127 Equine Nutraceuticals: Is Science Finally Catching up to Fiction?

Nutraceutical supplements have become requisite fare in equine stables across North America and Europe, and a robust marketing engine has propagated the notion that every horse owner has the ability to contribute to the management – and even treatment – of some of the most important health and performance issues facing the modern horse. The voracious appetite of horse owners and managers for these supplements has vastly outpaced research into equine-specific efficacy, safety or toxicity of the majority of available products. Indeed, even government regulators have been left scrambling to accommodate the unique characteristics of nutraceuticals for horses within existing feed and drug guidelines, whilst the groundswell of consumer demand creates a fertile and attractive venue for a myriad of equine nutraceutical products. This presentation will identify peculiarities of horses and horse enthusiasts which define the opportunities and challenges associated with equine nutraceutical products. The current state of scientific inquiry will be explored, focusing on supplements targeting common equine health issues including arthritis, laminitis and gastrointestinal disorders. This critical mass of scientific evidence is then compared with popular marketing of equine nutraceuticals, in order to caliper the distance between science and fiction.

Spor Atı Nal Çakım Uygulama Değerlendirme Ölçeği

Accurate nail application to horses; It has an important place in horse welfare and performance. In order for horse welfare and performance to be carried out in a positive way, equine requires teamwork and knowledge. It is necessary to know and apply the standards that should be made and controlled by the horse owner, trainer, rider, caregiver and veterinarians within the team that is constantly intertwined with horses in equestrian sports with live. Therefore, commercial enterprises that equestrian sports recreation facilities available in the sport horse farrier horseshoe knife by applications in Turkey are held at certain time intervals. It is to contribute to the academic studies of horse owners, trainers, riders, caregivers and veterinarians in order to ensure the standard of whether or not horseshoes are applying horseshoes to sports horses in a healthy and correct manner.

The Human Aspect of Horse Care: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted the Wellbeing of Equestrian Industry Stakeholders

During the lockdown phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, equestrian stakeholders faced a dilemma whereby they were required to balance caring for the welfare of horses with adapting to the restrictions imposed to protect public health. The present study investigated the impact of the pandemic on the wellbeing of a sample of industry stakeholders, including horse owners, equine veterinarians, farriers and welfare centre managers (n = 26) using a qualitative methodology. Findings from the interviews indicated that the mental health and wellbeing of veterinarians and horse owners was negatively affected by pandemic-related obstacles to communication and limitations to horse–owner interactions. However, this study also identified several positive outcomes for wellbeing during lockdown resulting from pro-social activities that were engaged with by horse owners to overcome social isolation, the separation of the community and loneliness. These findings provide accounts of ways in which those caring for horses might be challenged during national emergency scenarios, pointing to areas that would benefit from future mental health and wellbeing interventions.

COVID-19 impacts equine welfare: Policy implications for laminitis and obesity

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact human health and welfare on a global level. In March 2020, stringent national restrictions were enforced in the UK to protect public health and slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Restrictions were likely to have resulted in collateral consequences for the health and welfare of horses and ponies, especially those at risk of obesity and laminitis and this issue warranted more detailed exploration. The current study utilised qualitative methodology to investigate the implications of COVID-19 related policies upon equine management and welfare with a focus on horses and ponies at risk of laminitis and obesity. Twenty-four interviews with five sub-groups of key equestrian welfare stakeholders in the UK were conducted between May and July of 2020 to understand the challenges facing equine welfare in the context of laminitis and obesity susceptible animals. Thematic analysis revealed lockdown-associated factors with the potential to compromise welfare of horses and ponies at risk of obesity and laminitis. These included: disparate information and guidance, difficulties enacting public health measures in yard environments, and horses having reduced exercise during the pandemic. Positive examples of clear and consistent information sharing by farriers were reported to have improved horse owner understanding of routine hoof care during lockdown. Analysis suggested that the recommendations for supporting the management-based needs of horses under reduced supervision were not clearly defined, or were not sufficiently disseminated, across the equine industry. These findings support the development of guidelines specific to the care of horses and ponies at risk of obesity and laminitis through collaborative input from veterinary and welfare experts, to reduce the negative impacts of future lockdown events in the UK.

Horse Owner Compliance to Non-Pharmaceutical Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In December 2019, an unusual cluster of pneumonia cases were reported in Wuhan and promptly confirmed to be caused by a new virus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) of which the disease it caused would be known as COVID-19. In March 2020, in the absence of any vaccines, and in response to the global spread of SARS-CoV-2 the UK implemented non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) measures in the form of a national lockdown to decelerate the spread. Compliance with NPIs can have significant impact on reducing disease transmission however there are currently no studies measuring compliance within the horse ownership world which naturally brings groups of people together during everyday caregiving activities. This article describes the reported horse owner compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to December 2020 as deduced from 1036 respondents which completed an anonymous online survey between December 30th, 2020 and January 11th, 2021. Where rules/guidance did exist, there was good compliance with 92.76% of respondents indicating that they were following them. The most common rule/guidance implemented was social distancing, which was also the most common rule/guidance to be breached. Riding with others whilst at the yard (hacking or in an arena) and meeting up with non-household members (family and friends) when off the yard were also common rules/guidelines breached. Respondents who kept their horses at either DIY livery, or on a private yard were most likely to breach rules/regulations whereas respondents who kept their horses at full livery were least likely to breach rules/regulations. The results indicate that compliance of horse owners with COVID-19 rules/guidance is high when rules/guidance exists. However, just under half of respondents indicated that there were no rules/guidelines on their yards indicating that there is room for an increased contribution from the horse owning community by encouraging more yards to impose control measures where they currently do not exist.

The Human–Horse Relationship: Identifying the Antecedents of Horse Owner Attitudes towards Horse Husbandry and Management Behaviour

The welfare of recreational horses is an important issue. Horse owner attitudes towards horse ownership are likely to influence owner behaviour in terms of horse husbandry and management practices and human–horse interactions, which in turn are likely to affect the welfare of the horse. Based on Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour, this paper examines the relationships between horse owner attributes, specifically background factors (demographics, knowledge, and experience) and attitudes (beliefs) towards horse husbandry and management behaviour. Data were collected via a random telephone survey and during on-site inspections with Victorian horse owners and their horses (n = 57), using an attitude questionnaire. Relationships were found between horse owner background factors and horse owner attitudes towards horse husbandry and management behaviour. Generally, belief variables correlated significantly with background factors that were primarily related to knowledge and experience. Further, beliefs concerning three key husbandry practices (parasite control, hoof care, and dental care) all appear to be predicted to some degree by background factors associated with knowledge and experience. Therefore, a practical recommendation may be the implementation of education and training programs aimed at improving horse owner knowledge and experience regarding effective horse husbandry and management to promote horse welfare. Clearly, further research is warranted.

PSV-36 Optimization of Collection, Storage, and Extraction of Samples for Large-Scale 16s Sequencing Project

Correlations between the microbiome of the horse and various physiological parameters continue to be determined. Most evaluations of the equine microbiome have been regionally focused with limited numbers or variability. In order to elucidate the role of the microbiome on equine health, a large-scale trial has been initiated with a primary objective of analyzing and characterizing the microbiome of the horse. A study of this scope relies on the horse owner to collect samples from various locations and ship them to a centralized lab. Therefore, collection protocols and extraction techniques need to be optimized to maintain sample integrity. A trial was conducted to evaluate the storage conditions and extraction methodologies necessary to develop an optimized method of sample collection, preparation, and extraction. Samples were collected from a single horse and subjected to one of four treatments in duplicate (1-fresh, 2-frozen, 3-stored in 99% EtOH, and 4-stored in a commercially available DNA/RNA transport medium; DNA/RNA Shield®, Zymo Research, Irvine, CA). Frozen samples were placed at -80◦ C immediately following collection and stored for 48-hr. Frozen samples were thawed immediately prior to extraction. All other treatments were stored as dictated by treatment at room temperature for 48-hr prior to extraction to mimic shipping. Samples were processed utilizing a commercially available DNA extraction kit (Quick-DNA™ Fecal/Soil Microbe Miniprep, Zymo Research). DNA extract was analyzed for quantity utilizing a Qubit Fluorometer (ThermoFisher, Waltham, MA), and quality via spectrophotometry (NanoDrop 2000; ThermoFisher, Waltham, MA). Swabs stored in DNA/RNA Shield® yielded higher concentrations of DNA with superior 260/280 values than other treatments. These data indicate that storage of fecal swabs in an appropriate buffer combined with optimized extraction protocols can deliver adequate extracts that can be utilized for 16s sequencing and validates the use of this method for large-scale microbiome analysis.

191 Equine Extension Program Delivery Methods

Equine Extension programs have existed since the beginning of extension. Although traditionally programs have been delivered through face to face meetings, workshops, camps and fact sheets, in the 21st century the clientele are seeking information in the traditional ways, as well as through other outlets. Electronic and digital methods of delivery are becoming increasingly used, and popular for delivery of equine extension programs. These range from the use of social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, to the development and dissemination of online courses and seminars that are targeted to equine audiences. The national group Extension Horses, Inc., has used all of these methods to increase their reach and impact to national, and international, horse extension audiences. As of November, 2019, Extension Horses, Inc. had 11,059 likes on Facebook, with a reach of 125,478 for the week the report was generated, and engagement of 10,120. YouTube has been a very successful delivery method for the group, with 14,532 followers, 8.436 million views, and over 148,000 minutes of video watched. Webinars are frequently used to conduct equine extension programs, and Pulec, et al (2016), showed that they were an effective tool for reaching horse owner audiences. One of the advantages of using digital methods to conduct equine extension programs is that they allow the audience to access the programs 24/7/365. This is especially important in areas where there may not be enough clientele in a geographical area to justify a face to face event. In this presentation, we will discuss best practices for development of digitally based equine extension delivery, as well as educational theoretical frameworks to assist in the assessment of the effectiveness of these programs.