Between Leisure and Pressure-Veterinarians' Attitudes towards the Care of Competition Horses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Authors: Springer Svenja, Mihatsch Denise Isabell, Grimm Herwig, Jenner Florien
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Equine veterinarians working with competition horses navigate competing pressures that can influence clinical judgement, yet little was known about how these dynamics shape decision-making across continental Europe. Springer and colleagues surveyed 172 vets from Germany, Austria and Switzerland using online questionnaires and clinical case scenarios to explore attitudes towards fitness-to-compete assessments and the factors affecting their professional recommendations. The research revealed that competition horse owners present with more prescriptive treatment expectations and exert greater influence on veterinary decisions than leisure horse owners, with veterinary reputation emerging as a significantly more pressing concern in the competitive arena; notably, whilst most respondents stated they would withhold clearance for a dressage horse with low-grade lameness, those who would permit competition justified it by simply deeming the horse "fit enough to compete"—a phrase applied inconsistently across the cohort. These findings highlight a troubling gap in professional language and standards that inadvertently permits subjective interpretation of welfare thresholds under commercial and reputational pressure. For practitioners, the implications are clear: establishing standardised, objective definitions of fitness-to-compete criteria would protect both equine welfare and veterinary autonomy, reducing the grey areas in which financial or reputational considerations can subtly erode clinical rigour.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Be prepared for competition horse owners to have more specific treatment expectations and demands than leisure horse owners, which may create pressure on clinical decision-making
- •Recognize that your professional reputation carries greater weight in the competition sector—document your fitness-to-compete assessments thoroughly to protect yourself and prioritize equine welfare
- •Advocate for clearer, standardized definitions of 'fit to compete' within your professional community to reduce ambiguity and the reputational stress associated with these high-stakes decisions
Key Findings
- •Majority of equine veterinarians (N=172) agreed that competition horse owners approach with clearer treatment ideas and higher expectations compared to leisure horse owners
- •Veterinarian reputation plays a significantly more important role in competition sphere than leisure context
- •Majority of respondents would decline to approve a dressage horse with low-grade lameness to compete on welfare grounds
- •Lack of clear definition of 'fit to compete' creates ambiguity in professional decision-making and contributes to reputational stress