Knowledge and Perceptions on recognizing Colic among Horse Handlers’ in Nigeria

Colic is one of the most common medical problems that horse handlers or owners encounter, and also one of the most prevalent emergency conditions of veterinarians concern. The capacity of a handler or owner to recognize colic and seek help is a crucial step in determining the outcome of a case. The purpose of this study was to evaluate horse handlers' knowledge and opinions on recognizing colic. Structured open and close ended questionnaires were used to obtain information from 77 participants. Information on demographic, understanding and recognition of the normal horse, understanding and recognition of colic in the horse, personal experiences with colic and sources of information on colic were obtained. Free text box was also provided. Descriptive statistics and Chi square were the analytic methods used. Most horse handlers did not know or gave erroneous values for their horse's normal clinical parameters. Only 5% (n= 4/77), 12% (n=9/77) and 3% (n=2/77) of participants gave answers that fell within the reference range values for heart rate, rectal temperature and respiratory rate respectively. There was a significant association between knowledge of normal heart rate (P<0.05), respiratory rate (P<0.05) and rectal temperature (P<0.05), and participants level of education. Most horse handlers indicated they would check fecal output (90%; n = 70/77) and appetite (88%; n = 68/77) if they felt their horse had colic. Also, majority of the respondents said unless colic signs were severe and continuous, they would not call a veterinarian and prefer to ask other handlers or use their personal experience to get information on colic. In conclusion, horse handlers have a poor understanding of colic, with misunderstandings and gaps in their knowledge. Hence, the need for trainings and educational programmes are recommended for horse handlers to assist them in making decisions.