The sport horse industry in Great Britain is fragmented and serendipitous. However, there are many opportunities available for it to develop and grow. The research this paper is based upon was carried out in conjunction with British Breeding, to improve and develop the marketing of the British sport horse. The research was carried out through an online questionnaire (a paper version was also available) and semi-structured interviews. Both research methods contained questions aimed specifically at breeders or buyers, as well as general questions. Once the data had been collected it was analysed to discover where any trends, relationships or discrepancies existed between the groups. Recommendations were then formulated. Specifically, this paper considers the profiles of breeders and buyers of the sport horse, the reasons for breeding horses or ponies, the characteristics of horses valued by breeders and buyers and the methods of sale and purchase used. The significant difference between the horse purchase price of different categories of buyers, for example the leisure rider and professional rider, or eventers and show jumpers, are discussed. Profitability in relation to the reasons people breed horses or ponies is analysed. The definition of the sport horse is also examined. In conclusion, there is much work that needs to be completed to enable the sport horse industry in this country to be fully understood, from both the perspective of the breeder or producer and the buyer. However, there are opportunities available for the British sport horse industry to move forward.

A summary of the current position of UK sport horse breeding is given in relation to genetic improvement within a commonly applied breeding scheme. Using event horse breeding as the example, rates of gain are shown to be extremely slow, at less than 1 point gain per generations. In order to ascertain the reasons for slow progress, stallion usage and impact on the population is investigated. The study highlights that currently, elite sires are having a very limited effect on the rate of gain. Further investigation of performance recording and analysis systems is therefore undertaken whilst considering the following three issues: 1 Our limited knowledge of environmental effect on performance. 2) the subjective nature of evaluation techniques and 3) the questionable link between performance and pedigree. The study concludes that limited knowledge of environmental effect on performance, poor linkage of pedigree and performance data and poor application of breed improvement strategies have led to extremely slow rates of genetic gain within the UK event horse population.

Hair analysis has been evaluated as a retrospective non-invasive diagnostic technique to identify and quantify drug administration and exposure to mycotoxins and plant toxins in horses. The purpose of this review is to describe and discuss in detail the development and application of this technique to equine hair, and to interpret data generated thus far. Particular attention is paid to both extrinsic and intrinsic factors, including pigmentation and hair growth-rates, that impinge on the conduct of hair analysis and which can be potential sources of error. In the absence of research specific to the horse, this review draws upon comparative data in humans and other species, on hair analysis and potential toxins of particular relevance to the horse.

Since 2002 Government and the equine industry have been in partnership to develop a National Equine Database (NED) to provide a central source of reliable information on horses and ponies bred, owned or registered in the United Kingdom. NED will provide both buyers and breeders with a one–stop–shop access to a horse or pony's name, ID (Identification) number, breed, sex, colour, height and pedigree together with performance, evaluation and grading results. NED's other benefits are that it will help to provide more accurate information on the size and shape of the equine industry and assist with equine welfare in that owners, and eventually keepers, will be traceable (when used in conjunction with microchipping) with regard to abandoned and badly–treated equines. NED's existence will also demonstrate the UK's compliance with EU passport legislation which was the trigger for the development of the partnership. The capital development and initial running costs are being met by Defra. Thereafter, NED will have to be self-funding from the sale of data. Defra will continue to make a financial contribution in respect of the up-keep of the data required to administer the passport and disease surveillance and control schemes. PIOs (Passport Issuing Organisations) are mandated under the four sets of UK passport legislation to provide the core data required for the database and breed societies, stud books, competition disciplines and other responsible bodies will supply verified pedigree, performance, evaluation and grading (PPEG) information on a voluntary basis.

The aim of this report was to evaluate the methods used to test the efficacy of complementary and alternative veterinary medicine. A general review of available literature in this area was carried out and experimental design of 26 reported trials was analysed in detail. Quantitative evidence must form the basis of medicinal treatments, whether they fall under the traditional western medicine genre or whether they are seen as complementary or alternative therapies. Results from the quantitative characterisation of publications showed that within the ‘animal’ sector, the majority of work published is nonexperimental. Medline PubMed, for the years 1975 to 2005 returned a total of 400 review papers incorporating work from the human sector in alternative animal therapy in comparison to only 75 papers on experimental work. Of the 26 alternative veterinary medicine papers reviewed in detail 19 trials used a control group to assess the efficacy of the therapy tested. The experimental designs applied in clinical trials within this area are acceptable, using high levels of control and quantitative measurements. Improvements could be made through increased use of blind and double blind designs. Although there is lack of scientific evidence for alternative therapies, the application of these is continuously growing. This imbalance should be acknowledged and rectified.

Physical treatments have been found to be effective in treating musculoskeletal problems in the human field (UK BEAM trial, 2004). Osteopathy is one such beneficial treatment, (Williams, Wilkinson, Russell , Edwards, Linck, Hibbs, 2003) which has been applied to musculoskeletal dysfunction in horses. (Colles, Pusey, 2003).

Osteopathy as a medical philosophy was developed in the 1880s by Andrew Taylor Still, a doctor from the American mid–west. Dr Still was disillusioned with medical practice at that time when treatments such as bleeding, purgatives and emetics were common practice. Instead, his anatomical studies led him to envisage a system of the healing art, which placed chief emphasis on the structural integrity of the body as being most important in the well being of the organism. In other words, if the structure is normal, then the body can function at optimum levels (Still, 1902). This still forms the basis of the osteopathic philosophy, though the ground breaking new discoveries over the succeeding 125 years have brought a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underpinning this form of treatment (Kuchera, Kuchera, 1992).

In the wild, the horse would spend most of the day roaming and foraging in an externally variable environment as part of a herd. As non-ruminant herbivores they are well suited to a high fibre, low starch diet. They rarely fast voluntarily for more than 2 –4 hrs at a time and would naturally forage for 16-18hrs a day. Modern horse management often brings the horse into a small enclosed, isolated environment and limits the feeding occasions. What and when they are able to eat, is now predominantly determined by ourselves and we therefore have to take responsibility for the effects of our choice of management practices on their health and welfare. It is becoming increasingly apparent that some of these practices may not be optimal for the welfare of horses (Davidson and Harris 2003).

Animal welfare has been defined ecologically as the good fit of an animal to its environment (Kronfeld et al 1998).

The term laminitis literally means ‘inflammation of the laminae’ and is a potentially crippling disease of the equine foot. The laminae are interlocking projections which connect the hoof wall to the pedal bone within the foot, effectively suspending the weight of the animal within the hoof capsule. During a laminitic attack, the laminae become damaged to varying degrees, and their ability to connect the pedal bone to the hoof wall may be compromised; the degree to which this occurs depending upon the severity of the attack. In severe cases, the bond between hoof wall and pedal bone may be so weakened, that the pedal bone rotates downwards and may penetrate the sole of the foot. Some animals respond well to treatment, other less so and a proportion require euthanasia. Once horses have had a laminitic attack, even if successfully treated, they are likely to suffer from reoccurrence of the disease.

It is crucial to emphasise the importance of a sound scientific underpinning in the tackling of equine problems and regulation of those who treat equines. It is becoming increasingly common for two types of ‘practitioner’ to be consulted by owners of horses experiencing some kind of behavioural problem, namely Horse Whisperers (HWs) and Horse Behaviour Advisors (HBAs).

Throughout this paper HWs are considered to be those who can ‘communicate with an equine, in a para–normal, gifted manner’, whilst HBAs are considered to be those who ‘advise on horse behaviour, especially problem behaviour’. The commonly used term ‘Horse Behaviourist’ has deliberately not been used as it is technically incorrect. Anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of psychology and learning theory will know that behaviourists are proponents of ‘behaviourism’ – a particular way of explaining learning. It is not a generic term referring to the study of animal behaviour – that is ‘ethology’. Worryingly today the term ‘ethology’ is being employed as a marketing tool.

Three behavioural reactivity studies and a single temperament study were conducted over a four–year period. The first found that accompanying preweaned foals while separated from their dam during covering of the mare significantly reduced the frequency of vocalisations (z=3.88; p<.001) and pawing (z=2.50; p<.05) and eliminated the performance of self–harm behaviours (χ2=19.18; df=1; p<.001), namely hurling their body against a door or wall. The second measured behavioural reactivity of 1771 foals in the auction ring. Tentative evidence was found for relationships between different aspects of behavioural reactivity and variables such as age, gender, pedigree, inbreeding, whether the foal was bred for Flat racing or National Hunt (NH) racing, or had also been assessed in the separation study (N=7). The third measured behavioural reactivity of 2430 yearlings in the auction ring. Tentative evidence was found of a relationship between different aspects of behavioural reactivity and variables such as age, gender, pedigree, inbreeding, whether or not the horse was Flat bred or NH bred, whether it had also been assessed in the separation study (N=13) or as an auction ring foal (N=438). The fourth analysed temperament questionnaires for 395 horses that had been previously assessed. Relationships were found between some aspects of behavioural reactivity in the auction ring and different temperamental traits when in training. Factor analyses of the questionnaire suggested that young racehorses are generally well adjusted and content with their lives. Overall the findings make a valuable contribution to what is known about racehorse behaviour and temperament.

Laterality in any organism or species can be manifest as morphological, sensory and functional degrees of asymmetry such as hemispheric dominance, handedness or sidedness and other motor functional behaviours and as such is equally important in equitation. The influence of the horses’ sex on both the direction and the degree of the laterality was explored within and between 4 experimental procedures in the 1st study. The findings showed that the direction, but not the degree of idiosyncratic motor preference in the horses was strongly sex-related. Male horses exhibited significantly more left lateralized responses and female horses exhibited significantly more right lateralized responses. Visuo-spatial ability is also likely to be important in the performance horse. In many species, moderate to large differences in visuo-spatial ability have been reported between the sexes, with superior visuo-spatial ability being reported in males of all species investigated to date. As no known studies had addressed visuo-spatial ability in the equine, the objective of the 2nd study, was to determine if visuo-spatial ability differed between male and female horses. The results produced the first behavioural demonstration of superior visuo-spatial ability in male horses, similar to that reported in other species. There is evidence to suggest that visuospatial ability and motor laterality are associated with cerebral hemispheric asymmetry and may be intrinsically linked. Brain development and laterality have also been associated with hair patterning, and, in a 3rd study we attempted to identify predictors of lateral bias in motor behaviour in horses. We investigated the relationship between the direction of facial hair whorl rotation and the incidence/direction of laterality in the horse. The findings suggest that direction of facial hair whorl rotation may be a useful indicator of lateralised motor behavioural preferences in the horse. We then attempted to establish if laterality was evident at birth in a 4th study, where we explored if neonatal foals exhibited lateralised patterns during and immediately post the birthing process that were correlated with their facial hair whorl patterns. The results showed a significant association between the sex of the foal and the choice of foreleg presented initially during 2nd stage parturition. Significantly more colt foals led with the left foreleg and significantly more filly foals led with the right foreleg than expected purely by random and the behaviour was correlated with facial hair whorl patterns. The findings also suggest that lateralisation in the horse is determined in utero as has also been shown in humans. Comparisons of wholly intact male and female horses are warranted as they might elucidate additional linkages between motor behaviour, visuo-spatial ability and brain organisation and development in the horse. Further research in this area could lead to more appropriate competition conditions (better fence design/construction on cross-country tracks) and so eliminate unnecessary levels of risk associated with many equestrian sports.

Metabolic disorders from poor foregut digestion of starch-based concentrate feeds are one of the most serious challenges that face today’s horse owners. Although there are many different cereal and legume-based concentrates used to formulate compound horse feeds in Europe relatively little is known about their in vivo foregut digestibility. While Meyer et al (1993) has examined the effects of processing on digestibility, there is no published data comparing the in vivo foregut digestibility of a wide range of concentrates. Therefore this study sought to determine the digestibility of 20 different starch rich feeds in the foregut of horses using the mobile bag technique.

Four mature geldings (BW ranging from 395 to 478 kg) fitted with caecal and colonic cannulae, were maintained in individual stalls, where water was available ad libitum and fed a diet of pellets and straw. The pelleted feed, fed at 0.8% BW/d, contained 14% fibre, 13% crude protein, 3.2% fat and 8.7% ash. This feed was equally divided and offered at 8am and 5pm.

It is now widely recognised that feeding high levels of cereal-based concentrate feeds to horses can precipitate episodes of colic, laminitis and developmental orthopaedic disease. However, when feeding performance horses or fast-growing young stock, particularly Thoroughbreds, traditional feeding regimes still persist whereby animals are fed high-cereal, low-fibre diets. When considering the knowledge to-date on the digestibility and availability of crude protein, this feeding regime is not surprising as previous work by Gibbs et al (1988 and 1996) and Potter et al (1992), have reported that the large intestine was the major site for crude protein degradation in hay. Protein is held within the cell wall matrix in fibre feeds and is fermented by microbes to NH3, which may be subsequently processed in the liver to urea, recycled or excreted via the urine. Moreover, a high proportion of the protein passing through the ileo-caecal junction is excreted with the faeces as intact microbial protein and therefore is unavailable for metabolic purposes in the horse.

A wide variety of equine compound feeds are now available, aimed at simplifying the feeding of horses, by removing the need for detailed nutritional calculations previously necessary with ‘straights’. It is assumed that the majority of feed sales are based on the name of the manufacturer and the branding of the individual product rather than the nutritional content. Research in equine nutrition has accelerated in the last decade and a greater academic understanding of equine nutrition has now been reached (Pagan 1998; Pagan 2001; Lawrence 2001). It appears that an ever-widening gap is being created between academic research and the end consumers, with regard to ration formulation and the nutritional requirements of horses. This gap is mainly being bridged by the compound feed manufacturers who are widely trusted to deliver correctly balanced compound feed. The objective of the present study is to investigate energy levels and sources of energy in compound feeds against peer-reviewed research standard levels (NRC 1989; Lawrence 2001) to ascertain whether feed manufacturers are delivering metabolically efficient and nutritionally balanced sources of energy in compound feeds for horses.

Most mature horses and ponies in the UK are given restricted amounts of concentrate and forage diets in order to avoid excessive nutrient intake and obesity, usually in a number of small meals per day. One practical question often asked by horse owners relates to the timing of concentrate feeding relative to the timing of forage provision. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of feeding concentrate meals either before, with or after forage when either oat straw or grass haylage was offered as the basal forage. Actual dry matter intakes and diet digestibility values from this study have been published previously (Hyslop, 2004). This summary details the effects of offering concentrates either 2 hours before, along with or 2 hours after forage provision on digesta passage rates and mean retention times in mature ponies.

6 mature Welsh-cross pony geldings (mean LW 298 kg: s.e. 16.2) were individually housed and used in an eight treatment, 6 x 4 partially balanced incomplete block design experiment consisting of four 21 day periods.

Houpt et al (1977) stated that injuries sustained during dominance hierarchies, and poor nutritional condition of low ranked horses are the most common and serious equine behaviour related problems. Often aggression patterns are exhibited over resource dominance. If optimum management conditions are to be attained, regard for social structure, temperament and dominance within groups is paramount; this may be especially important where enclosed barn or stable environments are used. Studies of social organisation often assume linear relationships, unfortunately this may obscure irregularities found within the social structure (Martin and Bateson 1993, Lehner 1996). This study investigates social structure and how dominance determines resource (concentrate feed) ascendancy.

A group of nine foals (n = 5♀,n = 4♂) were directly observed whilst being fed concentrates within an enclosed barn (Figure 1), daily for 40mins over a 25 day period. Dominance and displacement behaviours were observed and collated at 4min intervals via scan sampling. All foals were observed simultaneously and continuously.

Horses are a gregarious species with strong social bonds between individuals and when under free-ranging conditions, form family bands or herds (Tyler, 1979; Wells and Goldschmidt-Rothschild, 1979). Each herd contains small bands of roughly 3 adult horses (1 stallion, 2-3 mares) plus their most recent offspring (Linklater et al., 1999). There are also bachelor groups composed of males that are either too young for their own harems, or can no longer defend the harems they once had (Waring, 1983). As horses live in groups they have evolved a complex behaviour repertoire in order to communicate. Mutual grooming and play are two such behaviours that have been widely studied in both domestic and feral horses, however the results from studies on their influencing factors have been contradictory. Mutual grooming has the obvious function of coat care and parasite removal; moreover, it has also been implicated in forming and maintaining bonds between horses in a herd (Waring, 1983).

The Stud Book Returns of racehorse breeders to Weatherbys Group Ltd. in 2003 recorded 16,008 live foals in England, Scotland, Wales, the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland; the same organization estimates the U.K. racehorse population to be 40,000 (Defra, 2004). The link between diminished equine well-being and social isolation (where physical segregation from conspecifics is regarded as preventing the expression of instinctive social behaviour) is well documented (e.g. Fraser, 1992, ). The negative consequences of social deprivation during the primary socialization period have been studied in adult equines; these include fear responses when presented with novel stimuli, generalized fear-induced aggression and stereotypic behaviours (Fraser, 1992, ; McGreevy et al., 1995b, . The manifestation of ‘a normal behavioural repertoire’ is widely viewed as an indication of well-being (Hurnik et al., 1985, ). The acquisition of typical equine behaviour occurs in a socialization period that involves close contact with conspecifics (e.g. identification through olfactory investigation and reciprocal maintenance behaviours such as allo-grooming).

Increasing numbers of mares are competing at elite levels, and are recognised as being crucial to the production of high calibre sport horses. The management strategies utilised to look after horses affect their welfare and performance. By its very nature the domestication of horses has resulted in their confinement and also in major alterations to their natural social group structure. Most domestic pasture groups comprise mares and castrated males (Van Dierendonck, Sigorjonsdottir and Thorhallsdottir, 2002) and in the absence of a mature stallion are non-reproductive (Boyd and Kieper, 2002). Many equine behaviour studies have been directed at improving welfare and performance, but few centre on Personal Space Requirements (PSR). This study examines whether equine PSR varies between gender. Human personal space (PS) is defined as ‘the geographical component of interpersonal relations’ (Gifford, 1983) and its invasion is shown to cause instantaneous physiological stress (increased blood pressure and heart rate) and longer-lasting psychological stress (anxiety and tension), particularly when individuals can only endure exposure to stress passively (Sawada, 2003).