Veterinary session

The following study is the first investigation of its kind into the feeding practices of Hungarian horse

owners. It also aims to determine the depth of their knowledge in the area of equine nutrition.

The research is based on an anonymous online survey filled out by eighty randomly chosen horse owners

committed to at least one of the disciplines of show jumping, dressage, and three-day eventing between

June 2022 and September 2023. The gender and age of respondents were unknown along with the

location of their horses within the country.

The most common horse breed in the survey was the Hungarian Sport Horse, representing 31% of the

total. The horses’ average age was 10.5 years with training intensity ranging from minimal to hard.

54% of the respondents marked their horse’s weight as unknown, and only 5% measured it at least once

every 6 months. The tools used for measurement included scales and weight tapes. The Body Condition

Score (BCS) of the horses was not estimated at all by 66% of the horse owners.

The applied husbandry techniques, the horses’ exposure to pasture, the circumstances of feeding, and

the method of measuring daily rations varied.

The most frequently fed preserved forage was meadow hay (92.5%), either alone or in combination with

other preserved forages. The nutritional values of preserved forages were not determined by a

laboratory in 85% of cases.

81% of the horses consumed grains, 76% were given commercially available horse feed, and 96%

received some form of dietary supplement.

86% of horse owners considered nutrition critically important in maintaining and improving their horse's

performance, but only 46% sought advice from their veterinarian on the subject. Based on their own

admission, respondents' knowledge of equine nutrition averaged 3.6 on a scale of 1 to 5, while their

knowledge of nutrition-related health problems averaged 3.5. Discrepancies appeared between

respondents’ knowledge and how they fed their horses. 92.5% of the owners expressed willingness to

expand their knowledge of equine nutrition.

Improving horse owners’ understanding of equine nutrition concepts and shaping their mindset could

significantly reduce feeding errors. In this process, greater involvement from veterinarians would be

needed.