Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Equine sport is the third largest sport in Sweden with an estimated number of
350,000 horses in the country. Trotting racing is the biggest branch in the Swedish
equine industry, around 80,000 out of the horse population are trotting horses.
Sweden is ranked to be among the top three leading countries in the world holding
trotting races. The horses are trained intensely to run at high speed and perform at
maximum capacity. The athletic performance can cause injuries and orthopedic
problems are seen as the most prevalent type of injuries in racehorses. There is a
wide range of pharmaceuticals available to treat orthopedic injuries as well as many
diagnostic methods. The knowledge about the prevalence, diagnostics and treatments of orthopedic in the Swedish trotting horse population is not known.
It is rare that racehorses are insured to cover the cost of injuries caused by athletic
use and therefore no insurance data is available on orthopedic diagnostics and
treatments in trotters. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, diagnostics
and treatments of orthopedic injuries in trotting horses in Sweden. As far as the
author is aware of, this is the first study that has attempted to execute a mapping of
such. This study was done by two different surveys aimed to trotting horse trainers
and racehorse veterinarians. In-depth interviews with professional trotting horse
trainers were also performed and included in the results. Medical records from some
trainers who participated in the in-depth interviews were used in the study. The
surveys as well as the interviews contained questions about prevalence of diagnosed
injuries, methods to diagnose and what pharmaceuticals that were used as
treatment. The surveys were web-based and performed through Netigate
(www.netigate.com), the data was also processed in Netigate.
The results showed that carpitis was the most prevalent diagnosis and that cortisone
was the most commonly used drug for treatment of orthopedic problems. Some
diagnoses seemed to popular and performed by specific veterinarians, as well as
certain treatments. Results indicated that particular diagnostic methods and pharmaceuticals used deviated from treatment guidelines established by the Swedish
Veterinary Association (SVF). In order to reach more precise results and
comprehend the motivation of treatments and diagnostic methods, more
veterinarians would need to participate in the survey and adding in-depth interviews
of veterinarians could also provide additional insights.