Showing posts with label Anne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anne. Show all posts

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Saddle Research Trust Rides the Crest of an Equestrian Science Wave

What's the most interesting equine research organization that's not on your radar (yet)? Meet the Saddle Research Trust.

The Saddle Research Trust (SRT) was founded in 2009 to promote the welfare of the ridden horse and to raise awareness of the widely underestimated issues surrounding saddles, equine backs and performance. They've hosted conferences, supported research and initiated an innovative research-associate program.

We all take saddles for granted but anyone who works professionally with horses also knows that saddles can be an "x" factor in a horse's performance--or a rider's, for that matter. It seems there is more we don't know, scientifically speaking, than we do know, when it comes to the interaction between a a horse's musculo-skeletal system, a saddle, and a rider.

The Saddle Research Trust is a charitable organization aiming to provide support and advice, both to the horse-owning public and to industry professionals. Its board of trustees and advisory committee include leading veterinary professionals, physiotherapists, saddlers, riders and trainers.

Where does asymmetry begin--or end? What's the relationship between asymmetry and lameness or diminished performance? The Saddle Research Trust wants to know. (SRT photo)
Dr. Sue Dyson, head of clinical orthopedics at the Animal Health Trust and a member of the advisory committee of the SRT explains: “Back and saddle problems are major factors associated with loss of performance and lameness and have serious welfare implications. Through scientific research on the interaction of the saddle with the horse and rider, the SRT aims to provide new information, support and advice to the horse owning public and to industry professionals to improve the health and performance of both horse and rider.”

Trust Director Anne Bondi is currently undertaking a Doctoral Research Program at the University of Sunderland in Great Britain; she is studying the interaction of horses, saddles and riders. The SRT facilitates collaborations between its Research Associates and promotes objective scientific research in order to further its aims.

Research into saddle fit, back pain and rider posture employ many of the techniques and systems used in equine gait and locomotion studies. (SRT photo)

What does the future hold for the Saddle Research Trust?

SRT Director Anne Bondi: “We have a series of important scientific projects in the pipeline, working in collaboration with the Animal Health Trust and the Royal Veterinary College, to explore the relationships between back shape, saddle fit, back movement and performance of the horse and rider.”

Position available

The Saddle Research Trust (SRT) is urgently seeking an honorary fundraiser to help progress some exciting new scientific research on the influence of the saddle on the welfare and performance of horses and riders.

If you have a passion for horses and a good working knowledge of fundraising and wish to be involved with making a real and long-term difference to the welfare and performance of riding horses globally the SRT would be delighted to hear from you.

Please contact Anne Bondi on (UK) 07775 912202 or email annebondi@me.com

Some things we take for granted--saddle, girth, stirrups, pads--don't have much scientific documentation. The SRT would like to change that. (SRT photo)

About the research centers:


The Equine Centre of the Animal Health Trust, a UK based charitable organisation, is dedicated to enhancing equine welfare through improved understanding and treatment of disease in horses, especially related to lameness and poor performance. Led by Sue Dyson and Rachel Murray, its work is world renowned for advances in equine orthopaedic injury and diagnostic imaging.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is the UK's first and largest veterinary school and a constituent College of the University of London. It also provides support for veterinary and related professions through its three referral hospitals, diagnostic services and continuing professional development courses.


The world's leading reference book documenting equine hoof anatomy and imaging can be yours.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  
Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines on the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Friday, December 09, 2011

Laminitis Treatment and Horse Welfare: Princess Anne and Pippa Funnell Respond to a Question of Ethics


One of the main principles of animal welfare is to provide freedom from discomfort. What justification is there for the prolonged veterinary management of chronic painful conditions such as laminitis or very severe sporting injuries?

At the recent annual conference of World Horse Welfare in London, a distinguished panel bravely took questions from the audience. When a woman rose and asked the question above, forum chair Andrew Parker Bowles carefully repeated the question and then turned to Princess Anne, President of the British-based charity, for an answer.

The royal opinion was that the question is far too complex for a simple answer. I was hoping that she would suggest this subject for a more in-depth discussion at a future conference.

Eventing star Pippa Funnell added a classic anecdote at the end of this brief video.

This subject of whether prolonging the life of a foundered horse is a stretch of welfare considerations comes up sometimes. I've brought it up myself, particularly in terms of breeding foundered horses, particularly badly foundered mares who have produced valuable offspring in the past, or who are from fashionable bloodlines. With the advances available in artificial insemination and embryo transfer, a mare doesn't really need to be able to stand or walk. People who call here looking for a laminitis referral have remarked to me that they don't expect a cure, they just want a mare to recover enough to come into heat and get pregnant.

Some of the same callers bragged about mares that did go full-term (AI and ET are not allowed for Thoroughbred foals if they are to be registered with The Jockey Club), and the foals learned to kneel down to nurse off their recumbent mothers.

At a vet school hospital, I once saw a mare that had been a patient for two years. When I remarked on her condition, they assured me she had been like that the entire time: stiff, sore, stretched, skeletal...in spite of the best care money could buy, multiple surgeries and an owner who just wanted her to recover enough to be able to get her in foal and harvest an embryo. I bet she's still there.

Laminitis may not directly kill a horse, but it can be a common cause of euthanasia. But euthanasia is performed on laminitis cases for many reasons. Some horses are euthanized before any treatment is initiated, simply because the owner chooses not to invest in treatment and/or rehabilitation or, as is so often the case, simply can't afford the expense involved. This is often the fate of geldings, no matter how much money they have earned for their owners.

A few years ago, I followed a legal case in Australia that involved an owner who refused to allow her horse to be euthanized, in spite of intervention by RSPCA authorities and her veterinarian's recommendation.

I don't know what the scenes in War Horse are like that show the horses suffering or if Spielberg attempted to recreate the horrific scene in the book when Joey contracts tetanus. I do recall that the attempts to save another media star horse, Barbaro, were questioned at the time.

And it doesn't stop there: what about the ethics of selling a horse with a known sensitivity to laminitis. Should it be considered a violation of welfare ethics to sell a horse without disclosing its full medical history, even if the problem was mild and transient?

Where do you draw the line? And who draws it--the person who knows the disease process or the person who knows the horse?

Note: British racehorse trainer Sir Mark Prescott was onstage and part of this panel, but he was not involved in this discussion.

 TO LEARN MORE
Ethical Considerations in Treating the Horse with Laminitis by Fiesler and Mann; as presented at the Second International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot

Call 978 281 3222 to email books@hoofcare.com; it's the ultimate gift!

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  
Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read this blog's headlines in your Facebook news feed when you "like" the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Monday, September 05, 2011

World Horse Welfare Launches Inaugural Farriery Education Program in Saudi Arabia

The King Abdul Aziz Arabian Horse Centre, where the first World Horse Welfare farrier training program in Saudi Arabia will take place (photo courtesy of the charity)
The British-based charity World Horse Welfare has been called upon to share its expertise in farriery and hoof care for the first time in Saudi Arabia.

Two British farrier representatives, Tom Burch and Mark Watson, have been invited to share their knowledge and skills with existing farriers, veterinarians and horse trainers in the Middle Eastern country next month. The farriery trainers have been asked by the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture to carry out an intensive course called Introduction to Basic Farrier Practices to a group of 12 students.

During the course, the students will increase their knowledge in subjects such as basic horse anatomy, shoeing faults, conformation, horse handling and body language, as well as foot balance and trimming.

HRH The Princess Royal meets World Horse Welfare Dan
HRH Princess Anne is President of World Horse Welfare. In July, she visited one of the charity's farms where British horses are rehabilitated and offered for adoption.
(World Horse Welfare photo)

The aim of the course, which takes place in the city of Riyadh on October 17-18, 2011, is to teach the group the basic theory behind the importance of correct foot shape and shoeing to therefore help horse owners care for their animals.

Burch and Watson will act as key speakers and trainers, conducting lectures, performing demonstrations, and providing opportunities for the students to work closely with their horses.

It is hoped that the program will be extended into other areas in the future as the partnership between World Horse Welfare and horse owners in Saudi Arabia will continue until December 2017.

London farrier Tom Burch with the Metropolitan Police
Farrier Trainer Tom Burch said “We are really pleased to have been asked to assist with the program.  It is rewarding to know that we have been approached for our expert advice and skills and that we will be able to make a positive difference to the horses and their owners.

“There are also plans for the partnership to continue for many more years, providing us with an opportunity to get out into the communities and help the local people and their working horses in the future.”

Ian Kelly, Director of International Training at World Horse Welfare said, “This is the first time that an international horse charity has been invited to Saudi Arabia so we are extremely honored to be taking part in the program.”

Note: this article was received as a press release from World Horse Welfare, a charity that Hoofcare & Lameness has supported for many years. Tom Burch RSS has a long connection with London's Metropolitan Police horses as farrier and has been involved in charitable farrier training programs all over the world for many years. Tom was my tour guide of the military and police horses of London one day years ago--a day I will never forget! Farrier Sergeant Mark Watson AWCF trains British Army farriers at the Melton Mowbray Animal Defense Center. 

This type of program is proof that everyone, regardless of his or her profession, has some way to give back to society and to the world's horses. There are many programs around the world that would welcome the help of professionals experienced with horses.  


Best wishes to Tom and Mark for their involvement with World Horse Welfare.


 TO LEARN MORE




Stay in touch: Bookmark The Hoof Blog, grab the RSS feed, sign up for email headlines, and/or "like" the Hoofcare and Lameness Facebook page, where the headlines from the blog become part of your news feed.

© Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.  
Follow Hoofcare + Lameness on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Read Hoof Blog's headlines in your news feed when you "like" the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Equine Hoof Lameness, Laminitis Survey Results from British Study; Statistics Announced at National Equine Forum

Great Britain's Princess Royal addressed the National Equine Forum, where new statistics on horse health were presented.
The 19th National Equine Forum (NEF), held in Great Britain on March 8, 2011, was the launch pad for the results of the United Kingdom’s first public National Equine Health Survey. The event was attended by over 200 of the country’s most influential members of the equestrian industry, including NEF President HRH The Princess Royal, leading equine vets, international riders and trainers, equestrian society figureheads, business leaders and numerous members of the equestrian trade industry.  

Josh Slater, Professor of Equine Clinical Studies at the Royal Veterinary College and immediate past president of the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), announced the results of the survey, which was pioneered by The Blue Cross animal charity and is supported by BEVA. The survey was conducted in November 2010.
The survey, which was pioneered by The Blue Cross animal charity and is supported by The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA), was carried out last November following two years of pilot schemes. The intention was to find out more about endemic non-notifiable equine diseases that have never before been recorded, such as coughs, skin diseases and lameness.

The results were announced at the Forum by Professor Josh Slater, Professor of Equine Clinical Studies at The Royal Veterinary College, who has been working with The Blue Cross on the survey.

Analyzed data from the study will be used to pinpoint current, non-notifiable healthcare issues affecting horses, ponies, donkeys and mules in the UK and is expected to break new ground for all of Europe as well.

Professor Slater explained that the survey should provide a future benchmarking facility for equine disease, welfare, standards of care and codes of practice and it has also confirmed the workability of an important template to monitor the serious threat of infectious and exotic disease in the future.

Laminitis cases still abound in Great Britain; this dramatic photo of a medial sinker from the case files of farrier Jim Ferrie FWCF is evidence of that. Jim provides consulting services at the University of Glasgow's Wieper Equine Hospital. (Jim Ferrie photo)
A total of 306 sets of records were submitted from 3120 horses in mainly private ownership, with a balance of representation from competition yards, riding schools, welfare charities and studs. A broad range of syndromes and diseases were assessed including colic, sarcoids, laminitis, wounds, dental issues, eye disease, lameness and weight issues.

Equine lameness statistics also figure prominently in the survey and show some variation from oft-quoted statistics about soundness problems in horses.

The results showed that lameness was the most common problem affecting horses (11% of horses surveyed) but that, unexpectedly, the foot was not the most common cause of lameness and that laminitis (3%) was less common than the 7-8% total that previous surveys had suggested.

Weight management was the next most common issue for horse owners, with 9% of horses recorded as overweight and 8% as underweight.

The new statistics are not far from those compiled in the study Equine laminitis in the new millennium: frequency, risk factors and assessing a potential new therapy by Claire E. Wylie et al, presented at the 2009 meeting of the Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Wylie found that  laminitis cases contributes to between 0.11‐28.57% of all equine visits analyzed by veterinarians who participated in her study, with a mean of 5.03% and a median of 3%.

The most often quoted statistics from Britain are from Hinckley and Henderson's 1996 paper presented at the 35th Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association. (See Hinckley, K.A. and Henderson, I.W. 1996. The epidemiology of equine laminitis in the UK in the 35th BEVA Annual Congress Proceedings) That paper stated: From a study involving 113,000 horses in the UK it was estimated that the total prevalence of acute laminitis in the UK was over 8,000 cases annually, giving a prevalence of 7.1%.

Anyone who reads this blog knows enough to see little red flags popping up right away: there is a big difference in a study like Hinckley's that tracks cases of acute laminitis with a study of all cases of laminitis, like the National Equine Health Survey's, as reported by horse owners.

Many horses who suffer from mild chronic laminitis never get treated and may never even have an official diagnosis. (VetMoves photo)

Another study that is often quoted found a much higher prevalence of laminitis in Great Britain around the same time. Katz surveyed the health of horses at a large charity farm with a population of 1140 horses and ponies, and found an average of 148 episodes of laminitis (prevalence of 13%) occurring each year (between 1997 and 1999), involving 113 animals. (See Katz L, DeBrauwere N, Elliott J, Marr C, Pfeiffer D. The prevalence of laminitis in one region of the UK in Proceedings of the 40th British Equine Veterinary Association Congress.)

None of these statistics really add up. I have often heard Katz's 13% quoted as the nationwide prevalence of laminitis in the UK, when he was actually studying a population of horses that might rightfully be expected to have some sort of laminitis, related to age or neglect circumstances that required their removal to a charity farm. Were those horses a suitable population to use as a sample of the entire national population of horses?

Hinckley's statistics have always been shocking, considering that she was documenting strictly acute cases. Wylie's study, presented as a poster at the conference, does not specify how laminitis was defined. Having her statistic closely matched by the much larger population sampled by the National Equine Health Survey's is encouraging, if their parameters were similar.

That said, a lot depends on when a survey is conducted. Some years have much higher numbers of cases because of weather conditions that encourage grass-related laminitis. The problem with this study's result is that it is tempting to say that education, medication and horse-owner awareness are kicking in and more horses are avoiding laminitis than in the past. But then we immediately see that 9% of the horse population is overweight, and can only wonder if that figure is up or down from previous periods. If that number is down as well, then all the hard work of vets, farriers, feed companies and charities is having an effect and horses in Great Britain are in a lot less pain now than they were 15 years ago. Maybe.

Here's a brief slide show summarizing the National Equine Health Survey in Great Britain (click on right to advance slides):


An interesting extrapolation from the study is that 18 percent of the horses had a problem with weight management (either under- or overweight) vs 11 percent who had suffered from lameness. It's possible that the actual weight problem is much higher, since the statistic allowed the owner to judge his or her own horses' weight suitability.

To clarify the location of lameness: it may sound like news that lameness in the foot was lower than expected, but it should be made clear that lameness location was divided into three groups: foot (3.7%), non-foot (4.5%), and laminitis (3%). If you consider laminitis a lameness of the foot, the combined total would be quite a bit higher than non-foot sources of lameness. However, for the purposes of the study, the statisticians were probably trying to keep their categories separate.

Meanwhile, the British Horse Society reports that its 2011 Laminitis Conference, planned for the end of this month in conjunction with Dodson and Horrells, has been sold out and no more registrations can be accepted.

It's so difficult to compare statistics from different studies or to say that one is the definitive measurement of the most pressing equine health issues. It sounds like the new National Equine Health Survey could be on its way to being the one-stop source for horse health statistics in Great Britain. While it's easy to wonder about the validity of horse owners' judgments about things like their horses' conditions, it's more productive to congratulate the Blue Cross and BEVA for undertaking such a massive effort, and for getting it done. And, most of all, for making the results available to the public. Thank you!

About the Forum: The National Equine Forum is chaired by Professor Sir Colin Spedding and is convened by Miles Williamson-Noble. It is usually attended by HRH The Princess Royal, its President, and is supported by the Association of British Riding Schools, Bedmax, The Blue Cross, British Equestrian Federation, British Equestrian Trade Association, British Equestrian Veterinary Association, British Horse Society, British Horseracing Authority, Bulley Davey, Darby’s Solicitors, Dodson and Horrell, Donkey Sanctuary, Equine Products UK,  Horse Trust, Jeffress Scholarship Trust, NFU Mutual Insurance, South Essex Insurance Brokers, Weatherbys and World Horse Welfare.

Photos of The Princess Royal and Professor Slater courtesy of the National Equine Forum/Craig Payne Photography.

Click here to easy-order your copy of Hoofcare & Lameness Journal's award-winning poster.


 © Fran Jurga and Hoofcare Publishing; Fran Jurga's Hoof Blog is a between-issues news service for subscribers to Hoofcare and Lameness Journal. Please, no use without permission. You only need to ask. This blog may be read online at the blog page, checked via RSS feed, or received via a digest-type email (requires signup in box at top right of blog page). To subscribe to Hoofcare and Lameness (the journal), please visit the main site, www.hoofcare.com, where many educational products and media related to equine lameness and hoof science can be found. Questions or problems with this blog? Send email to blog@hoofcare.com.
 
Follow the Hoof Blog on Twitter: @HoofcareJournal
Join the Hoofcare + Lameness Facebook Page
 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any direct compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned, other than Hoofcare Publishing. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.