPANA, Nic Van Gelder, fundraising and supporter care administrator at SPANA and Cerian Stephens.
All money raised will provide SPANA with diagnostic and surgical equipment for the charity's veterinary clinics for working animals in Mali and Mauritania and for the further development of the Bamako Disabled Riding Centre in Mali.
Mike Brown, Elanco's UK and Ireland country director said: "We are delighted to be sponsoring the Vets with Horsepower European Tour which will raise vital funds for working animals in some of the world's poorest countries. This is just one of the many worthwhile initiatives we are supporting in 2012 which focus on alleviating world hunger, spearheading agricultural leadership, enhancing the human-animal bond and caring for the environment."
For further information on the Vets with Horsepower European Tour visit www.spana.org/horsepower.
Ceva Animal Health has produced a leaflet to help horse owners understand the cause, diagnosis and management of equine back pain.
The company says the management of back pain in the horse can be a particular challenge to vets and a source of frustration for owners. Early diagnosis is likely to be associated with a more favourable outcome but it's important to ensure that other causes of pain and poor performance such as lameness, are not contributing to the horse's clinical signs.
'Understanding back pain' explains the anatomy of the back, as well as the clinical signs of back pain, and how it is diagnosed, including the treatment options and the general prognosis. Copies of the new leaflet are available, free of charge, from your Ceva sales representative. Leaflets on 'Understanding bone spavin', 'Understanding navicular disease', 'Understanding sacroiliac disease' and 'Equidronate discharge instructions', are also available.
For further information contact your local Ceva representative or Ceva Animal Health Ltd, Unit 3, Anglo Office Park, White Lion Road, Amersham, Bucks, HP7 9FB, Telephone +44 (0) 1494 781510.
Pfizer, manufacturer of the wormer Strongid™-P has launched a new promotional campaign. Love your horse is based on simple, straightforward and unbiased educational messages to help ensure the optimum health and wellbeing of horses and ponies in the UK.
Pfizer's veterinary adviser Ben Gaskell said: “Simplistically, the three key tools for the horse owner to understand are diagnostics, worming and pasture management. If these tools are used in combination with specialist advice, then the horse owner will be able to provide a sustainable, reliable and cost-effective worm control strategy for their horse.”
At the core of the campaign is a new range of four highly informative and uncomplicated leaflets directed at every type of horse owner: Do you need to worm; Choosing and using the right wormer; Managing your pasture and Worming and Your new horse.
“Each leaflet has been designed to work as a stand-alone piece or can be presented as a smart, matching series of four,” said Helen Shirley, brand manager for Strongid™-P. “The leaflets can be displayed in-store in a distinctive counter-top leaflet dispenser and are supported by eye-catching point of sale materials including posters and balloons." The new campaign packs will be rolled out to all stockists from early June, supported by a dramatic new Love your horse advertisement in national equestrian trade and consumer titles.
The campaign will build up momentum over the summer months and into autumn’s double dosing time with a series of authoritative, no-nonsense features and news stories from Strongid™-P’s veterinary advisor Ben Gaskell.
For further information please email: Strongid-P@pfizer.com
The term ‘evidence synthesis’ describes a range of methodological approaches used to systematically review, appraise, and summarise evidence on a specific area.
The approaches differ from conventional literature reviews or narrative reviews, which are not required to have a specified search strategy or methodology for appraising evidence, and usually present a personal perspective or opinion.
There are three main types of evidence syntheses: rapid reviews, systematic reviews, and scoping reviews.
All have key principles in common, which includes the formulation of a structured question, a systematic search of the available literature, a defined process of reviewing and selecting suitable publications, and a methodology for analysing the final included evidence.
Evidence synthesis is still not widely used in the equine veterinary world, despite its recognised value in human evidence-based medicine.
In the new virtual collection, the EVJ discusses the what and the why of this important evaluation method, as well as providing free access to all the equine veterinary evidence reviews published to date, including:
“Evidence synthesis makes an important contribution towards generating the evidence base which underpins equine clinical practice,” said Professor Sarah Freeman. “The challenge compared to human medicine is that equine veterinary data sets are much smaller, and study approaches and methodologies often vary significantly which means that it may not be possible to combine or collate data sets.
“Given this shortfall, scoping reviews can be helpful to identify what information is out there, find areas where a systematic review could be performed, and provide a useful summary for all the studies in a particular area.”
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: “As increasing numbers of evidence syntheses are published, they will expand our understanding of the current bodies of evidence in veterinary medicine.
“The existing studies are already informing us on how we use evidence in our practices and policies, and it is encouraging to anticipate how they will shape our development of future research, to generate the best evidence as the norm, in every case.”
The virtual issue can be found at https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1001/(ISSN)2042-3306.evidence-synthesis-collection
Genitrix has launched a new system called Osteokine, which produces Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP). PRP, an autologous solution containing therapeutically significant concentrations of platelets, is known to accelerate the healing of injuries and is already widely used in human medicine. It is increasingly being used in the treatment of horses.
The Osteokine system, developed by German company Orthogen which also manufactures joint therapy Irap, comprises two interconnected blood bags.
The system involves taking citrated whole blood from the horse and placing it into the first, red-capped Osteokine bag for processing in a centrifuge. The plasma and platelets are then transferred to the second bag, and a second centrifuge process separates the plasma and generates a pellet of PRP, which is extracted and used to treat the horse from which it was taken.
Treatment with PRP has been shown to accelerate wound healing in all kinds of tissue particularly tendons and ligaments and has also been used in bone healing. It has been noted to reduce perioperative traumatic pain while the higher collagen content provided by PRP can create improved scar resistance.
Commenting on the launch of the Osteokine system in the UK, Rob Watkins, Marketing Director of Genitrix, said: "Therapeutic care of equine lameness is an area of particular expertise for Genitrix and the innovative treatments we've brought to market, including Acell, HY50 and Irap already form part of the staple ‘toolkit' of many equine vets.
"The benefits of PRP in terms of accelerating wound healing and vasculerisation are already widely accepted as are the advantages of an autologous approach in terms of eliminating the risk of disease transmission. To date, however, the process of extracting PRP has proved complex and expensive and only provided in specialised laboratories.
"Osteokine, in contrast, offers a cost-effective approach based on a system which is simple to operate in practice and takes only 20 minutes. We believe it offers a highly effective approach to treating wounds and injuries in horses."
For further information on Osteokine, contact Genitrix on 01403 786345.
The RCVS has brought out a new publication to help members of the veterinary and veterinary nursing professions understand their legal and professional obligations regarding controlled drugs.
Controlled Drugs Guidance is a consolidation of existing advice and guidance on controlled drugs from a number of organisations including the RCVS itself, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) and the Home Office. The guide also gives details of the existing legislation concerning controlled drugs, namely the Misuse of Drugs Act and associated regulations.
The guidance provides advice on a variety of topics to reflect the common queries the RCVS Advice Team receives, such as storage, destruction and disposal; keys and keyholders for controlled drugs cabinets; controlled drugs in vehicles; and veterinary nurses administering controlled drugs.
The publication also deals with specific controlled drugs such as ketamine which, on 30 November 2015, was rescheduled to a Schedule 2 controlled drug, meaning that it is now subject to the same strict storage, prescription, dispending, destruction and record-keeping requirements as other medicines in this Schedule.
Laura McClintock, Standards and Advisory Manager at the RCVS, said: “We hope that this publication will help members of the profession navigate the often complex legislative and professional requirements regarding controlled drugs, as well as imparting best practice advice on how they should be stored and disposed and so on.
"This publication has also been endorsed by our colleagues in the Home Office, VMD and BSAVA and, because this is an area that is subject to regular change, we will make sure to keep it up-to-date as and when the regulations change."
The publication is available to download from the RCVS website at www.rcvs.org.uk/publications
Blue Cross has announced the results from its National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) which show that lameness is three times more likely to be caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis in the limb rather than problems in the foot.
Blue Cross runs NEHS in May each year, in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). It is sponsored by SPILLERS and Zoetis and supported by the UK’s leading equestrian organisations and charities. This year saw a 35% increase in participation compared to 2014, with survey records returned for almost 15,000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules.
The charity says that whilst of course the horse’s foot is fundamental to soundness and performance, NEHS results have shown consistently that limb lameness, as opposed to foot lameness, is in fact the biggest syndrome affecting horses.
In the latest survey, conducted in May, a total of 18% were recorded as lame. 13.5% of these were recorded as suffering with lameness such as osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease (13.9% in 2014 and 14.8% in 2013).
Meanwhile foot lameness was recorded in 4.5% of returns, a similar figure to previous years.
Josh Slater from the Royal Veterinary College, who is member of BEVA’s Health & Medicines Committee and analysed the NEHS data, said: “NEHS is now producing important evidence that is replacing subjective opinion. While the lameness figures were initially surprising, given that the foot has been generally regarded as the main problem area, the fact that these figures have remained consistent over the past three years gives constructive credibility to the data. Our findings will help owner vigilance with day-to-day healthcare as well as help prioritise on areas for future veterinary education and research.”
The six most notable disease syndromes identified in the 2015 National Equine Health Survey were:
23.2% of horses were reported as being overweight with a Body Condition Score of 3.5-5, continuing the upward trend seen in previous years (16.9% in 2014 and 7.8% in 2013). Next year’s survey will explore links between obesity and the possible associated rise of obesity-related diseases such as equine metabolic syndrome (which was reported in 2.4% of 2015 returns) and laminitis.
The survey also enables participants to report on any health problems not covered in the survey questions, giving them a chance to shape future survey subjects.
Gemma Taylor, Education Officer at Blue Cross explains: “This year 11% of our free text answers mentioned gastric ulcers giving a valuable insight into the prevalence gastric ulcer syndrome in the principally leisure horse NEHS population. As a result we will be adding new questions to the 2016 survey to help us find out more.”
The 2015 NEHS survey results are now available from http://www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs2015results. To register for next year’s survey, visit www.bluecross.org.uk/nehs
A research project funded by equine charity The Horse Trust has found that 40% of horses suffered a traumatic injury within the past year.
Only 13% of injuries occurred during ridden exercise, while 62% occurred while the horse was turned out in the field.
The research, which has been accepted for publication by the Equine Veterinary Journal, was carried out by Rosie Owen, who is currently working as The Horse Trust's Clinical Scholar in Equine Orthopaedics at the University of Liverpool.
Rosie said: "This Horse Trust-funded research shows that horses get injured relatively frequently - much more often than you would expect. Interestingly, most of the injuries happen during turnout, rather than during ridden exercise."
The results were obtained through analysing the responses from 652 randomly selected horse owners from north-west England, Midlands and North Wales, all of whom had a horse aged 15 years or younger. Owners sought veterinary treatment for 47% of the injuries reported, while the remainder were treated by the owner or a friend, or required no treatment.
Rosie identified a number of factors that were associated with an increased risk of injury. For example, horses that had been owned for a shorter period of time were found to be significantly more at risk of injury. She says the increased risk may be due to aggression from other horses when a new horse is introduced to a field, but owners can take various steps to reduce the likelihood of injury: "It's worth trying to avoid regular changes in group composition. A new horse should be introduced to the group gradually, preferably by providing adjacent stabling initially. Protective boots may help as the lower limbs are most at risk of injury. Also, if possible, the other horses in the field should have their shoes taken off during the period of adjustment, so they are less able to injure the new horse."
Rosie also found that horses turned out within larger groups were at an increased risk of injury. This is probably due to there being a larger hierarchy with multiple horses competing for dominance. However, she found that the risk of injury reduced when additional feeding areas were provided in the field: "If you provide hay or haylage to horses in the field, it's worth including an additional feeding area to reduce competition for food."
Other interesting findings included the lower incidence of injury in cob and pony breeds, compared to other breeds. Horses used competitively also had a higher risk of injury, which may be due to the additional athletic demands placed on these horses, or due to the way these horses are managed. Horses trained using Parelli methods were also found to be at an increased risk of injury, but as the numbers in this group were small, more research is needed to confirm this.
Although most of the injuries recorded in the survey occurred during turnout, 11% occurred in the stable, with most of the injuries affecting the head or eye. Rosie says owners can easily reduce the risk of stable injury: "There are various simple steps that owners can take to reduce the risk of injury in the stable. Try to provide hay from the floor, instead of in a hay rack, and make sure there are no protruding nails, hooks or sharp edges in the stable."
Rosie said that it would be useful to conduct further research to understand how injuries occur during turnout: "A lot of injuries are reported during turnout, but we're uncertain about what happened. It would be useful to observe the behaviour of horses in the field to see whether it's competition for food, or another factor, that is responsible for the high rate of injuries among horses."
Jeanette Allen, Chief Executive of The Horse Trust, said: "We are pleased that the research we've funded has provided such useful statistics on the risks of injury for horses. We hope that horse owners will follow some of the tips that Rosie has suggested to reduce the risk of their horse being injured."
Until now, research in equine veterinary science has focused primarily on the information needed to prevent and cure disease, with little attention paid to the attitudes and actions of horse owners, veterinary surgeons, and numerous other professionals to implementing science-based advice.
This special EVJ collection showcases studies that seek to understand horse owner behaviour around their horse’s health, supplementing clinical evidence with information about the real-life behaviours of equine owners and professionals and the factors that influence them.
It includes papers on horse owner knowledge and opinions on recognising colic, treating infectious disease, uptake of some of the most basic preventive health measures such as vaccination and deworming as well as attitudes and behaviour around equine obesity and laminitis.
Other studies highlight the importance of professionals other than vets such as farriers, equine podiatrists, physiotherapists, dental technicians, chiropractors, and equestrian organisations such as the British Horse Society.
Guest Editor Tamzin Furtado added: “As our understanding of the drivers of behaviour develops, pre-existing behaviour change models will help us to understand the barriers and enablers to uptake.
“With dissemination of this knowledge, we have a better chance of communicating effectively and implementing change that will have a positive impact on equine welfare at individual, community, and national level.”
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: “This collection is both compelling and eye-opening.
"It is dangerous to assume an understanding of the motivators of horse owner behaviours and actions; these papers confirm the current lack of comprehension, providing an invaluable insight, which will ultimately help us to accelerate improvements in equine veterinary practice and, most importantly, equine welfare.”
The virtual issue can be found at https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/toc/10.1001/(ISSN)2042-3306.owner-behaviours and will be free to view until 26 December 2022.
The University of Liverpool’s Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital has installed a standing equine MRI scanner from Hallmarq Veterinary Imaging.
Dechra Veterinary Products, manufacturer and distributor of Equipalazone®, has launched a new information leaflet to support the Equine Passport scheme.
Since 2005, when equine passports became mandatory, 958,000 have been issued. The passport is a method of identification as well as a medical record and ensures that horses treated with veterinary medicines do not enter the human food chain.
“Many substances used in commonly prescribed equine medicines can only be given to horses not intended for human consumption,” says Giles Coley, Dechra’s managing director. “Under the passport scheme, owners must declare whether their horse is intended for human consumption.
The leaflet, which outlines the importance and benefits of the Equine Passport scheme, will be inserted into every box of Equipalazone Powder 100 sachets. It will also be made available for veterinary practices to hand out to their clients.
Practices wishing or order copies of the Equine Passport leaflet should contact Rachel Horton at Dechra on 01743 441 632.
New Horse Passport Guidelines come into force from 1 July 2009 which will require horses to be microchipped. However a recent poll on Horse & Hound Online has revealed that 75 per cent of those questioned were unaware of the new microchip legislation.
With this in mind, Bayer has produced a comprehensive marketing support package for equine vets which provides an overview of the new Horse Passport Guidelines 2009 together with a clear and concise summary of its requirements for vets and horse owners.
The Tracer Advance equine package contains a handy laminated bullet point guide to the new regulations, practice posters, client leaflets, client leave pieces, pre-written articles for use in practice newsletters and local press, and PowerPoint presentations for client evenings.
Practices can apply for any of these items by contacting their Bayer Territory Manager.
ProteqFlu, the live attenuated canarypox equine influenza (EI) vaccine, has had its shelf life extended from 27 to 36 months.
Merial says the increased shelf life is the result of ongoing investment in vaccine research & development, and that the new data underpins the stability of modified live vaccine technology.
Merial highlights that ProteqFlu is the only equine flu vaccine in Europe to include the updated American clade 1 Ohio/03 strain in accordance with the OIE recommendations (2004).
The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) welfare award 2008, sponsored by The Blue Cross, has been presented to the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) organisation for their contributions to equine welfare in support of the re-training and re-homing of racehorses.
The award, which was introduced by BEVA in conjunction with The Blue Cross animal welfare charity eight years ago, is a formal recognition of significant contributions made by veterinary surgeons and others to equine welfare.
It was presented to Ron Huggins, trustee of the ROR and an owner and breeder of racehorses, at the 47th BEVA Annual Congress in Liverpool on Friday 12 September 2008, by Kerstin Alford, equine welfare director of The Blue Cross.
Kerstin said: "The financial support that RoR provides for charitable racehorse rehabilitation centres, together with their education programme to help owners and riders of former racehorses, make them very worthy recipients of this award."
Di Arbuthnot, director of operations said: "RoR are delighted to receive this prestigious award to recognise the work the charity does for former racehorses to provide them with a life after racing."
Retraining of Racehorses was established in 2000 by the British Horseracing Authority. Its aim is to raise funds from the British racing industry to provide and maintain facilities for the care, retraining and rehoming of former racehorses. Under the direction of the chairman of the trustees Peter Deal, the RoR has become recognised as a vital component of the racing industry.
The Blue Cross was founded in 1897 to care for working horses on the streets of London, and equine welfare still plays a vital role in its work today. The charity rehabilitates and rehomes over a hundred horses and ponies every year at its equine centres in Burford (Oxon) and Rolleston-on-Dove (Staffordshire). A third facility in Northiam (East Sussex) provides rest and retirement for Blue Cross equines.
Intervet/Schering-Plough has launched Vectin chewable tablets, an ivermectin wormer for horses which is administered as a treat straight from the hand rather than in the traditional paste or granule formulation.
According to the company, syringe handling, horse acceptance and the tendency to spit out some or all of the paste are common problems reported by owners when worming their horses, and more than 55% admit that these issues can result in a mixture of emotions, including frustration, anxiety and upset.
Field studies with Vectin showed more than 70% spontaneous acceptance by horses and the simple calculation of one tablet for every 110kg of a horse or foal's bodyweight helps to reduce wastage as unused tablets can be stored away for future use.
Pharmacokinetics studies have demonstrated improved bioavailability (AUC) and maximal concentration (Cmax) when compared with an equivalent competitor ivermectin paste formulation. Trials have also shown that a more consistent blood concentration of ivermectin when given as a chew which could potentially limit the chance of inducing resistance.
Intervet/Schering Plough says that used as part of a strategic worming plan, Vectin chewable tablets control potentially a wide range of endoparasites including small and large strongyles, stomach worms, cutaneous worms and stomach bots.
Vectin chewable tablets are available as a seven-tablet blister pack, perfect for treating a horse or a couple of ponies. For yards, a tub of 60 tablets is available, containing enough to dispense product for worming approximately 12 horses.
Vectin chewable tablets are recommended for use alongside Pyratape P and Panacur in Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health's Active3 worming plan, a strategic three-year approach to rotating wormers in order to minimize the risk of resistance developing. Visit http://www.intervet.co.uk/ for a copy of the three-year plan.
Pfizer Animal Health is advising vets and horse owners to be on guard against the threat of West Nile Virus (WNV) in the UK, following a spate of outbreaks of the disease in several European countries this year.
West Nile Virus has recently made headline news because of a human outbreak in Greece which resulted in a number of deaths. Outbreaks have also occurred in Russia, Romania and Italy during 2010. West Nile Fever is a viral disease transmitted by mosquitoes, which carry the virus after biting infected birds. Primarily occurring between July and October, in line with typical peak activity of mosquitoes, it can have serious consequences on human and equine health, with severe cases resulting in fatal neurological disease.
There is no cure, though supportive treatment can aid recovery. However if the disease progresses to a state where the animal is not able to stand up, their chance of survival is considered low. Prevention of infection is difficult, but any steps that reduce mosquito numbers or the likelihood of horses and people being bitten may help to reduce the risk in areas where the disease is present. However, the only way to reduce the risk of an individual horse developing disease due to WNV is through vaccination.
Ben Gaskell, Pfizer's equine veterinary advisor said: "West Nile Virus may well become a very real threat to both horses and humans in Northern Europe. It is important for vets, horse owners and infectious disease experts to work together to mitigate its impact in the event of the virus becoming endemic across Europe. The rapid spread of the disease across North America is an illustration of what could potentially happen in Europe and it is important to remember there is no curative treatment - the only way to prevent clinical disease in horses is by vaccination."
Pfizer Animal Health supports the PrEquID (Prevention of Equine Infectious Disease) group, which consists of internationally recognised equine and infectious disease experts. The group was formed to develop guidelines on the prevention and control of a number of equine infectious diseases, on a global basis.
Klaus Osterrieder, Professor and Chair in the Institut für Virologie in the Veterinärfakultät at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany and a member of the PrEquID group advises: "Horse owners should ask their veterinarian for advice on appropriate prevention measures. Experience has shown that adopting a prudent prevention strategy can be a very effective way of managing this devastating disease."
Further information on WNV is available at www.westnile.eu.
The National Association of Veterinary Physiotherapists (NAVP) is calling for the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) to establish an independent register of veterinary physiotherapy practitioners. According to the Association, such a register would eliminate individuals practicing without proper training and qualifications and raise the standard of veterinary physiotherapy by providing a disciplinary role.
NAVP President and leading veterinary anatomist Dr Sue Kempson is heading the NAVP campaign for the establishment of an independent register. In a letter to the President of the RCVS, Dr Kempson said: "Recognition by the veterinary profession of the role of physiotherapy in post-operative rehabilitation and in supporting both companion and performance animals is growing. However, we do believe that referring veterinary surgeons are increasingly faced with a dilemma caused by the wide differential between qualifications offered by the various organisations representing practitioners in areas such as physiotherapy. There is an urgent need for a distinction to be made between these different types of qualification. To this end, there should be a clearly defined independent register of practitioners with appropriately validated qualifications which are clearly understood by the veterinary profession."
In partnership with Harper Adams University College, the NAVP has introduced a fully-validated post-graduate course in veterinary physiotherapy which offers a choice of Post-Graduate Diploma or Masters Degree. Only one other professional body, the Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Animal Therapy (ACPAT) currently offers a similar qualification at this level.
Dr Kempson said: "The establishment of a register of physiotherapists would greatly assist vets and their clients to make informed decisions on their choice of therapist. It would eliminate those individuals without proper training and qualifications and help raise the standard of veterinary physiotherapy by providing a disciplinary role. At present there are no sanctions on those people practicing without the necessary qualifications or those whose work is sub-standard or who are guilty of professional misconduct.
"We do not believe that such a register should rest with any individual professional body or be affiliated to specific educational courses. To have authority, it requires independence and a register held under the auspices of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons would carry the credibility that the veterinary profession requires."
Merial has launched a 'Vaccination Back on Track' promotion via vet practices that administer Merial vaccines.
Under the scheme, owners of all horses over 12 months of age that have not yet been vaccinated against equine influenza or are overdue a booster obtain a primary vaccination course at an attractive discounted rate. A tetanus component is also available if required.
Dr Emma Batson from Merial said: "With continuing cases of equine flu recorded in the UK, and a global increase in the number of serious outbreaks, it has never been more important to ensure that horses are protected against this underestimated threat.
"It's often not fully understood that equine flu can be transferred indirectly via inanimate objects such as horse boxes, fencing or human clothing. With just 37% of horses in the UK estimated to be vaccinated, this leaves a significant naive and vulnerable population at risk".
Merial says there is no limit on the number of horses that can be vaccinated, making it a particularly attractive offer for those with more than one horse or yard(s).
Participating practices have the option to run the scheme in any month between now and December 2009. For information, contact your Merial Territory Manager.
The guidelines, which have produced by a panel of clinicians and analgesia researchers, summarise the current evidence and offer expert opinion and best practice recommendations for the use of analgesics for common scenarios.
Recommendations include:
Professor Celia Marr, Editor of the EVJ said: "The BEVA primary care clinical guidelines provide up-to-date clarity on the fundamental aspects of equine pain management for the clinician and are essential reading for all those in first opinion ambulatory roles."
The guidelines are the first in a series being produced for primary care vets by BEVA. They can be downloaded here: https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evj.13198