Are Horse Owners Able to Estimate Their Animals’ Body Condition Score and Cresty Neck Score?

Busechian, Sara; Turini, Luca; Sgorbini, Micaela; Pieramati, Camillo; Lorenzo, Piera Di; Orvieto, Simona; Rueca, Fabrizio

doi:10.3390/vetsci9100544

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Horse owners in PEI believed proper weight management was imperative for their horses’ overall health and were aware that equine obesity was associated with various health issues such as laminitis, osteoarthritis, and metabolic diseases (Hitchens et al 2016 ; Furtado et al 2021a ; Busechian et al 2022 ). Despite this, owners commonly chose to keep their horses over- rather than underweight due to their conflicting perceptions about horse weight.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Commonly, owners have considered underfed or malnourished horses a significant welfare issue (McGowan et al 2010 ) while overlooking the implications of overweight or obese horses (Potter et al 2016 ; Morrison et al 2017 ; Furtado et al 2021a ). Further, owners tend to be less inclined to make management-related decisions for their overweight horses compared to horses that are underweight (Potter et al 2016 ; Morrison et al 2017 ; Furtado et al 2021a ), often perceiving overweight horses to be the result of good horse management practices (Furtado et al 2021a ; Busechian et al 2022 ). However, horse obesity can be detrimental to horse welfare, for example, because of its association with painful and potentially life-threatening conditions (Rioja-Lang et al 2020 ), such as osteoarthritis (Robles et al 2018 ), laminitis/founder (Milinovich et al 2006 ; Frank et al 2010 ) and strangulating lipomas (i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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‘It’s more emotionally based’: Prince Edward Island horse owner perspectives of horse weight management

Ross,

Proudfoot,

Campbell Nishimura

et al. 2024

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Horse obesity is a growing concern that can result in negative welfare. The role horse owners play in horse weight management is not well understood. This study aimed to: (1) explore the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of owners with overweight or obese horses regarding their horses’ weight; and (2) understand the motivators and barriers for owners to implement, improve and maintain weight management-related strategies. A semi-structured interview guide based on the Theoretical Domains Framework was developed. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 24 owners in Prince Edward Island, Canada whose horse(s) were previously classified as overweight or obese by a veterinarian. Interviews were analysed using template analysis, organising patterns in the data into a codebook and overarching themes. Owners believed horse weight management was important, however, their perceived complexity of the issue made the implementation of the weight management practices difficult. Owners held conflicting perceptions, viewing overweight horses as well cared for, yet recognised these horses were at increased risk for negative health outcomes. Ultimately, participants felt emotionally torn about compromising their horse’s mental well-being to address weight issues. Owners considered the practicality of weight-management strategies, the strategies’ effectiveness, and whether recommended strategies aligned with their beliefs regarding good horse care practices. Knowledge was embedded into owners’ understanding of horse weight, however, some highlighted that traditional knowledge dominates the equine industry hindering systemic industry change. Increased understanding of the effectiveness and impacts of weight management strategies on horses and fostering a society that recognises and accepts horses within a healthy weight range are warranted.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘It’s more emotionally based’: Prince Edward Island horse owner perspectives of horse weight management

Ross,

Proudfoot,

Campbell Nishimura

et al. 2024

Anim. welf.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…When using BCS as a potential health measure for horses, uniformity in the individual scorings is essential. A study of the validity of subjective body condition scoring methods reported a good correlation in equine BCS data between owners and an experienced veterinarian [ 32 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The validity of one of the subjective body condition scoring methods that is based on a 0–5 scale has been evaluated [ 32 ]. The results showed a good correlation between BCS values awarded by owners and an experienced veterinarian.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Body Condition Score in Danish Horses Related to Type, Use, and Training Level: Patterns, Risk, and Protective Factors

Uldahl

Dahl²,

Clayton³

2023

Animals

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Body condition in horses is a growing concern that has different patterns of development in horses that are above and below the ideal range. This study used professional and para-professional evaluators (veterinarians, farriers, trainers, Danish Equestrian Federation (DEF) officials) who were trained and certified in the use of a modified Henneke scoring system to assign a body condition score (BCS) on a scale of 1–9. Scores of 5–6 are regarded as ideal, and 78.6% of the evaluated horses were in these groups. Only 4.8% of horses were below ideal BCS but 16.5% were above ideal BCS, and this was influenced by type, age, and training. A significant protective effect towards above ideal BCS was shown for horses trained at higher intensities. Cold-blooded horses and traditional ponies had increased risk for being above ideal BCS. Although BCS increased with age, a large proportion of geriatric horses were both above and below ideal BCS. Discipline was not related to BCS. Patterns of BCS distribution for horses attended by different professionals were investigated. Veterinarians attended more horses with BCS above and below ideal values, farriers mostly saw horses that were above ideal BCS, and officials at competitions mainly saw horses with ideal BCS.

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Relationship between morphometric measurements and blood parameters in horses with varying adiposity levels and physiological conditions

Omidi,

Rasooli,

Nazifi

et al. 2024

Veterinary Medicine & Sci

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BackgroundUnderstanding and finding the correlation between morphometric measurements and horse blood parameters is crucial for predicting equine metabolic issues.ObjectiveThis study aims to analyse morphometric measurements and blood samples in horses with varying adiposity levels.Study designCross‐sectional observational.MethodsA total of 50 horses were included in the study and categorized into groups based on their body condition score (BCS) and cresty neck score (CNS).ResultsThe insulin concentration was significantly higher in overweight horses (p = 0.022). Female horses exhibited higher cortisol concentrations (p = 0.025) and girth circumference at the withers (p = 0.004) compared to males. Lactating mares exhibited higher concentrations of serum total protein (p = 0.012) and globulin (p = 0.003). A positive correlation was observed between BCS and insulin concentrations (r = 0.290, p = 0.041). Negative correlations were found between neck circumference to height at withers and glucose (r = −0.309, p = 0.029), CNS and glucose (r = −0.315, p = 0.026) as well as between crest diameter and cortisol (r = −0.360, p = 0.01).Main limitationsIncreasing the sample size and conducting longitudinal studies would enhance the study's validity and reliability.ConclusionAlthough insulin, glucose and cortisol concentrations have predictive capabilities based on signs and certain morphometric measurements, their correlations are not always strong. Therefore, this study challenges the notion that all overweight horses are unhealthy, as overweight horses can still have good metabolic health. Conversely, lean horses may also experience metabolic issues. Hence, relying solely on visual cues is insufficient to diagnose the metabolic status of horses. Other factors must also be considered to assess their health status accurately.

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Are Horse Owners Able to Estimate Their Animals’ Body Condition Score and Cresty Neck Score?

Cited by 7 publications

References 29 publications

‘It’s more emotionally based’: Prince Edward Island horse owner perspectives of horse weight management

‘It’s more emotionally based’: Prince Edward Island horse owner perspectives of horse weight management

Body Condition Score in Danish Horses Related to Type, Use, and Training Level: Patterns, Risk, and Protective Factors

Relationship between morphometric measurements and blood parameters in horses with varying adiposity levels and physiological conditions

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