科研之友
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摘要
Equine owner's and manager's implementation of equine nutrition concepts varies across disciplines and geographic regions. The project objectives were to (1) characterize equine feeding practices in the Upper Midwest; and (2) determine the extent to which horse owners and managers in the Upper Midwest were knowledgeable in the area of equine nutrition. An online survey was open to equine owners and managers 18+ years of age in South Dakota and neighboring states. Respondents were mainly female (85%, n = 150), had an average age of 40 +/- 16 years (n = 145), had over 10 years of equine ownership/management experience (71%, n = 131), and belonged to one equine organization on average. When respondents identified a representative horse from their herd, Quarter Horses with an average age of 12 +/- 6 years were most commonly reported. The majority of owners (57%, n = 127) reported that their horses were kept at maintenance or in light work. Respondents' methods of estimating horse weight and body condition score, measuring and analyzing feed stuffs, and managing pastures varied. Nutrition knowledge score averaged 10.8 +/- 3.1 out of 20 possible points. Knowledge score was not correlated with number of horses owned/managed or years of horse experience (P > .10), but there was a slight positive correlation with equine organization involvement (P = .02). This survey characterized feeding practices in the Upper Midwest noting some discrepancies between respondents' knowledge and how they feed their horses. Opportunities exist for improving understanding and application of equine nutrition concepts.
- 出版日期2018-3
