Perceptions of Obesity and Management Practices in a UK Population of Leisure-Horse Owners and Managers

Accepted Manuscript Perceptions of obesity and management practices in a UK population of leisure-horse owners and managers Philippa K. Morrison, Patricia A. Harris, Charlotte A. Maltin, Dai Grove-White, Clare F. Barfoot, Caroline McG. Argo PII:

S0737-0806(16)30611-6

DOI:

10.1016/j.jevs.2017.01.006

Reference:

YJEVS 2245

To appear in:

Journal of Equine Veterinary Science

Received Date: 3 November 2016 Revised Date:

19 January 2017

Accepted Date: 19 January 2017

Please cite this article as: Morrison PK, Harris PA, Maltin CA, Grove-White D, Barfoot CF, Argo CM, Perceptions of obesity and management practices in a UK population of leisure-horse owners and managers, Journal of Equine Veterinary Science (2017), doi: 10.1016/j.jevs.2017.01.006. This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Perceptions of obesity and management practices in a UK population of leisure-horse owners and managers Philippa K. Morrison1*§, Patricia A. Harris2*, Charlotte A. Maltin3*, Dai Grove-White4*, Clare F. Barfoot5*, Caroline McG. Argo*1

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University of Surrey, Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary

Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Manor Park Campus, Guilford, UK

Equine Studies Group, WALTHAM Centre for Pet Nutrition, Freeby Lane, Waltham-on-

the-Wolds, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, UK. 3

Biomics Ltd, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, UK

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University of Liverpool, Institute of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Health and Life

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Sciences, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston, Wirral, UK. 5

Mars Horsecare UK Ltd., 29 Old Wolverton Road, Old Wolverton, Milton Keynes,

Buckinghamshire, UK

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*These authors contributed equally to this work

Corresponding author:

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Dr Philippa Morrison

Email address: [email protected]

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ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Abstract Obesity remains prevalent in the UK leisure sector of horses and ponies. An inability among horse-managers to recognise obesity in their animal will exacerbate this and preclude weight-

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loss initiation. The aim of the current study was to evaluate horse-manager’s perceptions of obesity and report on management factors that may influence the high obesity prevalence. A two-tier, internet-based questionnaire was developed using lateral photographic images of

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horses/ponies (assigned a body condition score in vivo by an experienced assessor; Tier 1). Respondent data gathered included: involvement in the equine sector, ability to identify

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overweight animals; scoring suitability of animals for participation in different disciplines. Tier 2 (option to participate at conclusion of Tier 1) gathered horse-owner information regarding animal management practices.

Tier 1: Of 539 respondents, 98% (n = 528/539; 95% CI 96.3-98.9%) were female. Amateur

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respondents (81%; n = 435/539; 95% CI 77.1-83.8) exceeded professional respondents (19%; n = 104/539; 95% CI 16.2-22.8%). Only 11% respondents (n = 60/539; 95% CI 8.7-14.1) 45

correctly identified all overweight animals (6/12). A sport horse, cob horse and pony were

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rated significantly lower (towards underweight) for competing in showing compared to other

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disciplines. Tier 2: 177 responses. Owner-reported obesity prevalence: 4.5% (n = 8/177; 95% CI 2.3-8.8%) Seasonal changes in horse/pony weight and management routines were reported. 50

In conclusion, horse-managers vary in their ability to visually identify overweight animals and consider it appropriate that animals intended for the show-ring should carry more weight. Tier 2 adds to epidemiological literature regarding UK equine management practices.

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Keywords: Equine obesity, obesity perception, questionnaire, visual estimation, body condition score

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1. Introduction 75

Equine obesity has become a major health issue among horses and ponies especially in the

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leisure horse sector [1]. Implementing controlled weight loss by nutritional restriction can be problematic for many horse owners and requires long term commitment. The recognition of obesity is a prerequisite for corrective management (dietary energy restriction in conjunction

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with exercise where appropriate [2, 3]). Commonly, weight management is only instigated by a veterinarian when obese animals present with laminitis, as opposed to being included as a

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routine element of normal equine husbandry [2].

Misperception of body weight status has been reported for animals under the care of humans. Owners have been shown to misperceive their dog’s body shape [4], with underestimation being the most common form of misperception, and this misperception remains even with the use of a body condition scoring chart [5].

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With regards to Equidae, the proportion of the national herd which is maintained for leisure

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purposes (those kept for pleasure purposes and competing at unaffiliated/riding club level competitions) has expanded considerably in recent years [6]. This shift away from

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economically important working roles and towards companion status has been associated with an increased incidence of obesity [7]. The prevalence of obesity in a population of UK leisure horses has been recently documented for the summer months at over 35% [8]. This high obesity prevalence could be partly attributed to modern husbandry techniques such as increased provision of shelter and rugs, reductions in workload and year-round availability of energy-dense diets. [9, 10]. Native UK breeds and cob type horses and ponies are also 95

recognized as being at increased risk of obesity development. This may reflect evolutionary adaptations to lay down greater amounts of adipose tissue during the summer months of

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT plentiful grazing in order for them to survive harsh winters on poor-quality grazing. However, modern management systems that provide year-round, high-quality grazing / conserved grasses, have enabled these ‘at risk’ breeds to remain obese during the winter 100

months, which inexorably leads to a self-perpetuating cycle of increasing adiposity

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throughout the years. Data describing owner perceptions of equine obesity are sparse, although there is some evidence that owners underestimate body condition score [6, 11]. Additionally, perceptions of appropriate or ‘ideal’ body weight/condition of horses and

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ponies may differ between owners who intend their animals to participate in the divergent equestrian disciplines. This disparity is likely to be greatest for show-ring animals (whereby

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horses and ponies of common breed/type are judged according to breed characteristics and performance) where debate in the lay press has highlighted concerns that overweight animals are more likely to succeed [12].

Research techniques (deuterium oxide dilution, ultrasound generated images of body fat) and body condition scoring systems can respectively be used to objectively or subjectively

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evaluate ‘adiposity’ in horses. However, anecdotally these methods are not widely applied by

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owners in the leisure horse sector. For the majority of leisure-horse owners, any evaluation of their animal’s ‘fatness’, in the context of its work expectations, is dependent on visual

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appraisal alone. The primary objective of the current study was to evaluate horse-manager’s perceptions of obesity. However, in light of concerns widely expressed in the lay press [12] which suggested that carrying greater weight may be more acceptable for animals participating in certain activities, we also tested the influence that the intended use for the horse/pony (e.g. competing in dressage, one-day-events, showing or staying in the field) may might have 120

on these perceptions. A secondary objective was to gather more detailed

information regarding the care and management practices of horses and ponies in the UK since these may have an effect on the high prevalence of obesity in this population. It was

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT hypothesised that professional horse managers would have more accurate perceptions of obesity when compared to non-professionals horse keepers., and that management practices would differ between hobbyists/leisure riders and amateur competitors/professionals and 125

depending upon whether the horse/pony was kept for leisure (pet/companion, non-

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competitive riding and competing in unaffiliated competitions) or competition purposes (competing in affiliated competitions), therefore data were also analysed to identify any such differences between the populations.

2.1 Data collection

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2. Materials and methods

Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Liverpool Veterinary Research Ethics Committee (Ref: VREC135). The study objectives were achieved via the development of a two-tier internet-based questionnaire whereby a short questionnaire was designed to obtain

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information on horse owner and care-taker perceptions of obesity in horses (Tier 1), with the option for horse-owners to continue and partake in a more detailed questionnaire (Tier 2). The survey software, SelectSurvey (ClassApps, Missouri, USA) was used to create the

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surveys, which were distributed through UK-based equine forums (Horse & Hound, Your Horse and Spillers Diamond Club) and respondents entering the site were encouraged to

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participate by informing them that information was being gathered on the health and wellbeing of their animals. Respondent data was collected over a period of 8 months between May 2013 and January 2014. 2.2 Questionnaire design The first questionnaire (Tier 1; Supplementary file 1) comprised 16 questions including demographic characteristics: age, gender, geographic location, professional (part or full-time, 145

e.g. yard owners, riding instructors, riding school staff, saddle fitter etc.) or non-professional

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT involvement, horse/pony ownership status, number of years of interest/experience in horses. This was followed by a set of questions to evaluate obesity perceptions which used lateral photographic images of horses and ponies across a range of body condition scores (which had been previously assessed in vivo by an experienced assessor) using the Kohnke modification of the Henneke body condition score system [13]. This method evaluates 6 areas of the body

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(neck, shoulder, ribs, loin, withers and tailhead) and assigns a score for each area from 1 (very poor) to 9 (extremely fat). The average of these 6 numbers is calculated to provide an

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overall body condition score, whereby a score of under 4 equates to underweight, 4-6 would be considered ideal, 6-7 is classified as overweight, and a score of ≥7 equates to an obese animal. A range of breed types and coat-colours were used in compiling the image selection

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in order to limit bias. To determine the ability of the respondent to identify overweight animals, respondents were presented with a panel of 12 images and asked to select the images of all horses/ponies they considered to be overweight (as many/few images could be

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selected).

To determine the impact of the animal’s intended use (equestrian discipline) on obesity

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perceptions, lateral photographic images of a Sport horse, Welsh pony and a Cob horse that had been previously assessed for BCS in vivo by an experienced assessor were shown

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independently and respondents were asked to categorise the animal’s weight/condition on a five-point scale (1 = very underweight to 5 = very overweight) for different disciplines: 165

mainly staying in the field with an occasional weekend hack, competing in affiliated showing classes, competing at affiliated one day events (Sport horse and Cob horse only), competing at affiliated dressage (Sport horse and Cob horse only) and a busy summer involving Pony Club camp and one day events (Welsh pony only). Finally, respondents were presented with another two sets of images and asked firstly to match pictures of horses and ponies to the

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correct scenario (e.g. this horse/pony needs to lose weight immediately, this horse/pony could

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT do with gaining a little weight/condition before a busy summer competing) and secondly to rank a final set of images of horses and ponies in order of increasing weight/condition. At the conclusion of Tier 1, there was an option to take part in a more extensive questionnaire

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for horse-owners, comprising 65 questions (Tier 2; Supplementary file 2). If respondents owned more than one horse/pony they were asked to answer all the questions with respect to a single animal of their choice. The questionnaire gathered data on: basic information, health and wellbeing, use and exercise as well as nutrition and management of their horse/pony.

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Respondents were asked to rank their horse/pony on a scale from 1 (very poor) to 9

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(extremely fat) based on their current condition. This scale was used as it was the same scalerange as that used for body condition scoring by our group [13]. 2.3 Data analysis

Questionnaire responses were downloaded into Microsoft Excel and exported for statistical

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For Tier 1 analysis, binary variables were created for professional status (non-professional =

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analysis into STATA Version 13 (Statacorp, Texas). Statistical significance was set at p <

0 professional = 1). Answers to the discipline question were converted into numerical format

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as follows: very underweight = 1; slightly underweight = 2; about right = 3; slightly overweight = 4; very overweight = 5. Whilst specific horse/pony breeds/body shapes may be more suited to certain disciplines, the expert assumption is that the body condition of the 190

animal should always remain within a healthy range, regardless of the intended use of the animal. Based on the expert assumption that there should be no difference in horse BCS with respect to intended use, the respondent score for each use was subtracted from the expert score and mean score difference (95% CI) plotted graphically. For Tier 2 analysis, as respondents were all horse owners, binary variables were created for horse ownership status

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(hobbyist/leisure rider = 0 amateur competitor/professional =1), for the reason the horse/pony was kept for (animals kept for leisure/pleasure purposes = 0 animals kept for affiliated competitions = 1) and for owner-reported obesity whereby a horse/pony was identified as obese (≥7/9) or non-obese (<7/9). A Pearson rank correlation was performed to assess the

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correlation between horse ownership status and the reason the horse was kept (Tier 2). Chi square test was used for the analysis of proportions where the outcome was binary. Visual appraisal of graphically presented 95% confidence intervals was performed where

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appropriate (discipline question (Tier 1)) and weight-categorisation of horse/pony across seasons (Tier 2). Finally for Tier 2, in order to investigate factors associated with hours of

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exercise reported, a random effects multivariable linear regression model was fitted with average number of hours ridden as the outcome variable and horse ID as a random effect since hours of exercise are collected for four seasons for each animal (owner reports on 1 animal; n = 177 responses/season). Number of hours ridden was assessed for normality

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visually through the use of histograms overlaid with a normality plot. Potential explanatory variables offered to the initial model were season (spring, summer, autumn, winter), 210

ownership status (hobbyists and amateur competitors/professionals), and the reason

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horse/pony kept for status (leisure and competition horses/ponies). A backward stepwise

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method was employed to determine which variables to retain in the model. Variables were retained if they significantly improved model fit (likelihood-ratio test p < 0.1). Interactions between season and keeper status were tested. The intra-class correlation for the random 215

effect variable (horse ID) was calculated as a measure of the variance attributable to the random effect. 3. Results 3.1 Tier 1 3.1.1 Survey population

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In total there were 539 responses to the questionnaire. Summary statistics relating to the survey population are provided in Table 1. 3.1.2

Ability to correctly classify overweight horses/ponies from photographic images

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Of the twelve images presented to the respondents, six animals were classified as overweight or obese by the determination of body condition score (BCS > 6) by an experienced assessor 225

in vivo.

When considered collectively, only eleven percent of respondents correctly

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identified all six overweight animals (n = 60/539; 95% CI 8.7-14.1%) (Figure 1). When considered individually, three of these overweight animals (Figure 1A, C and J) were

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correctly identified as overweight by between 65% (n = 350/539; 95% CI 60.8-68.9%) and 98% (n = 531/539; 95% CI 97.1-99.3%) of the respondents. For the other three animals, a 230

lower percentage (between 37% (n = 204/539; 95% CI 33.8-42.0%) and 41% (n = 224/539; 95% CI 37.5-45.8%) of respondents correctly identified that they were overweight (Figure

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1E, G and L). For two animals that had a BCS of 5, (Figure 1B and D; both cob type horses) 96% (n = 515/539; 95% CI 93.5-97.0%) and 73% (n = 395/539; 95% CI 69.4-76.9%) of respondents respectively considered them to be overweight. There was no difference between professionals and non-professionals in their ability to identify the six overweight animals,

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apart from one image (Figure 1A; BCS 7) where a significantly greater proportion of non-

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professionals (80.5%; n = 350/435; 95% CI 76.8-84.2%)/ compared to professionals (71.2%; n = 74/104; 95% CI 62.0-79.3%; p = 0.04) correctly identified the animal as being overweight. 240

3.1.3 Weight categorisation of horses/ponies for partaking in a range of equestrian disciplines Sport horse In vivo assessment by an experienced assessor assigned this horse a BCS of 5 (equating to

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT “about right”). The difference between the expert opinion of the weight categorisation (about 245

right) and the respondents’ answers for each discipline was estimated by subtraction of the respondent score from the expert score. Examination of the 95% confidence intervals in Figure 2A, clearly demonstrates that for all the disciplines apart from eventing, the horse was

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considered underweight in comparison to the expert opinion. Furthermore, respondents rated the horse significantly lower (towards underweight) for competing in showing classes 250

compared to the other disciplines (Figure 2A).

There were no differences between

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professionals and non-professionals in the weight-categorisation of the Sport horse for any of

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the disciplines examined (all p > 0.10). Pony

Respondents were shown a photographic image of a pony that that was evaluated in vivo by 255

an experienced assessor and assigned a BCS of 6.5 (slightly overweight). The difference

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between the expert opinion of the weight categorisation (slightly overweight) and the respondents’ answers for each discipline was evaluated. Examination of the 95% confidence intervals (Figure 2B) clearly demonstrates that for showing and staying in the field, the pony

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was considered by respondents to be closer to ‘about right’ in comparison to the expert opinion, whilst the opposite was true for Pony club disciplines, where it was considered to be

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more overweight than the expert opinion (Figure 2B). Furthermore, respondents rated the pony significantly lower (towards underweight) for competing in showing classes compared to the other disciplines (Figure 2B).

Overall there were no significant differences between

professionals and non-professionals in how they rated the pony for each of the disciplines (all 265

p > 0.16) Cob horse Respondents were shown a photographic image of a cob horse that was expertly evaluated in

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evaluated. Examination of the 95% confidence intervals (Figure 2B) revealed that, for all four disciplines, the horse was considered by respondents to be closer to very overweight than the

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expert opinion (Figure 2B), however for the showing discipline, the horse was rated significantly closer to the expert opinion than for the other 3 disciplines. Overall there were no significant differences between professionals and non-professionals in how they rated the horse in terms of weight/condition for each discipline (all p > 0.10).

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3.1.4 Scenario and ranking

Respondents were shown four images of horses and ponies and asked to match each picture to the appropriate scenario e.g. this horse/pony is obese and needs to go on a strict diet immediately; this horse/pony could do with gaining a little bit of weight/condition before a busy summer competing etc. Over 90% of respondents correctly matched each of the four

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pictures with the correct scenario (Scenario 1: n = 538/539; 95% CI 98.7-99.9%; Scenario 2: n = 505/539; 95% CI 91.3-95.5%; Scenario 3: n = 531/539; 95% CI 97.1-99.3%; Scenario 4:

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n = 520/539; 95% CI 94.5-97.7%). There was no difference in the proportion of professionals and non-professionals in their ability to correctly match the picture to the scenario (all p > 0.62). Lastly, respondents were asked to rank five images of horses and ponies in order of

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increasing weight/condition from 1-5. Over half (n = 295/539, 54.8%; 95% CI 49.8-59.7%) of respondents correctly identified the very thin animal (1), with 45.2% (n = 244/539; 95% CI 40.3-50.2%) of respondents ranking the horse who should have been ranked as 2 as 1. Similarly, 54.3% (n = 293/539; 95% CI 49.3-59.2%) of respondents correctly identified the 290

second ranked animal, with 44.7% (n = 246/539; 95% CI 40.8-50.7%) of respondents ranking the very thin animal (1) in second. For the three other ranks (3-5), over 98% of respondents correctly identified which horse matched each position (Rank 3: n = 529/539; 95% CI 96.2-

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 99.1; Rank 4: n = 532/539; 95% CI 96.9-99.5%; Rank 5: n = 538/539; 95% CI 98.2-99.9%). There was no difference in the proportion of professionals and non-professionals in their 295

ability to rank the images in order of increasing weight/condition (all p > 0.25).

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3.2 Tier 2 3.2.1 Population Demographics

There were 177 responses to the questionnaire. Respondent information is provided in Table

3.2.2 Horse/pony information

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If respondents owned or cared for more than 1 horse/pony they were asked to choose just one of their animals for completing the questionnaire. Table 2 describes the population of animals used by owners to answer Tier 2 questions.

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3.2.3 Health and Wellbeing of horses and ponies Over 40% (n = 79/177; 44.6%; 95% CI 37.4-52.1%) of respondents had a veterinarian attend

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their horse/pony in the previous 3 months. Of these 79 veterinary visits, 36.7% (n = 29/79; 95% CI 26.6-48.1%) of them were for routine purposes (vaccination/microchipping), with

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36.7% (n = 29/79; 95% CI 26.3-47.5%) for attending a wound or lameness, 21.3% (n = 17/79; 95% CI 13.5-31.8%) for dental reasons, and the remaining visits for colic, skin 310

conditions, laminitis and respiratory conditions. Thirteen animals (n = 13/177; 7.3%; 95% CI 4.3-12.3%) were reported to have suffered from laminitis on at least one occasion in their lifetime, with the diagnosis being made by a veterinary surgeon in 69% (n = 9/13; 95% CI 36.5-89.8%) of cases. Three respondents reported that the animal had suffered from more than one laminitic episode (23.1%; 95% CI 6.3-57.2%). There was no difference in owner-

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reported laminitis history between leisure (n = 10/98; 10.2%; 95% CI 5.5-18.1%) and

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT competition horses and ponies (n = 3/79; 3.8%; 95% CI 1.2-11.4% p = 0.10), however significantly more ponies (n = 6/21; 28.6%; 95% CI 12.5-52.9%) were reported to have a history of laminitis compared to horses (n = 7/156; 4.5%; 95% CI 2.1-9.2%; p < 0.01). Only one respondent reported that their animal had been diagnosed with Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) which had been diagnosed by a veterinarian. Furthermore, 2.8% (n =

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5/177; 95% CI 1.2-6.7%) respondents reported that their animal had been diagnosed with pars pituitary intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Over half of respondents (n = 97/177; 54.8%;

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95% CI 47.3-62.0%) reported that the decision to administer anthelminthics to their animal was made on the basis of regular faecal egg counting. Thirty five percent of respondents (n = 62/177; 95% CI 28.3-42.4%) stated they de-wormed their horse/pony on a regular basis

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(every 4-12 weeks), with the remaining respondents stating they de-wormed their horse/pony according to a yard/vet approved program (n = 7/177; 3.9%; 95% CI 1.9-8.1%), annually/twice annually (n = 8/177; 4.6%; 95% CI 2.3-8.8%), never (n = 2/177; 1.1%; 95%

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CI 0.3-4.5%), or not known (n = 1/177; 0.6%; 95% CI 0.08-4.0%). There was no difference administration

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competitors/professionals or between leisure and competition horses/ponies. However, there

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was a strong correlation between keeper status and horse kept status (r = 0.63) so this result

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was not unexpected.

Owner-reported obesity was found to be 4.5% (n = 8/177; 95% CI 2.3-8.8%), with the 335

majority of owners scoring their animals a 5 which would be considered to be normal (Figure 3). There was no difference between hobbyists (n = 4/67; 6.0%; 95% CI 2.2-15.2%) and amateur competitors/professionals (n = 4/110; 3.6%; 95% CI 1.4-9.4%; p = 0.47), and ownerreported obesity. However, significantly more leisure animals (n = 8/98; 8.2%; 95% CI 4.115.6%) were reported to be obese compared to competition animals (n = 0/79; p < 0.01).

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Figure 4 demonstrates the weight-categorisation of leisure and competition horses/ponies

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT across the seasons. There appears to be a seasonal trend which is similar for both leisure and competition horses/ponies, whereby owner-reported weight category of their horse/pony was greatest during the summer months and lowest for the winter. However, there is some difference in magnitude between the groups across the seasons. Visual appraisal of the 95% confidence intervals clearly shows that leisure animals are reported to be significantly more

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overweight (as demonstrated by non-overlapping confidence intervals) than competition animals in both summer and autumn, whilst there was no difference for spring and winter.

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The ranking of animal maintenance requirements or tasks by respondents is shown in Table 3. More than half of respondents (n = 105/177; 59.1%; 95% CI 51.5-66.3%) perceived that maintaining their horse/pony at a healthy weight/condition was the most important of the

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options given (ranked number 1), followed by having their horse/pony’s feet regularly trimmed/shod (n = 55/177; 31%; 95% CI 24.4-38.4% ranked as number 1). Grooming their horse/pony on a daily basis was considered to be the least important scenario (n = 92/177;

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52.1%; 95% CI 44.5-59.5% ranked as number 6). There was no difference in ranking between hobbyists and amateur competitors/professionals for any of the scenarios (all p >

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0.60).

3.2.4 Use and exercise of horse/pony

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A significantly greater proportion of competition horses/ponies (n = 77/79; 97.5%; 95% CI 90.2-99.4%) were reported to be fit compared to leisure horse/ponies (n = 69/98; 70.4%; 95% 360

CI 60.5-78.7%; p < 0.01). The association between season, ownership status and the average number of hours ridden per week was evaluated through the use of a random effects multivariable linear regression model (Table 4). Horse ID was considered as the random effect. Seventy-two percent (95% CI 66.2-77.0%) of the variation in the average number of hours ridden was attributable to individual horse/pony identity. The final model included

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season and ownership status. Season had a strong association with the hours ridden, whereby

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT the average number of hours ridden per week was greatest for summer (β = 2.74; 95% CI 2.37-3.12). Furthermore, ownership status was strongly associated with the average number of hours ridden, whereby amateur competitors/professionals rode on average 1.35 hours more

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3.2.5 Seasonal Management and Feed Provision

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per week in each season (95% CI 0.44-2.26) than hobbyists.

Horses and ponies kept for leisure purposes (n = 60/98; 61.2%; 95% CI 51.1-70.5%) were

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more likely to be kept outside at grass during the summer compared to competition animals (n = 33/79; 41.8%; 95% CI 31.2-53.1%; p < 0.01). There was no difference in the proportion

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of leisure (n = 25/98; 25.5%; 95% CI 17.4-35.2%) compared to competition animals (n = 13/79; 16.5%; 95% CI 9.7-26.6%; p = 0.13) kept outside at grass during the winter months. There was no difference in the type of grazing (restricted [eg. strip grazing, starvation paddock] / unrestricted) offered during the summer between leisure (unrestricted: n = 46/98;

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46.9%; 95% CI 37.1-57.0%) and competition animals (unrestricted: n = 48/79; 60.8%; 95% CI 49.4-71.1%; p = 0.07). Similarly, there was no difference in the type of grazing offered 380

during the winter between leisure (unrestricted: n = 51/98; 52.0%; 95% CI 42.0-61.9%) and

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competition animals (n = 41/79; 51.9%; 95% CI 40.7-62.9%; p = 0.99) months. However, significantly more amateur competitors/professionals (n = 66/110; 60.0%; 95% CI 50.4-

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68.8%) compared with hobbyists (n = 28/67; 41.8%; 95% CI 30.4-54.2%; p = 0.02) allowed their horse/pony unrestricted grazing during the summer, but this was not the case during the 385

winter (n = 59/110; 53.6%; 95% CI 44.2-62.9% vs. n = 33/67; 49.3%; 95% CI 37.2-62.9%; p = 0.57). Only 5.7% of respondents stated they used grazing muzzles during the summer (n = 10/177; 95% CI 3.1-10.3%), with 0.6% of respondents using them during the winter months (n = 1/177; 95% CI 0.08-4.0%). For those animals receiving hay when stabled during the summer months (n = 110/177; 62.2%; 95% CI 54.7-69.1%), there was no difference in the

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manner and provision of hay fed (ad libitum vs. restricted) between leisure and competition

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT horses/ponies (ad libitum: leisure animals: n = 21/53; 39.6%; 95% CI 27.1-53.7% vs. 26/57; 45.6%; 32.9-58.9%; p = 0.53). Similarly, for those animals receiving hay when stabled during the winter months (n = 107/177; 60.5%; 95% CI 53.0-67.4%) there was no difference in the manner and provision of hay fed (ad libitum vs. restricted) between leisure (ad libitum: n = 26/55; 47.3%; 95% CI 34.2-60.8%) and competition horses/ponies (n = 30/52; 57.7%; 95%

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395

CI 43.6-70.7%; p = 0.28). A significantly greater number of competition horses/ponies were fed some form of complementary feed in addition to forage (e.g. competition mix, pasture

SC

mix etc.) compared with leisure horses/ponies irrespective of season (summer: n = 46/79; 58.2%; 95% CI 46.9-68.8% vs. n = 31/98; 31.6%; 95% CI 23.1-41.6%; p < 0.01 winter n = 51/79; 64.6%; 95% CI 53.2-74.5% vs. n = 43/98; 43.9%; 95% CI 34.2-54.0%; p < 0.01).

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400

Furthermore, a greater proportion of competition (n = 12/79; 15.4%; 95% CI 8.8-25.4%) compared to leisure horses/ponies (n = 4/97; 4.1%; 95% CI 1.5-10.6%; p = 0.10) were fed ‘straight’ feeds (oats, bran etc.) and competition mix (a high energy course mix compounded

405

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to nutritionally support animals in hard work) (n = 21/79; 26.9%; 95% CI 18.1-38.1 vs. n = 1/79; 1.0%; 95% CI 0.1-7.1%; p < 0.01) during the summer months. In the winter months, a greater proportion of competition (n = 20/79; 25.3%; 95% CI 16.8-36.3%) compared to

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leisure horses/ponies (n = 9/97; 9.3%; 95% CI 4.8-17.1%; p < 0.01) were found to be fed

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conditioning mix (designed to provide controlled levels of cereal starch, sugar and protein for the maintenance of muscle tone and to promote condition), a competition mix (n = 16/79; 410

20.3%; 95% CI 12.6-30.8% vs. n = 4/97; 4.1%; 95% CI 1.5-10.6%; p < 0.01) and a nutrient balancer (n = 39/79; 49.4%; 95% CI 38.3-60.5% vs. n = 33/97; 34.0%; 95% CI 25.2-44.2%; p = 0.04). Oral supplement feeding (nutraceutical food substance that has therapeutic functional benefits) was found to be more common during the summer months (n = 111/177; 62.7%; 95% CI 55.3-69.6% fed some form of supplement) compared to winter (n = 95/177; 53.7%;

415

95% CI 46.2-61.0%). Competition horses/ponies were more likely to be fed an electrolyte

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT supplement than leisure horses/ponies during the summer months (n = 30/79; 38.0%; 95% CI 27.8-49.3% vs. n = 11/97; 11.3%; 95% CI 6.3-19.5%; p < 0.01), and during the winter months (n = 14/79; 17.7%; 95% CI 10.7-28.0% vs. n = 5/97; 5.2%; 95% CI 2.1-11.9%; p <

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0.01). 420

4. Discussion

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The current study was designed to further our understanding on perceptions of obesity in

horses and ponies in the UK. 425

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horses and ponies and gather wider information regarding current management practices of

Tier 1 clearly demonstrated that horse-managers vary in their ability to identify overweight horses and ponies from photographic images. Evidence from human epidemiology studies suggest that the increased exposure to the larger body sizes we are experiencing in the current

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human obesity epidemic has led to an upward shift in what we perceive to be normal in terms of body weight [14]. This concept is supported by a recent study in which exposure to photographs of obese males resulted in an overweight male being perceived to be of a

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430

healthier weight in comparison to the those respondents who were initially exposed to

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photographs of a healthy weight male [15]. Furthermore, the exposure to obesity also resulted in respondents believing that an overweight person did not need to lose weight [15]. A follow-up study added to these findings that obesity exposure led to an increased 435

acceptability of obesity by shifting visual preference towards a preference of increased body size [16]. Taken together, these data would suggest that exposure to obesity has normalised our perceptions of obesity and led to an increased acceptance of larger body sizes. Data from the current study may also support this, with only 11% of respondents correctly identifying all six overweight horses and ponies from photographic images. Interestingly, for three of the

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 440

images; between 65% and 98% of the respondents correctly identified these horses/ponies as overweight. The animals in these images appeared to have more ‘visually apparent’ regional adiposity including a more defined ‘cresty neck’ compared to the other three overweight animals pictured, whereby less than half of the respondents correctly identified them as being

445

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overweight. Respondents may have been more drawn to these images due to the attention surrounding crest fat and its potential role in the aetiology of obesity, laminitis and insulin dysregulation [17]. A cresty neck score (CNS) was developed and shown to be positively

SC

associated with insulin resistance and risk of laminitis [18]. Furthermore, expression of some inflammatory-related genes have been shown to be greater in crest fat compared to other

450

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adipose depots [19, 20], although it is unknown whether this difference is related to tissue heterogeneity or whether this difference is translated into differences at the protein level. More recently a higher CNS has been shown during winter months in comparison to summer, with breed being the strongest risk factor for CNS in both seasons [9]. Increased regional

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adiposity in areas including the crest has also received attention due to its role in the diagnosis of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), a condition comprised of several factors 455

including regional adiposity, insulin dysregulation and laminitis [21]. Although not directly

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linked, there is evidence to support an association between crest fat and insulin dysregulation

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and laminitis risk, however this may be confounded by breed and more work is required to establish a direct mechanism by which crest fat may function in obesity and associated disease risk. 460

Additionally, for two of the images in this question, over 70% of respondents considered them to be overweight when in fact they were expertly assessed to have a normal body condition. Both of these horses were cob horse types and although cob type has is a known risk factor for obesity [9, 10], there appears to be a misperception between the natural body shape of this breed and increased adiposity. A study conducted in the USA to assess owner

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 465

perception of body weight and body condition score of draught and warmblood horses, identified that almost half of owners considered draft horses to be overweight, whilst only 2% of warmbloods were considered overweight [22]; a finding which also suggests that there is a misperception of obesity between different breeds. This may be an area which warrants

470

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further investigation.

Results from the discipline question in Tier 1 fell in line with anecdotal observations. For competing in showing classes, respondents deemed it more acceptable for horses and ponies,

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regardless of breed or body size, to carry more weight than for competing in other disciplines.

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A similar pattern was found for all three images whereby for taking part in showing classes, the animal was rated lowest (towards underweight) in terms of body weight suitability, with 475

competing in one day events rated highest (towards overweight). As for the overweight question, the image of the cob horse used in this question was consistently considered to be more overweight than the expertly assessed response and again may reflect the misperception

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between the natural body shape and body fatness. There were no differences between professionals and non-professionals in their responses to any of the questions. This may be partly attributable to a degree of respondent bias whereby those with a keen interest in the

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480

subject would have been more likely to participate, which would in turn limit the differences

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between professionals and non-professionals in their ability to identify these animals. The BCS ranking question in Tier 1 revealed some discrepancy between animals ranked first and second (most and second-most underweight) by respondents in terms of 485

weight/condition. This may be due in part to the images used in terms of animal coat colour and environmental lighting. The pony that should have been correctly ranked first (most underweight, BCS 1.25; Supplementary file 1; Question 16, Image E) was light grey in colour. This colouration may have inadvertently obscured visual appraisal of anatomical landmarks such as hip bones and tailhead. Conversely, the horse that should have been

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 490

correctly ranked in second (BCS 3) was chestnut and the rib outline was more apparent. The relative visual prominence this animals ribs may have led respondents to consider this animal to be the leanest in terms of weight/condition.

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The geographical distribution of responses for both Tier 1 and Tier 2 questionnaires appear similar to a survey conducted using veterinary-registered horse owners, with the majority of 495

the survey population residing in England [23]. The equine demographics from Tier 2 in the current study also appear to be in agreement with recently published data, with

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Thoroughbred/Thoroughbred types accounting for the majority of the survey population [23,

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24], and a larger proportion of geldings was reported compared to mares; although the percentage of geldings in the current study was higher than previously published data [23]. 500

Only 11% of the current study population comprised ponies, with the remaining 89% being horses, a lower proportion of ponies than has been reported in a similar previous survey [23]. This may be due to a large proportion of adult respondents who may be more likely to own a

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horse than a pony compared to younger respondents. The prevalence of owner-reported laminitis history in the current study (7.3%) was lower than has been reported previously , where a prevalence of 15% was identified [25]. However,

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505

in agreement with that study, significantly more ponies than horses were reported to have had

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a history of laminitis. It could be suggested that the lower incidence of laminitis in the current study may be due to a lower proportion of ponies in the current study, which are considered to be at greater risk for the development of this condition [26, 27]. Owner-reported 510

prevalence of PPID was found to be 2.8%, identical to owner-reported prevalence in a previous study [25]. Owner-reported prevalence of obesity in the current study (4.5%) was markedly lower than previous studies. A recent study demonstrated an owner-reported obesity prevalence of 30%

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT [10]. There were a lower proportion of native ponies and a higher proportion of competition 515

animals in the current study compared to that of Robin et al. [10] which may partly explain the low owner-reported obesity rate as both native ponies and leisure animals are known to be at increased risk factors of obesity [9, 10]. Furthermore, it could be suggested that there is a

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degree of respondent bias that cannot be quantified, whereby those with an interest in the health and wellbeing of horses and ponies would be less-likely to own an obese horse/pony. 520

Notably, there were apparent differences for owner-reported body weight/condition of their

SC

animals across the seasons in the current study. For summer and autumn, animals kept for leisure purposes were significantly more likely to be slightly overweight compared to animals

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kept for affiliated competitions. No differences were observed for winter and it is unclear whether this is due to a weight gain in competition animals or a natural winter weight loss for 525

leisure animals. Seasonal variation in body condition is an evolutionary conserved adaptation to aid survival during winter months when food availability is scarce by increasing fat

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deposition during high availability of food during the summer months. However, it has been shown that for ponies with ad libitum access to a fibre-based diet, this seasonal mechanism is

530

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insufficient in preventing weight gain during the winter months [28]. The daily routines during summer and winter months were reported, with over 50% of

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animals spending 24 hours at pasture during the summer, which reduced down to 21% during the winter months, a finding which is consistent with other published data [23, 24]. The majority of animals were fed some form of concentrate feedstuff (energy providing complementary feed), although fewer animals received concentrate feeds during the summer 535

months when energy requirements from grazing would be expected to be sufficient. As expected, significantly more competition animals received some form of concentrate feed compared to leisure animals in both summer and winter. Furthermore, an electrolyte-based supplement was fed more commonly to competition animals compared to leisure animals in

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT both summer and winter, which is to be expected due to the increased workloads experienced 540

by competition animals. The percentage of animals receiving electrolyte supplements was greater than in other published data [23], but this is likely due to the higher proportion of

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competition animals in the current study. The number of hours ridden in each season was assessed and revealed that amateur competitors and professionals rode on average 1.35 hours more than hobbyists in each 545

season. Whilst the intensity of exercise cannot be determined from this, gathering reliable

SC

data regarding exercise intensity through the use of a questionnaire is troublesome. Further

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studies assessing owner perception vs. reality of exercise intensity could be performed through the use of face-to-face interviews and monitoring exercise intensity through the use of a heart rate monitor (plus a gps/tracker system to monitor speed and distance travelled) on 550

the horse/pony. Such data could be used to provide more evidence-based information to

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owners as an aid to preventing weight-gain in their horse/pony.

There are some limitations to the current study. As with any questionnaires, there is a risk of

Due to the nature of the internet-based survey, the non-response rate cannot be quantified and

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555

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responder bias whereby those with an interest in the subject are more likely to participate.

a degree of selection bias will be present, whereby only those with access to the internet will have been able to participate in the surveys. The wide range of breed types and colours of horses and ponies in the photographic images used in Tier 1 were selected as being representative of the diversity of the UK population. However, it cannot be ruled out that 560

certain colours against different backgrounds may have made anatomical landmarks more difficult to distinguish. For example, it may be more difficult to distinguish a cresty neck on a dark coloured horse against a dark background. Finally, whilst in vivo assessment of BCS

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT allows the use of palpation to provide an estimate of body fatness, the use of photographs to assess the body condition of a horse/pony will be less accurate, where fat cover can only be 565

estimated.

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5. Conclusions This study provides an insight into horse owner and enthusiast’s perception of obesity and has demonstrated a limit in their ability to identify overweight animals from photographic

570

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images. Additionally, it has been clearly demonstrated that perceptions of weight/condition alter depending on the activity the horse/pony is intended for, with increased

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weight/condition deemed to be more appropriate for competing in showing classes. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study to document this finding. These data will enable the provision of more targeted advice to horse owners. Tier 2 has gathered valuable data regarding management practices and obesity prevalence.

exercise, and feeding practises were identified and may form the basis for further

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575

Seasonal changes in weight,

epidemiological studies to investigate the impact of management factors on equine obesity

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prevalence in the UK.

580

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Authors’ contributions

All authors have made substantial contributions to the conception and design of the study as well as to the interpretation of data, revision and approval of the final manuscript. PKM, PAH CMA, CFB designed the questionnaire. PKM distributed the questionnaire, performed data analysis and drafted the manuscript. DGW aided with statistical analysis. PKM, CM, CMA, PAH, and DGW revised the final manuscript. All authors have read and approved the final

585

manuscript.

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Acknowledgements The authors would like to acknowledge all those respondents who took the time to participate

Funding: This research was funded by a PhD Scholarship from WALTHAM. Competing interests

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The authors declare they have no competing interests.

References 595

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in the questionnaires.

[1] Owers R, Chubbock S. Fight the fat! Equine veterinary journal. 2013;45:5-.

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[2] Argo CM, Curtis GC, Grove-White D, Dugdale AHA, Barfoot CF, Harris PA. Weight loss resistance: A further consideration for the nutritional management of obese Equidae. The Veterinary Journal. 2012.

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[3] Morgan RA, Keen JA, McGowan CM. Treatment of equine metabolic syndrome: a clinical case series. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2015:n/a-n/a.

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[4] Courcier EA, Mellor DJ, Thomson RM, Yam PS. A cross sectional study of the prevalence and risk factors for owner misperception of canine body shape in first opinion practice in Glasgow. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2011;102:66-74. [5] Eastland-Jones RC, German AJ, Holden SL, Biourge V, Pickavance LC. Owner misperception of 605

canine body condition persists despite use of a body condition score chart. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2014;3:e45. [6] Wyse CA, McNie KA, Tannahill VJ, Murray JK, Love S. Prevalence of obesity in riding horses in Scotland. The Veterinary Record. 2008;162:590-1. [7] Argo CM, Dugdale AHA, McGowan CM. Considerations for the use of restricted, soaked grass

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hay diets to promote weight loss in the management of equine metabolic syndrome and obesity. The Veterinary Journal. 2015;206:170-7. [8] Giles SL, Rands SA, Nicol CJ, Harris PA. Obesity prevalence and associated risk factors in outdoor living domestic horses and ponies. PeerJ. 2014;2:e299.

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[9] Giles SL, Nicol CJ, Rands SA, Harris PA. Assessing the seasonal prevalence and risk factors for nuchal crest adiposity in domestic horses and ponies using the Cresty Neck Score. BMC Veterinary Research. 2015;11:13.

[10] Robin CA, Ireland JL, Wylie CE, Collins SN, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR. Prevalence of and risk

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factors for equine obesity in Great Britain based on owner-reported body condition scores. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2015;47:196-201.

[11] Ireland JL, Clegg PD, McGowan CM, McKane SA, Chandler KJ, Pinchbeck GL. Comparison of

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[12] Horse and Hound. Obesity and the Show Ring. 2005.

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[13] Kohnke J. Feeding and Nutrition: The making of a champion: Birubi Pacific, Pymble; 1992. [14] Burke MA, Heiland FW, Nadler CM. From “Overweight” to “About Right”: Evidence of a Generational Shift in Body Weight Norms. Obesity. 2010;18:1226-34.

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[15] Robinson E, Kirkham TC. Is he a healthy weight? Exposure to obesity changes perception of the weight status of others. Int J Obes. 2014;38:663-7.

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[16] Robinson E, Christiansen P. The changing face of obesity: Exposure to and acceptance of obesity. Obesity. 2014;22:1380-6. [17] Carter RA, Geor RJ, Burton Staniar W, Cubitt TA, Harris PA. Apparent adiposity assessed by standardised scoring systems and morphometric measurements in horses and ponies. The Veterinary Journal. 2009;179:204-10. [18] Carter RA, Treiber KH, Geor RJ, Douglass L, Harris PA. Prediction of incipient pasture635

associated laminitis from hyperinsulinaemia, hyperleptinaemia and generalised and localised obesity in a cohort of ponies. Equine veterinary journal. 2009;41:171-8. [19] Bruynsteen L, Erkens T, Peelman L, Ducatelle R, Janssens G, Harris P, et al. Expression of

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT inflammation-related genes is associated with adipose tissue location in horses. BMC Veterinary Research. 2013;9:1-9. 640

[20] Burns TA, Geor RJ, Mudge MC, McCutcheon LJ, Hinchcliff KW, Belknap JK. Proinflammatory Cytokine and Chemokine Gene Expression Profiles in Subcutaneous and Visceral Adipose Tissue

Medicine. 2010;24:932-9.

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Depots of Insulin-Resistant and Insulin-Sensitive Light Breed Horses. Journal of Veterinary Internal

[21] Frank N, Geor RJ, Bailey SR, Durham AE, Johnson PJ. Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Journal of 645

Veterinary Internal Medicine. 2010;24:467-75.

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[22] Hansen AM, Catalano DN, Coleman RJ, Hathaway MR, McCue ME, Rendahl AK, et al. 17 Demographics, body condition scores, and owner bodyweight estimations of adult draft and

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warmblood horse breeds. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2015;35:389.

[23] Wylie CE, Ireland JL, Collins SN, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR. Demographics and management 650

practices of horses and ponies in Great Britain: A cross-sectional study. Research in Veterinary Science. 2013;95:410-7.

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[24] Hotchkiss JW, Reid SWJ, Christley RM. A survey of horse owners in Great Britain regarding horses in their care. Part 1: Horse demographic characteristics and management. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2007;39:294-300.

[25] Ireland JL, Wylie CE, Collins SN, Verheyen KLP, Newton JR. Preventive health care and

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[26] Alford P, Geller S, Richrdson B, Slater M, Honnas C, Foreman J, et al. A multicenter, matched case-control study of risk factors for equine laminitis. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 2001;49:209660

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[27] Geor RJ. Metabolic Predispositions to Laminitis in Horses and Ponies: Obesity, Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndromes. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2008;28:753-9. [28] Dugdale AHA, Curtis GC, Cripps PJ, Harris PA, Argo CM. Effects of season and body condition on appetite, body mass and body composition in ad libitum fed pony mares. The Veterinary Journal. 665

2011;190:329-37.

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Figures Figure 1 - Percentage of respondents classifying images of horses and ponies as

670

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overweight. Respondents were shown a panel of 12 lateral photographic images of horses and ponies and asked to identify which ones they considered to be overweight. All animals were expertly

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assessed in vivo and assigned a body condition score from 1 (very poor) to 9 (extremely fat). The percentage of respondents classifying each image as overweight along with the body

675

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condition score assigned in vivo is shown. Overweight animals (BCS ≥6/): A, C, E, G, J and L.

Figure 2 – Difference between expert and respondents in weight categorisation of a

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Sport horse, Cob horse and pony for taking part in different disciplines Respondents were asked to categorise each image into 1 of 5 categories based on the 680

weight/condition of the animal shown for taking part in a range of equestrian disciplines. All

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animals were evaluated in vivo by an experienced assessor. Responses were converted into a numerical scale and the difference between expert and respondents’ response is shown.

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Results are shown for Sport horse (A) and Cob horse and pony (B). Line at 0 denotes exact agreement (“About Right” for Sport horse and “Slightly Overweight” for Cob horse and 685

Pony). Error bars = 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 3 - Owner-reported body condition score of their horse/pony in Tier 2 Owners were asked to rank their horse/pony in its current condition on a scale from 1(very poor) to 9 (extremely fat) 690

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Figure 4 - Owner-reported weight/condition for leisure and competition horses/ponies across each season in Tier 2. Owners were asked to rank their horse/pony’s weight/condition across the different seasons (Spring: March – May; Summer: June – August; Autumn: September – November; Winter: November – February) The response was converted into a numerical scale whereby a value of

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695

3 equates to slightly overweight, 2 = about right, 1 = slightly underweight and 0 = very

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SC

underweight. Error bars = 95% confidence intervals.

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Table 1 – Respondent information for Tier 1 and Tier 2

Respondent information gathered for Tier 1 and Tier 2 included gender, age, geographical location, and their involvement in horses (Professional or non-professional, number of years of involvement, ownership status; Tier 1) or keeper status (Hobbyist/leisure rider or amateur

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competitor/professional; Tier 2) Respondent information

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705

Number

Tier 1 %

95% CI

Number

%

3

1.7

174

98.3

1.1-3.6

Gender Male

Tier 2

11

2.0

528

98.0

Under 18

28

5.2

3.6-7.4

11

6.2

18-25 years

99

18.4

15.3-21.9

37

20.1

26-40 years

189

35.0

31.1-39.2

74

41.8

41-60 years

197

36.6

32.5-40.6

48

27.1

Over 60 years

26

26.8

3.3-7.9

7

3.8

440

81.6

78.1-84.7

147

83.1

Female Age

96.3-98.9

Location England

95% CI

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT 69

12.8

10.2-15.9

22

12.4

Wales

22

4.1

2.7-6.1

5

2.8

Northern Ireland

8

1.5

0.7-2.9

3

1.7

Professional

104

19.3

16.2-22.8

Non-professional

435

80.7

77.1-83.8 67

37.8

30.9-45.3

110

62.2

54.7-69.1

Hobbyist/leisure rider Amateur competitor/professional Number of years of involvement 87

15.9

13.1-19.3

20-40 years

288

53.4

49.2-57.6

6-19 years

160

29.7

26.0-33.7

1-5 years

4

0.7

0.3-2.0

92.2

89.2-93.9

4.7

3.1-6.8

3.1

2.0-5.0

Own a horse/pony

495

Loan a horse/pony

25

Don’t currently own

17

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Ownership status

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>40 years

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Scotland

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Table 2 - Horse/pony information gathered in Tier 2

Owners were asked questions about their horse/pony including the age, gender and where it is kept (number of responses = 177)

Number of horses

EP

Horse/pony information

Number of respondents

%

95% CI

156

88.1

82.4-92.2

21

11.9

7.8-17.6

Under 4 years

5

2.8

1.2-6.7

4-10 years

90

50.9

43.4-58.2

11-16 years

49

27.7

21.5-34.8

17-21 years

22

12.4

8.3-18.2

Over 21 years

11

6.2

3.4-10.9

Mare

63

35.6

28.8-43.0

Gelding

112

63.3

55.9-70.1

Number of ponies Age

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710

Gender

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Colt/stallion

2

1.1

0.3-4.5

At home/at a friends

73

41.2

34.2-48.7

DIY livery

39

22.0

16.5-28.8

Full/part livery

65

36.8

29.9-44.1

Thoroughbred/Sport horse

79

44.6

37.4-52.1

Warmblood

31

17.5

12.6-23.9

Cob

19

10.7

6.9-16.3

Irish draught/Irish draught type

16

9.0

5.6-14.3

Native breed

18

10.2

6.5-15.6

Arab

7

4.0

Cross-breed pony

7

4.0

Where kept

98

Affiliated competitions

79

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Leisure/pleasure purposes

SC 1.9-8.1 1.9-8.1

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Reason kept

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Breed

55.4

0.48-0.63

44.6

0.37-0.52

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Table 3 - Number of respondents ranking each maintenance requirement in order of importance from 1 (most important) to 6 (least

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important) (Tier 2). Respondents were asked to rank aspects of horse/pony management in the order in which they considered to be the most to least important. Importance, 1 = most important, 6 = least important 2

3

%

95% CI

n

%

95% CI

n

Maintaining horse/pony at a healthy weight/condition

101

59.1

51.466.3

50

29.2

22.936.6

13

Having your horse/pony’s feet regularly trimmed/shod

53

31.0

24.438.4

75

43.9

36.551.5

24

Having your horse/pony’s teeth regularly checked

3

1.8

0.65.4

14

8.2

4.913.4

Having your horse/pony’s back regularly checked

1

0.6

0.84.1

9

5.3

Picking your horse/pony’s feet out on a daily basis

9

5.3

2.79.8

21

12.3

Grooming your horse/pony on a daily basis

4

2.3

0.96.1

2

1.2

%

95% CI

n

5

6

%

95% CI

n

%

95% CI

n

%

95% CI

7.6

4.412.7

5

2.9

1.26.9

2

1.2

0.34.6

0

0

-

14.0

9.620.2

13

7.6

4.412.7

4

2.3

0.96.1

2

1.2

0.34.6

61

35.7

28.843.2

50

29.2

22.936.6

27

15.8

11.022.1

16

9.4

5.814.8

EP

TE D

n

4

SC

1

M AN U

Maintenance requirement

14

8.2

4.913.4

34

19.9

14.526.6

59

34.5

27.742.0

54

31.6

25.039.0

8.118.2

48

28.1

21.835.5

43

25.2

19.232.3

40

23.3

17.630.4

10

5.8

3.210.6

0.34.6

11

6.4

3.611.3

26

15.2

10.521.5

39

22.8

17.129.8

89

52.1

44.559.5

2.79.9

AC C

715

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Table 4 – Associations between season, keeper status and the average number of hours ridden per week. CI, confidence interval. n = 177 respondents/season.

Variable

Estimate β

95% CI

P value

Spring

1.49

1.12 – 1.86

< 0.01

Summer

2.74

2.37 – 3.12

< 0.01

Autumn

1.42

1.05 – 1.79

< 0.01

Keeper status (0 hobbyist; 1 amateur competitor/professional)

1.35

0.44 – 2.26

< 0.01

Baseline

3.17

725

AC C

EP

SC M AN U

TE D

720

RI PT

Season (Winter baseline):

2.41 – 3.92

< 0.01

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Supplementary material Supplementary file 1 – Tier 1 questionnaire

EP

TE D

M AN U

SC

RI PT

Supplementary file 2 – Tier 2 questionnaire

AC C

730

AC C

EP

TE D

M AN U

SC

RI PT

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

AC C

EP

TE D

M AN U

SC

RI PT

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

AC C

EP

TE D

M AN U

SC

RI PT

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

AC C

EP

TE D

M AN U

SC

RI PT

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT Highlights

RI PT

SC M AN U TE D

•

EP

• •

Horse owner’s perceptions of equine obesity were evaluated via questionnaires. The ability to correctly identify overweight animals by visual appraisal alone was poor. Perceptions of ideal weight/condition were varied between equestrian disciplines. Animals intended for the show-ring were considered to be more appropriate when overweight. Seasonal changes in management of horses/ponies in UK are reported.

AC C

• •