Sentinel practice-based survey of the management and health of horses in northern Britain

Details of the management, feeding level of activity and routine health car e of horses in Scotland and the five northernmost counties in England were recorded through a stratified random sample of horse owners who had respond ed to a previous survey. Sixty-eight per cent of the horses were kept where their owners resided, and 32 per cent were kept away from the owner's home . More than 99 per cent were turned out to grazing for at least part of the year and 81 per cent were stabled for at least part of the time, most comm only bedded on straw (50 per cent) or shavings (34 per cent). Hay was fed t o 87 per cent, sugar beet pulp to 64 per cent and commercially prepared con centrate mixes to 60 per cent of the horses. Hacking was the most popular a ctivity (52 per cent of horses) followed by riding/pony club events (28 per cent) and showing (21 per cent). The majority of the horses were involved in more than one activity. There were an estimated 0.88 veterinary visits p er horse per year and 29 per cent of the horses were reported to suffer fro m at least one permanent or recurrent health disorder. The median annual nu mbers of administrations of vaccines (influenza and tetanus) and anthelmint ics were one and seven respectively per horse, and each horse was shod a me dian seven times. There were significant differences in the management of h orses kept in different types of premises and in areas of different human p opulation density.