The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
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37 February 2016 THE HORSE TheHorse.com Calling in the Grain Gurus It's nearly impossible to keep up with, let alone under- stand and implement, take- homes from all of the latest nutrition research. "Equine nutrition and well-being is really a whole professional pursuit in itself," says Roberts. So, where do owners turn for help? The table on the right lists the common responses from recent surveys in the United States. Most horse owners want to provide the best for their horses, and in several studies it's apparent they use a variety of sources for their nutrition infor- mation. For new horse owners, or those coming back after time away, nutrition can be an intimidating subject to dive into, says Roberts. "While I fully encour- age people to do their own independent research, it often results in overwhelmed- ness and confusion when they don't know how to muck out the nonsense from the horse sense," she says. "And there's a lot that belongs on the muck heap!" It's no surprise that veterinarians play a major role in feeding deci- sions. More than 50% of owners in multiple surveys list veterinarians as their primary source of nutri- tional advice. There is no doubt that equine practitioners must be able to communicate with clients and be knowledgeable about a number of complex aspects of equine nutrition. But do veterinar- ians feel they can adequately advise horse owners on this aspect of the horse's complete health program? In 2011 a group of researchers surveyed 391 private-practice veterinarians with equine clients in Georgia. Here's how they rated the importance of sources of equine nutrition information: ■ 100% consider the veterinarian an important source of nutrition information; ■ More than three-quarters of veterinarians offer nutritional consultation as part of a routine health exam; ■ Around one-third of practitioners that do not offer nutritional consultation indicated they felt they lacked the knowledge to give nutritional advice to clients. Keeping up with current equine research and practice techniques is both time-consuming and legally necessary for the veterinarian; every state mandates veterinary contininuing education (CE) requirements. This CE encompasses all educational and train- ing activities designed to develop and enhance skills and obligations associated with practicing veterinary medicine. Re- quirements vary from state to state. For example, in Florida, licensed veterinar- ians must complete 30 hours of continu- ing professional education in veterinary medicine every two years, with no more than 15 hours being noninteractive (online or home study) correspondence courses. In contrast, South Dakota requires 32 hours of CE every two years that can all be completed online. Several organizations administer CE courses for practitioners, one being the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP). The AAEP chooses its CE topics based on its membership's interests. "We periodically conduct a CE Needs Assessment with our members to determine the veterinary topics in which they have the most inter- est. Nutrition ranks in the middle of the pack," says Sally Baker, director of marketing and public relations. Despite its crucial role in equine health, most colleges of veteri- nary medicine require students to complete only one semester of nutrition ... and it's mixed-animal. That leaves one to two lectures on average for equine-specific topics. Although all of the veterinar- ians surveyed reported that their level of nutritional knowledge had increased since graduating from veterinary school, 88% had not Owners/ Trainers Vets Equine Nutritionists Extension Services Feed Store Internet Books/ Magazines Farrier New Jersey 1 60% 25.5% 14.5% New England 2 40% 54% 9% 15% 10% 20% Multi-State 3 57.9% 30.3% 20.2% 42.8% AHP Survey (2012) 4 23% 59% 36% 5% 14% 13% Global (approx. 1 ⁄3 USA) 5 54% 46% 1 MJ Westendorf, V Puduri, CA Williams, T Joshua, and R Govindasamy, 2012. "Dietary and Manure Management Practices on Equine Farms in Two New Jersey Watersheds." 2 CJ Hoffman, LR Costa, and LM Freeman, 2009. "Survey of Feeding Practices, Supplement Use, and Knowledge of Equine Nutrition among a Subpopulation of Horse Owners in New England." 3 J Roberts and J Murray, 2013. "Equine Nutrition in the USA: A review of perceptions and practices of horses owners and veterinarians." 4 American Horse Publications Equine Industry Survey, 2012. 5 J Murray, C Bloxham, J Kulifay, A Stevenson, and J Roberts, 2015. "Equine Nutrition: A Survey of Perceptions and Practices of Horse Owners Undertaking a Massive Open Online Course in Equine Nutrition." * More than one answer was permitted for 2 through 4. To meet horse owners' needs, veterinarians must be prepared to give nutritional advice. PAULA DA SILVA Where Do Horse Owners Turn for Nutrition Advice?