Comparison of owner-reported health problems with veterinary assessment of geriatric horses in the United Kingdom.
Authors: Ireland J L, Clegg P D, McGowan C M, McKane S A, Chandler K J, Pinchbeck G L
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary A significant disconnect exists between what owners perceive in their geriatric horses and what veterinary clinical examination actually reveals, with owners substantially under-reporting conditions that compromise welfare and performance. Ireland and colleagues examined 200 UK horses aged 15 years or older, comparing owner-reported health issues from a postal questionnaire against objective veterinary findings within two months of survey completion. The disparities were striking: whilst veterinarians detected dental abnormalities in 95.4% of horses, owners reported them in only 24.5%; cardiac murmurs were identified in 20% of cases but reported by 0.5% of owners; lameness affected 50% of horses yet was noted by just 23% of owners; and hoof problems were present in 80% but recognised by 27%. Agreement between owner observation and veterinary assessment was particularly poor for respiratory disease (Kappa 0.02–0.2), fair for body condition score (Kappa 0.24), and only moderate for coat abnormalities (Kappa 0.42), though horses with owner-reported osteoarthritis did show significantly reduced joint range of motion. For practitioners, these findings underscore the critical need for regular veterinary examination schedules in geriatric populations—relying on owner vigilance alone will miss substantial disease burden—and highlight that structured owner education, particularly regarding signs invisible to casual observation, offers an essential pathway to earlier intervention and improved health outcomes in ageing horses.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Do not rely solely on owner-reported health problems in geriatric horses; conduct thorough veterinary examinations as owners consistently underestimate disease prevalence, particularly for dental disease, cardiac murmurs, and lameness
- •Implement improved owner education and increase veterinary involvement in geriatric horse care to enable earlier disease detection and intervention, especially for conditions not readily observable by owners
- •Tarsal and metacarpophalangeal joint range of motion is significantly reduced in horses with osteoarthritis, providing objective assessment tools when owner reports may be unreliable
Key Findings
- •Owners under-reported dental abnormalities (95.4% veterinary detection vs 24.5% owner report) and cardiac murmurs (20% vs 0.5%) in geriatric horses
- •Lameness was detected in 50% of horses on veterinary examination but reported by only 23% of owners
- •Hoof abnormalities were present in 80% of horses on examination but reported by 27% of owners
- •Agreement between owner-reported and veterinary-assessed respiratory disease, body condition score, and coat abnormalities was poor to moderate (Kappa 0.02-0.42)