Abstract
A survival analysis was used to compare the culling rate of Icelandic horses due to the presence of radiographic and clinical signs of bone spavin. A follow-up study of 508 horses from a survey five years earlier was performed. In the original survey 46% of the horses had radiographic signs of bone spavin (RS) and/or lameness after flexion test of the tarsus. The horse owners were interviewed by telephone. The owners were asked if the horses were still used for riding and if not, they were regarded as culled. The owners were then asked when and why the horses were culled. During the 5 years, 98 horses had been culled, 151 had been withdrawn (sold or selected for breeding) and 259 were still used for riding. Hind limb lameness (HLL) was the most common reason for culling (n = 42). The rate of culling was low up to the age of 11 years, when it rose to 0.05 for horses with RS. The risk ratio for culling was twice as high for horses with RS compared with horses without RS and 5.5 times higher for culling because of HLL. The risk of culling (prognostic value) was highest for the combination of RS with lameness after flexion test, next highest for RS and lowest for lameness after flexion test as the only finding.It was concluded that bone spavin affects the duration of use of Icelandic horses and is the most common cause of culling due to disease of riding horses in the age range of 7–17 years.
Highlights
The Icelandic horse is a riding horse used for pleasure riding and special gait competitions.The native population counts approximately75,000 horses and the population abroad has exceeded 100,000 horses (Statistics from the Icelandic Farmers Association2001)
Horse owners and trainers in Reykjavík, in the south, west and north of Iceland were invited through an official advertisement to participate in the original survey with horses in the age range of
The results indicate, that horses were not taken out of use because of either RS or positive flexion test if their riding abilities were not affected
Summary
The Icelandic horse is a riding horse used for pleasure riding and special gait competitions.The native population counts approximately75,000 horses and the population abroad (almost all countries in Western Europe and NorthAmerica) has exceeded 100,000 horses (Statistics from the Icelandic Farmers Association2001). The Icelandic horse is a riding horse used for pleasure riding and special gait competitions. The horses are broken to saddle at the age of 4 - 5 and the most active period for riding is between 6 and 12 years they are often used up to the age of 20 years. The horses have been regarded as robust and long lasting. Statistics on the longevity and causes of deaths are not available for horses in Iceland. Insurance of horses is not a common practice and culling is most often done without consulting a veterinarian
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