Pain severity scores for common equine disorders as provided by horse owners and equine veterinarians.
Authors: Sellon Debra C, Sanz Macarena, Kopper Jamie J, Mattei Debora
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Pain Perception in Horses: Bridging the Gap Between Owners and Veterinarians Recognising and communicating about pain in horses represents a persistent challenge in equine practice, yet little is known about how systematically pain assessments differ between those who care for horses daily and those who treat them professionally. Sellon and colleagues surveyed 553 horse owners and 263 equine veterinarians via internet questionnaires, asking them to rate pain severity for common equine conditions and providing demographic information to identify which factors influenced their assessments. Whilst median pain scores between the two groups showed only small differences overall, considerable individual variation existed—notably, horse owners with fewer than ten animals and no college education were twice as likely to assign high pain ratings, whilst those owning larger numbers of horses tended towards lower scores; amongst veterinarians, mixed-animal practitioners and non-board-certified practitioners gave significantly higher pain ratings (odds ratio 2.8 and 2.1 respectively), whereas male veterinarians were more than twice as likely to underestimate pain. These findings suggest that personal experience, professional specialisation, and demographic factors systematically influence pain perception in ways that may affect communication between owners and veterinarians, potentially impacting treatment decisions and client satisfaction. Understanding these perceptual differences—particularly that generalised practitioners and small-scale owners may perceive pain differently from equine specialists and larger operators—offers practitioners an opportunity to explicitly discuss pain assessment criteria with clients rather than assuming shared interpretation of clinical signs.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Recognize that pain assessment varies significantly between owners and veterinarians; factors like practice type, gender, and owner experience influence pain perception scores, requiring deliberate communication strategies to align expectations
- •When consulting with owners about equine pain, account for demographic differences—owners with fewer horses and less formal education tend to rate pain higher, suggesting they may need different communication approaches or reassurance
- •Board-certified specialists and female veterinarians tend to rate pain higher than their counterparts, which may reflect different training, experience, or assessment philosophies worth discussing with colleagues
Key Findings
- •Pain scores varied widely between horse owners (n=553) and veterinarians (n=263), with small differences in median scores
- •Horse owners with <10 horses were 2.0 times more likely to provide high pain ratings (OR=2.0, 95% CI=1.1-3.5)
- •Horse owners without college degrees were 1.5 times more likely to provide high pain ratings (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.0-2.2)
- •Veterinarians in mixed animal practices were 2.8 times more likely to provide high pain ratings (OR=2.8, 95% CI=1.3-5.9); male veterinarians were 2.4 times more likely to provide low pain ratings (OR=2.4, 95% CI=1.3-4.2)