b'For additional news items, see TheHorse.com/NewsStudy: Notequines in Chile is better than interms when talking about their other countries, said Tamara Ta- horses, including partner, friend, All Workingdich, PhD, of the University of Chilemy life, or family member, with Faculty of Veterinary Sciences,some owners even saying, Hes Equids Sufferin Santiago. We believe this islike a son to me, she said.associated with the fact that theDespite their poverty level, From Seriouswork intensity is lower, the climateowners generally invested in their factors are more favorable, andhorses health and welfare, said Ta-Welfare Issues most owners are concerned aboutdich. Owners are aware that their their horses; they are practicallyhorses have some basic needs in Working equids can have itpart of their family and treated asorder to maintain their health and rough, suffering from overwork,such. that they need a healthy horse poor nutrition, parasites, inad- In their study, Tadich and col- in order to work, but at the same equate hoof care, extreme tem- leagues evaluated 100 urban drafttime we have found that they have peratures, ill-fitting tack, disease,horses and their owners in Chileshigh levels of empathy toward excessively heavy loads, and more.Metropolitana de Santiago andanimals, which could also influ-But, as it turns out, the pictureAraucania regions.ence their decisions, she said. isnt always grim. In a recent studyThe horses were nearly 9Ultimately, the researchers hope to Chilean researchers determinedyears old, on average, and 61%change the way people generally ISTOCK.COMthat working equid welfare statuswere mares. More than 80% hadview working equids, Tadich said: can vary considerably from coun- adequate body condition scores,I believe there is a global need try to country even among ownersand 97% had an alert attitudeto visualize the roles that working of similar socioeconomic status.with friendly responses to thewater access throughout the day,equids have in different communi-In Chile the horses belonging toowner and observer. A little moreand 83% were fed two or threeties. They are a part of not only even the poorest individuals oftenthan half the horses showed hooftimes a day. About half had beenthe financial capital but the social lead good and healthy lives, theyabnormalities, and a little lesstreated for intestinal parasites inone, as well.reported. than half had minor skin lesions,the past six months. Read more at TheHorse.In general, we have foundgenerally from harness wear.Whats more, owners had acom/40105.that the welfare state of workingAlmost all the horses had regularstrong tendency to use familiarChrista Lest-Lasserre, MAand welfare category that must be A New Approach for considered and evaluated:Assessing Working Thumb: behavior, quality ofLeptospirosis-Associatedweva communication between animalKidney Disease in FoalsEquid Welfare and caregiver; Although many horses are exposed to theIndex: body condition score; bacterium Leptospira interrogans, only a few develop disease. Researchers have lent a hand Middle: presence/absence ofThe main health concerns associated with Leptospira to those evaluating workingwounds; species are abortion in pregnant mares and equine recurrent equid health and welfare: Theyve Ring: presence/absence ofuveitis in adult horses. Less commonly, foals can also develop validated a five-step approach thatlameness; and acute renal (kidney) disease and respiratory failure due to gives working equid owners, vet-Pinkie: ill health. leptospirosis infection. erinarians, and local authorites inFoals with acute renal injury They also use the palm of thedue to leptospirosis usually show developing countries an easy wayhand to consider the life of thenonspecific clinical signs, such as ANNE M. EBERHARDT/THE HORSEto remember which basic health and welfare aspects to assess byequid within the community, withunwillingness to nurse, a lack of looking at their hands.mainly resource-based indicatorsalertness, and fever.Each finger represents a health(age, end-of-life issues, etc.). Blood work can help veterinar-A research team from Chileians gain more information about recently used this technique tothe foals state. Affected foals have abnormally high concentrations of evaluate working horses, donkeys,the body waste compounds urea and mules and found the hands- and creatinine in their blood.on approach effective in coveringIf the veterinarian makes a diagnosis early and implements all bases of health and welfare onintensive care and treatment immediately, the foal has a fair to a basic level.good chance to make a full recovery. Learn more about this approachFind out how veterinarians treat Leptospira-associated and how researchers validatedkidney disease in foals at TheHorse.com/40227.Nathalie Fouch, DrMedVet, Dipl. ECEIM, of the Swiss its usefulness at TheHorse. Institute of Equine Medicine (ISME), and ISTOCK.COMcom/40091. Vince Gerber, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, ECEIM, FVH, of ISME, Christa Lest-Lasserre, MA WEVA treasurer and junior-vice presidentMarch 2018 THE HORSE TheHorse.com 11'