Horse and housing variables
Based on questionnaire data obtained from the horse owners, the following variables were collected including age and breed of the horse, along with the clinical history. For the analyses, horses were categorized into three age-groups 0-6 years, 7-14 years and >14 years.
The owners were also requested for information about the stabling facilities/housing types (box, loose housing), bedding material (straw, shavings) and roughage fed (dry hay, soaked hay, silage).