The National Equine Health Survey needs you

We are appealing to all the UK's equine veterinary practices to encourage their clients to participate in the National Equine Health Survey (NEHS) during 5–11 May 2013. Run by Blue Cross, in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association and with support from Zoetis UK Ltd, NEHS was introduced in 2010 and is now an annual fixture.

It is conducted as a quick and easy online snapshot survey of common health issues in horses, communicated directly by horse owners themselves. NEHS data collected to date has revealed crucial information about common diseases such as skin problems, lameness, weight issues and colic. The results are shared across the sector to help establish benchmarks for equine health and disease in the UK and define priorities for future research, training and education.

Key findings so far:

Overall, the NEHS data has reinforced the importance of certain syndromes to the health and welfare of the UK equid population, for example laminitis, colic and lameness. The data have also revealed other disease syndromes as being of relatively high prevalence and possibly deserving greater attention than previously, for example melanoma, head shaking and stereotypies.