2024 report

updated July 2025

Introduction

Throughout the report the comparable unit from 2023 with percentage change over 2023 is presented in parentheses. Data is available from 44 veterinary practices (34, 29%), treating 183,134 horses (147,458, 24%). It should be noted that data is still being collected. The British Equestrian Trade Association survey in 2023 estimated there were 726,000 horses in the UK, thus this report covers ~ 25% of the equine population.  

Results

In 2024 the Defined Daily Dose Veterinary per year of antibiotics for horses was 1.195 (1.265, -5.5%). This is 5.5% less than in 2023. The use of Highest Priority Critically Important Antibiotics increased, to 0.097 DDDVet/yr (0.082, +19.5%) made up of 0.027 later generation cephalosporins (0.033, -17.5%) but 0.071 fluoroquinolones (0.049, +44.5%).

Potentiated sulphonamides and tetracyclines were the commonest antibiotics used, at 0.50 and 0.468 DDDVet/yr respectively (0.550 -8.1%, 0.490 -4.5%). Aminoglycosides were also represented, at 0.058 DDVet/yr (0.065 -11.5%) and penicillins at 0.048 (0.057 -15.1%). Other antibiotics included first and second generation cephalosporins (cefazolin), macrolides, nitroimidazoles (metronidzole), chlorahamphenicol and the ansamycin rifampicin. All antibiotics other than potentiated sulphonamides, tetracyclines and HPCIA’s, termed “other”, amounted to 0.126 DDDVet/yr (0.145 -13.1%).

The total amount of antibiotic used was 3.972 tonnes. The total weight of horses treated was 5,1974,469, an estimated average weight of 498 kg per horse.

Commentary

Data is still being collected. This year one new practice has provided data, thirty three provided data in both years and one provided data in 2023 but not yet in 2024. BEVA is very grateful to the EVSNET project from the University of Liverpool which provided data for an additional 14 practices in 2024. No practice has refused to provide data subsequent to 2023 and it is hoped that further data will be submitted. Each practice is given a report comparing themselves with the total data, shown below.

The Defined Daily Dose Veterinary / year refers to the number of days per year which the average horse has received a dose of antibiotics. So, if a practice only treated one horse, and it had five days of oral potentiated sulphonamides, the result is 5. If the practice treated that horse and vaccinated four others (so five horses in total) the DDDVet/yr would be 1 (one horse has five days antibiotics and four have none so the average horse got one day that year). Further if the practice vaccinated another four horses (8 in total) and treated one with ten days of ceftiofur, the DDD would be 1.5 (5 potentiated sulphonamides + 10 ceftiofur / 10 horses).  Thus it is independent of the mg of antibiotics used, which would be higher in the potentiated sulphonamides and four vaccines case (say 30000mg x 5 days / 500kg * 5 horses = 60mg/kg) while the ceftiofur and potentiated sulphonamides example might be lower at 32.8 mg/kg (30000 potentiated sulphonamides x 5 days + 1400mg ceftiofur x 10 days / 500kg x 10 horses = 32.8 mg/kg). In essence using mg/kg, the overall figure would be made better despite using more reserved antibiotics. Hence the preference for DDDVet/yr.

Tabulated Results