Project WORMS (Working to Overcome Resistance and Make for a Sustainable
Future): horse owner survey on equine parasite control in the UK. Part
1. Management factors
Abstract
Background : Anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites is
increasing. Pasture management is a vital component of parasite control,
and is important to limit the development of resistance. Objectives :
Investigate how horse owners use management procedures to control common
intestinal parasites in horses. Study design : Online survey.
Methods : Questionnaire distributed via practices, equestrian
organisations, etc., December 2021 - October 2022. Combination of
multiple choice, Likert scale and free text questions. Descriptive and
inferential statistics performed in Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS.
Results : 4232 useable responses from the UK, predominantly England
(85.4%). Premises included livery yards (45.7%) and private properties
(51.1%). Most horses (70.4%) were aged 6-20 years. Over half (55.9%)
were used for general riding/pleasure; 58.9% grazed with 1-3 other
horses, while 20.7% grazed alone; 21.5% alternated or co-grazed with
ruminants (significantly higher for horses grazing on private properties
compared to horses grazing on livery yards; 73.3% of owners removed
faeces from pastures (poo-picking), of which 86.4% removed faeces twice
a week or more. Owners of horses pastured individually were
significantly more likely to poo-pick (89.8%) than horses pastured in
groups (68.9%); 77.1% of respondents rested pastures, but less than
5% for over 6 months. Only 5.1% of owners reported they had
experienced illnesses related to worms in any horse (commonest clinical
signs were colic and weight loss). Limitations : Selection bias.
Conclusions : Results suggest a lack of understanding of the
principles of non-chemical parasite control among many horse owners.
Many owners (>25%) are not routinely poo-picking. Horses
pastured alone or kept on a private property were significantly more
likely to have their faeces regularly removed than thoses pastured in
groups or kept on livery yards.