Equine Health and the Australian Horse Industry
Impact of COVID and Forecasted Growth
The Australian horse industry is thought to generate between $5-7 billion of economic activity annually, with Equestrian placed as one of Australian sports’ top contributors to the national economy.
Whilst COVID has of course had considerable impacts, fortunately due to the strict biosecurity protocols developed in response to the equine influenza outbreak in 2007-2008, the industry has been able to continue with fewer disruptions than many others in Australia.
In addition, the horse farming industries’ revenue is anticipated to increase over the next 5 years, certainly with demand from overseas customers for Australian thoroughbred horses increasing and international trade bouncing back.
When considering the Australian horse industry and equestrian in particular, the major point of difference the sport has from others is the responsibility that goes with the management and care of the horse. Approximately $400 million is spent on the maintenance and transport of horses annually, with 76% of Equine Australia members reporting back that they are involved with the sport for the love of the horse.
Optimal Equine Health = Success
The success and prosperity of the horse farming industry and equestrian sport all boils down to the optimum health and productivity of the animals.
Of the six nutrients required by a horse, being carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and water; water is by far the most important yet is often the one we think of last.
Ensuring your horse drinks enough water is crucial to preventing dehydration and the associated effects on the horse. Inadequate water intake can be compounded by sweating during exercise or travel and result in impaction colic, dehydration and potentially other health problems requiring veterinary intervention.
In addition, certain times throughout a horse's life such as when a mare is lactating can increase the daily requirement and water intake. Studies have shown that lactating mares require 1.8 to 2.5 times more water than that necessary for maintenance, and this may be due to increased feed intake or milk production.
In any case, access to fresh, clean water is critical to the performance, productivity and general wellbeing of your horse.
Translating Water Quality to Animal Performance
There are a number of options available when it comes to providing your horse with water, including manual filling systems, automatic/gravity-fed water troughs or natural water sources such as dams or rivers. Troughs enable you to get a sense of how much water your horse is consuming while also reducing the risk of contamination that can occur in natural water sources. With water quality translating directly to animal performance, the ability to clean and refill troughs also becomes an important factor.
With many trough products on the market, Mid West Concrete have designed and manufactured a range of reinforced steel concrete troughs with quality, durability and longevity in mind.
To ensure your horses have access to clean water for optimal performance and productivity, learn more about our range of round and traditional concrete water troughs or contact the Mid West Concrete team.