The Use of Nutritional Supplements in Dressage and Eventing Horses

Overview

Journal Vet Rec Open

Publisher Wiley

Specialty Veterinary Medicine

Date 2016 Mar 1

PMID 26925239

Citations 7

Authors

C Agar

R Gemmill

T Hollands

S L Freeman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine which types of nutritional supplements were used in dressage and eventing horses, and the reasons that owners used supplements. An online questionnaire was distributed through British Eventing and Dressage websites, to collect data on demographics of owners and their horses, supplements used and their opinion on health and performance problems. Data were evaluated using descriptive analysis, Sign and Fisher's exact tests for quantitative data, and categorisation of qualitative data. In total, 599 responses met the inclusion criteria (441 dressage and 158 eventing horse owners). Participants had 26.4 (3-60) (mean (range)) years of riding experience, owned 1.2 (0-10) horses and used 2 (0-12) supplements in their highest performing horse. The main health and performance issues identified for dressage were 'energy/behaviour', 'lameness' and 'back and muscle problems'. The main issues for eventing were 'stamina and fitness levels',' lameness' and 'energy/behaviour'. The main reasons for using supplements in their highest performing horse were 'joints and mobility', and 'behaviour' for dressage, and 'electrolytes', and 'joints and mobility' for eventing. Lameness and behavioural problems were significant concerns within both disciplines. There was incongruence between owners' opinions of problems within their discipline and their reasons for using supplements.

Citing Articles

Where Are We Now? Feeds, Feeding Systems and Current Knowledge of UK Horse Owners When Feeding Haylage to Their Horses.

Moore-Colyer M, Westacott A, Rousson L, Harris P, Daniels S Animals (Basel). 2023; 13(8).

PMID: 37106843 PMC: 10135377. DOI: 10.3390/ani13081280.

Conditionally immortalised equine skeletal muscle cell lines for analysis.

Rooney M, Neto N, Monaghan M, Hill E, Porter R Biochem Biophys Rep. 2022; 33:101391.

PMID: 36504704 PMC: 9727643. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrep.2022.101391.

Survey of the knowledge and perceptions of horse owners in Ireland of common clinical conditions and their impact.

Golding E, Neavyn Neita A, Walshe N, Hanlon A, Mulcahy G, Duggan V Equine Vet J. 2022; 55(2):270-281.

PMID: 35575027 PMC: 10084215. DOI: 10.1111/evj.13589.

Veterinary Pet Supplements and Nutraceuticals.

Finno C Nutr Today. 2021; 55(2):97-101.

PMID: 33446942 PMC: 7802882. DOI: 10.1097/nt.0000000000000399.

Horse owners' knowledge, and opinions on recognising colic in the horse.

Bowden A, Burford J, Brennan M, England G, Freeman S Equine Vet J. 2019; 52(2):262-267.

PMID: 31461570 PMC: 7027804. DOI: 10.1111/evj.13173.

References

Forsyth R, Brigden C, Northrop A . Double blind investigation of the effects of oral supplementation of combined glucosamine hydrochloride (GHCL) and chondroitin sulphate (CS) on stride characteristics of veteran horses. Equine Vet J Suppl. 2007; (36):622-5. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2006.tb05615.x. View

Freire R, Clegg H, Buckley P, Friend M, McGreevy P . Behavioural and physiological effects of virginiamycin in the diets of horses with stereotypies. Vet Rec. 2008; 163(14):413-7. DOI: 10.1136/vr.163.14.413. View

Agar C, Gemmill R, Hollands T, Freeman S . The use of nutritional supplements in dressage and eventing horses. Vet Rec Open. 2016; 3(1):e000154. PMC: 4762206. DOI: 10.1136/vetreco-2015-000154. View

Murray R, Walters J, Snart H, Dyson S, Parkin T . Identification of risk factors for lameness in dressage horses. Vet J. 2009; 184(1):27-36. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2009.03.020. View

Noble G, Brockwell Y, Munn K, Harris P, Davidson H, Li X . Effects of a commercial dose of L-tryptophan on plasma tryptophan concentrations and behaviour in horses. Equine Vet J. 2007; 40(1):51-6. DOI: 10.2746/042516407X238503. View

Jasti S, Siega-Riz A, Bentley M . Dietary supplement use in the context of health disparities: cultural, ethnic and demographic determinants of use. J Nutr. 2003; 133(6):2010S-2013S. DOI: 10.1093/jn/133.6.2010S. View

Talbot W, Pinchbeck G, Knottenbelt D, Graham H, McKane S . A randomised, blinded, crossover study to assess the efficacy of a feed supplement in alleviating the clinical signs of headshaking in 32 horses. Equine Vet J. 2012; 45(3):293-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00618.x. View

Gupta R, Canerdy T, Skaggs P, Stocker A, Zyrkowski G, Burke R . Therapeutic efficacy of undenatured type-II collagen (UC-II) in comparison to glucosamine and chondroitin in arthritic horses. J Vet Pharmacol Ther. 2010; 32(6):577-84. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2885.2009.01079.x. View

Gunther S, Patterson R, Kristal A, Stratton K, White E . Demographic and health-related correlates of herbal and specialty supplement use. J Am Diet Assoc. 2004; 104(1):27-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.jada.2003.10.009. View

10.

Grimmett A, Sillence M . Calmatives for the excitable horse: a review of L-tryptophan. Vet J. 2005; 170(1):24-32. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2004.04.017. View

11.

Ecker G, Lindinger M . Water and ion losses during the cross-country phase of eventing. Equine Vet J Suppl. 1995; (20):111-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb05016.x. View

12.

Wennerstrand J, Johnston C, Roethlisberger-Holm K, Erichsen C, Eksell P, Drevemo S . Kinematic evaluation of the back in the sport horse with back pain. Equine Vet J. 2005; 36(8):707-11. DOI: 10.2746/0425164044848226. View

13.

Murray R, Walters J, Snart H, Dyson S, Parkin T . How do features of dressage arenas influence training surface properties which are potentially associated with lameness?. Vet J. 2010; 186(2):172-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2010.04.026. View

14.

Vandeweerd J, Coisnon C, Clegg P, Cambier C, Pierson A, Hontoir F . Systematic review of efficacy of nutraceuticals to alleviate clinical signs of osteoarthritis. J Vet Intern Med. 2012; 26(3):448-56. DOI: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.2012.00901.x. View

15.

Singer E, Barnes J, Saxby F, Murray J . Injuries in the event horse: training versus competition. Vet J. 2007; 175(1):76-81. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2006.11.009. View

16.

Leahy E, Burk A, GREENE E, Williams C . Nutrition-associated problems facing elite level three-day eventing horses. Equine Vet J Suppl. 2010; (38):370-4. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2010.00233.x. View

17.

McCutcheon L, Geor R, Hare M, Ecker G, Lindinger M . Sweating rate and sweat composition during exercise and recovery in ambient heat and humidity. Equine Vet J Suppl. 1995; (20):153-7. DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb05022.x. View

18.

Pearson W, Lindinger M . Low quality of evidence for glucosamine-based nutraceuticals in equine joint disease: review of in vivo studies. Equine Vet J. 2009; 41(7):706-12. DOI: 10.2746/042516409x424153. View