School of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia.
Equine Vet J. 2013 Jan;45(1):9-14. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2011.00541.x. Epub 2012 Mar 11.
Horse misbehaviour is an important cause of poor performance in Pony Club horses, is associated with horse-related rider injuries and has been implicated as a nonspecific presenting sign for musculoskeletal pain. Despite this, little is known about the incidence of and risk factors for misbehaviour in Pony Club horses.
This study aimed to describe the incidence and types of misbehaviour in a cohort of Pony Club horses and to identify risk factors for misbehaviour during riding.
A prospective longitudinal study was conducted with 84 Pony Club horses from 41 families belonging to 7 Pony Clubs in one inland region of Australia. Owners recorded misbehaviour events and kept daily records of horse housing, exercise, nutrition, healthcare and disease status. Horses were subjected to a monthly veterinary examination. Descriptive statistics were calculated to describe the incidence of misbehaviour, and multivariable logistic regression was used to assess putative risk factors.
Misbehaviour during riding occurred on 3% of days when horses were ridden. On 52% of days with misbehaviour, the misbehaviour was classified as dangerous. Risk of misbehaviour was independently increased on exercise days when the horse was competing, and in months when the horse was fat or obese, fed supplementary feed daily, grazed on paddocks with >50% of ground cover as green grass, exercised on 5 days per month or less, and ridden for a total of 12 h or more in the month. No significant relationship was detected between misbehaviour and back pain.
In populations such as the study population the risk of misbehaviour is higher in fatter horses, in horses with access to pastures with greater green grass cover, in those fed daily supplements, in horses receiving exercise less frequently, and during competition.
These results highlight the importance of considering horse body condition, nutrition and exercise in any investigation of horse misbehaviour. In addition, recommendations based on these results could be used by veterinarians assisting horse owners to prevent misbehaviour. From the perspective of recreational horse owners, behaviour is a key determinant of horse performance.
马的不良行为是造成小马俱乐部马匹表现不佳的一个重要原因，与与马相关的骑手受伤有关，并被认为是肌肉骨骼疼痛的非特异性表现。尽管如此，对于小马俱乐部马匹不良行为的发生率和危险因素知之甚少。
本研究旨在描述小马俱乐部马匹不良行为的发生率和类型，并确定骑行过程中不良行为的危险因素。
对来自澳大利亚内陆一个地区的 7 个小马俱乐部的 41 个家庭的 84 匹小马进行了一项前瞻性纵向研究。马主记录不良行为事件，并记录马的住房、运动、营养、保健和疾病状况的日常记录。每月对马匹进行一次兽医检查。使用描述性统计来描述不良行为的发生率，并使用多变量逻辑回归来评估潜在的危险因素。
在马匹骑行时，不良行为发生率为 3%。在 52%出现不良行为的日子里，不良行为被归类为危险。当马匹在比赛中运动时，以及在马匹肥胖或肥胖、每天补充饲料、在草地上放牧超过 50%的月份，以及在每月运动 5 天或更少、每月骑行总时间为 12 小时或更长时间时，发生不良行为的风险独立增加。在研究人群中，不良行为与背痛之间未检测到显著关系。
在像研究人群这样的人群中，肥胖马、有更多绿草覆盖的牧场、每天补充饲料、较少频繁运动、每月总骑行时间为 12 小时或更长时间的马匹，发生不良行为的风险更高。
这些结果强调了在任何关于马不良行为的调查中，都要考虑马的身体状况、营养和运动的重要性。此外，兽医可以根据这些结果为马主提供建议，以防止不良行为的发生。从休闲马主的角度来看，行为是决定马表现的关键因素。
