Horse-keeping practices in Australia: findings from a national online survey of horse owners.

OBJECTIVE: To gain an understanding of general horse-keeping practices in Australia, including shelter, social contact, exercise, watering and supplementary feeding.

METHODS: An online survey was conducted with 505 owners in relation to one 'representative' horse in their care.

RESULTS: The majority (83%) of horses were managed at pasture. Approximately one-quarter of those horses were housed alone (26%) or with one companion animal (27%). If horses were confined to a stable or small yard, the most recorded means of exercise was riding (65%) at a daily frequency (60%). Over half of the horse owners provided water in a trough or drinker with an automatic refill system (58%) and most horse owners supplied hay to their horses (82%), most commonly in combination with grazing. Areas of potential concern included one-quarter of stabled horses being prevented from unmediated social and physical contact with conspecifics and one-fifth of stabled horses being exercised less than daily.

CONCLUSION: The horse-keeping profile in this study should be considered in the public communication of guidelines as well as interactions between veterinarians and clients.