Using Web-Based Surveys to Explore Equine Industry Practices and Future Research Needs.
Authors: Jaqueth Aubrey L, Hathaway Marcia, Catalano Devan N, Linders Natalie C, Mottet Rachel, Martinson Krishona L
Journal: Journal of equine veterinary science
Summary
# Editorial Summary Researchers at the University of Minnesota deployed web-based surveys via Facebook and email newsletters to investigate current equine industry practices around hay net usage and winter watering methods, capturing responses from 2,088 and 930 participants respectively with completion rates exceeding 94%. The respondent demographics mirrored those of previous equine research populations and spanned all US regions, lending credibility to findings that described both established management practices and gaps requiring future investigation. A notable finding emerged regarding evidence-based decision making: whilst 68% of winter water survey respondents indicated that scientific research would influence their future management choices, only 48% of hay net users expressed similar openness to research findings. Social media recruitment proved substantially more efficient than traditional survey administration in terms of time and financial investment, though this approach carries a significant limitation—organisations without established social media followings may struggle to generate adequate participant numbers. For equine professionals seeking to understand industry standards or to advocate for evidence-based practice, these findings underscore both the receptiveness of certain sectors to research and the persistent barriers to translating science into widespread management changes.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Social media platforms can effectively reach diverse horse owners across all U.S. regions for gathering management practice data with minimal cost
- •Horse owners show greater willingness to change winter water practices based on research (68% yes) compared to hay net practices (48% maybe), suggesting research priorities should reflect owner receptiveness
- •Web-based surveys may not be suitable for organizations with limited social media presence, requiring consideration of your audience reach before adopting this methodology
Key Findings
- •Web-based surveys administered through social media achieved high completion rates of 96% for hay net survey (n=2088) and 94% for winter water survey (n=930)
- •For hay net practices, 48% of participants responded 'maybe' to whether scientific research would impact future decisions, whereas 68% responded 'yes' for winter water management
- •Participant demographics aligned with previous survey populations and represented all regions of the United States
- •Social media-based survey administration provides cost and labor savings compared to traditional mailed surveys