Prevalence of Work Related Wound and the Associated Risk Factors in Cart Horses in Bishoftu Town, Central Ethiopia

Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2016 to April 2017 with the objectives to estimate the prevalence of work related wound and the associated risk factors in 400 randomly selected carthorses in Bishoftu town, Central Ethiopia. The findings revealed high overall wound prevalence of 42.5%. Age, body condition scores, harness type, and work load were the major risk factors associated with occurrence of wound in the study area. Older horses were found to be highly affected by wound than young and adults and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Likewise, poor body conditioned animals were at greater risk of developing wound than good body conditioned animals. There was significant association between horse handling and prevalence of wound where horses managed by beating were at higher risk of developing wound than those managed by soothing voices (OR =3.291, 95% CI = (2.160-5.014)). Furthermore, wound prevalence was significantly associated with harnessing type. Horses with plastic harnesses were almost three times at greater risk of developing wound (OR=3.116, 95% CI= (2.038-4.764)) than those with leather harness. Also the distribution of wound on the affected animals shown significant differences (p < 0.05), in which higher proportion (41%) of wound was observed at the back and withers of affected animals whereas lower proportion (7%) was observed on the abdominal area. In general, the present study revealed high overall prevalence of wound in cart horses in the study area that require a comprehensive equine health, management and welfare promotion program so as to enhance the efficient utilization in these animals and also to improved the community’s livelihood.

Keywords: Cart horse, Wound, Risk factors, Bishoftu, Ethiopia