Trusted Voices in Treatment: Exploring Professional Guidance and Educational Needs in Equine Laminitis Cases

Abstract

Equine laminitis is one of the most serious, painful, and consequential health conditions affecting horses worldwide, accounting for approximately one-quarter of equine euthanasia decisions. Despite advances in laminitis pathology and treatment, outcomes depend on owner compliance with sustained daily management. This compliance is fundamentally shaped by the guidance provided by veterinarians, farriers, and professional trainers.
This study investigated how equine professionals perceived and enacted their role in guiding horse owners' decisions about laminitis treatment and prevention, and factors influencing their communication, education, and collaborative practices across roles.
Drawing on Source Credibility Theory and Diffusion of Innovations Theory, a mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey was administered to equine professionals in the U.S. between November 2025 and March 2026. 266 valid responses were collected from veterinarians (n = 90), farriers (n = 68), and professional trainers (n = 108), yielding a 6.01 percent margin of error at 95 percent confidence The survey consisted of 24 Likert-scale items across five constructs: Trust and Communication, Owner Knowledge and Education, Decision-Making Support, Innovation Adoption, and Professional Collaboration. An open-ended question generated 134 substantive responses, analyzed thematically with saturation at response 16.
ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons, chi-square, Kendall's tau and Spearman correlation, and multiple regression revealed significant role-based differences. Veterinarians scored higher than farriers on Trust and Communication and Decision-Making Support. The overall regression model explained 57.7 percent of variance in Decision-Making Support (R² = .577). Role-specific models differed: Innovation Adoption dominated for farriers (β = 0.790, p < .001), Trust and Communication for veterinarians (β = 0.707, p < .001), and all four predictors were significant for trainers.
Six themes emerged: Owner Education and Knowledge Gaps; Communication Clarity and Honesty; Interprofessional Collaboration; End-of-Life Decision Support; Treatment Innovation and Adaptation; and Owner Adherence and Consistency Challenges. These themes reinforced the quantitative patterns.
All five hypotheses were supported. Findings revealed both consistent cross-role patterns and meaningful role-specific differences. The results supported targeted communication training, interdisciplinary care coordination, and improved owner-education resources. Applying Source Credibility Theory and Diffusion of Innovations Theory in an equine-specific context, this study advances understanding of how communication shapes professional decision-making support in laminitis care.
Keywords: equine laminitis · veterinary communication · source credibility theory · diffusion of innovations · horse owner decision-making · professional collaboration · mixed methods · survey research · thematic analysis · farrier communication.