Sarcoid survey clarifies owner experiences

Almost 70% of horses have at least one sarcoid, according to a recent survey that collated responses from over 800 owners, riders and professionals who work in the equine industry, suggesting this is one of the most common conditions to affect a wide range of breeds of horses and ponies of varying ages.

The survey, carried out online by microcurrent technology experts ArcEquine, asked respondents for their experiences with different aspects of sarcoid diagnosis, management and treatment, with the greatest concern reported as the welfare implications for affected horses and ponies, followed by the potential impact on athletic performance.

37% said they would consult their vet if a horse developed a small sarcoid, but 42% would just monitor closely and when it comes to purchasing a horse with sarcoids, 32% would consider such a horse, but 45% would not and 96% think that the commercial value of an affected equine is less.

83% of people consider information about causes, treatment and the prognosis for affected horses is only satisfactory at best. 50% admit to not knowing the type of sarcoid their horse has, yet 71% consider that early diagnosis and effective treatment is the best policy.

When it comes to the available treatments, success rates reported are very variable, with no one treatment modality standing out as widely effective. The best option reported by 45% of owners as producing very good or excellent results is laser excision, with topical treatments, including cytotoxic creams at 39% and rubber band ligation at 34%.  Poor or very poor success is reported in 46% of horses treated with radiation therapy.

Given the growing evidence sarcoids are likely to be caused by the bovine papilloma virus, which is able to evade the horse’s immune system, the survey also asked about the proximity of cattle to affected horses and about methods used to control flying insects. 58% of people believe that insect transmission is a moderate, high or very high risk, with 71% of horses affected by sarcoids known to have been within a three kilometre proximity to cattle.

Incidence of sarcoids around the country from survey responses

There was little consensus about the best way to control flies around horses, but numbers of horses affected by sarcoids reported in different areas of the country indicates higher numbers in the warmer, more southern areas, where the fly season is longer.

Finally, it’s interesting that only 61% of owners know that there is currently no vaccine to prevent sarcoids, which if it existed, would offer the potential for an immune-mediated response to what is a widespread problem in the UK.

Find out more online at www.arcequine.com, join the ArcEquine community on facebook or follow @ArcEquine on Twitter.

Love Your horse? Then check out our top health tips

Of course you love your horse – we all do, but along with the cuddles, keeping on top of health issues is vital and at ArcEquine, we’re always being asked for advice about injuries and accidents, so we thought we’d share some of the ways you can use your ArcEquine unit to help keep your horse fit and well.

      Tip 1 - Reduce the pain, inflammation and swelling from bruises or other injuries which can so easily happen when a bit too much excess energy results in a collision with the fence or gate, bounces about on a windy day or just needs to let off steam after a period of stabling or down time due to holidays or a planned short break.

·       Tip 2 - Promote rapid healing of those little nicks and scratches horses seem to attract to themselves on an all-too-frequent basis, with reduced risk of infection and little or no scar tissue.

·        Tip 3 – Accelerate recovery after a demanding training session or competition when you know your horse is feeling tired and perhaps a bit ‘achy’. Travelling home with an ArcEquine unit on will help to rapidly reduce lactic acid and reduce stiffness in the muscles.

·         Tip 4 – Banish those little ‘niggles’ and ‘off-days’ and help prevent injuries during your pre-season fitness campaign. Unseen micro-tears in soft tissues commonly precede major injuries and ArcEquine will help to heal these quickly, reducing the risk of more significant damage.

·         Tip 5 – Maintain fitness and wellbeing with regular (one week each month) use of your ArcEquine to ensure your horse feels as well as he looks. Microcurrent therapy works throughout the body, stimulating individual cells to help keep your horse feeling fit and ready to perform.

For more ‘news you can use', practical advice and information, visit us online regularly, share the experiences and success stories of other ArcEquine users – and you can even post your own! Join our facebook community and follow @ArcEquine on Twitter.