11 December 2015
Horses’ health at risk from long-distance travel
The first-ever study of horses travelling cross-country in one of the harshest continents
in the world has found lengthy travel can lead to psychological and physical exhaustion,
as well as death.
The research has expanded on studies done on horses driven to abattoirs, to focus on
transport of horses for commercial activities in Australia. Lead researcher with the
University of Sydney's Faculty of Veterinary Science, Barbara Paladino, a qualified
equine veterinarian, said horses travelled more than any other animal but there had
been a lack of statistics and analysis.
“There are horses that travel twice a week,” said Ms Paladino, a lecturer in animal
husbandry at the University of Bari, Italy and a PhD candidate at the University of
Sydney under the supervision of Dr Gary Muscatello.
“The number of individual horse movements is difficult to estimate but is very high –
probably more than two million a year in Australia alone, since there is a quarter of a
million horses registered on the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United
Nations.”
The new research has been published this week in the ‘Horses and risk’ issue of the
open-access, peer-reviewed journal Animals.
The study analysed reports over a two-year period of 180 journeys, transporting 1650
horses between Perth and Sydney (about 4000 km taking three-and-a-half-days). The
trips consisted of four stages: Sydney-Melbourne (10 hours), Melbourne-Adelaide (8.5
hours), Adelaide-Kalgoorlie (24 hours) and Kalgoorlie-Perth (6 hours). After each stage,
horses were given a 12-hour rest.
It identified 46 cases of transport-related health issues. This included four horses that
died or were humanely destroyed and another that died two days after travel, although
the cause of death of the fifth horse was unknown.
Of those horses suffering transport-related health issues, just over one in two comprised
respiratory and gastrointestinal problems, followed pyrexia (fever) in almost one fifth,
then traumatic injuries (15%), and death (12%).
Injuries were often associated with the beginning of trips and journeys of longer than 20
hours were found to be associated with severe pathologies, such as colic, pneumonia
and death.
The study noted more could be done to bring standards in Australia in line with best
practice in many parts of the world such as in the European Union, which has specific
requirements when travel exceeds eight hours. In comparison, the Australian Animal
Welfare Standards and Guidelines for the Land Transport of Livestock lists overall
maximum journey and minimum rest periods.
Ms Paladino said good quality vehicles, horse-handling skills and driving skills were
important factors in reducing the incidence of injuries.
“Monitoring of the horses’ behaviour and health, during and after travel, are important
practices – to identify animals that are developing a transport-related disease – and
provide prompt assistance,” Ms Paladino said.
“Transportation may be a human-related risk to horses but it may also be a horserelated risk to humans and it is vital that it is managed carefully.”
Media enquiries: Vivienne Reiner, 02 9351 2390, 0438 021 390,
vivienne.reiner@sydney.edu.au
The paper, ‘Health problems and risk factors associated with long haul transport of
horses in Australia’, was published in Animals overnight on 10 December 2015.
Images:
1. Horses transported in a truck studied by Barbara Paladino not on the SydneyPerth route. Credit Barbara Paladino.
2. Injuries Barbara Paladino treated as a vet, not from the current dataset. Credit
Barbara Paladino.
3. University of Sydney lead researcher Barbara Paladino. Credit University of
Sydney.