Evaluation of changes in equine care and limb-related abnormalities in working horses in Jaipur, India, as part of a two year participatory intervention study.
Authors: Whay Helen R, Dikshit Amit K, Hockenhull Jo, Parker Richard M A, Banerjee Anindo, Hughes Sue I, Pritchard Joy C, Reix Christine E
Journal: PloS one
Summary
# Editorial Summary Working horses in resource-limited settings face exceptionally high lameness burdens (previously documented at 90–100%), yet little was understood about which specific management practices drive this, or whether targeted interventions could reduce limb pathology. Over a two-year period, researchers in Jaipur conducted a participatory intervention study, performing clinical lameness examinations at three timepoints whilst simultaneously tracking owner-reported changes in equine care, nutrition, work schedules, and farriery practices across the working horse population. By correlating longitudinal clinical findings with documented management modifications, the team identified modifiable risk factors contributing to limb abnormalities and documented which owner-adopted strategies demonstrated measurable benefit in reducing lameness prevalence. For equine professionals working with working horses or advising on welfare in challenging environments, this research provides evidence-based insight into which low-cost, practical management adjustments—such as adjusted work practices, improved nutrition, or modified farriery approaches—can realistically improve limb health outcomes without requiring substantial resource investment.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Working horses in resource-limited settings have extremely high lameness rates (90-100%), suggesting management interventions are urgently needed to improve welfare
- •Understanding which specific management changes reduce lameness risk could inform practical, achievable improvements for working horse owners with limited resources
- •Longitudinal monitoring and targeted owner education on management practices may be effective strategies for reducing limb problems in working horse populations
Key Findings
- •Previous studies report lameness prevalence of 90-100% in working horses, indicating this is a critical welfare issue in this population
- •Study design enabled identification of risk factors for lameness and limb abnormalities through longitudinal clinical examination over two years
- •Owner-reported management and work practice changes were tracked to evaluate risk-reduction strategies in working horse populations
- •Data collection occurred on three examination occasions allowing assessment of temporal relationships between management changes and clinical outcomes