Just like people, horses can get too fat which can have a negative impact on their health and well-being. Here’s a quick guide to on how to identify a fat horse, health problems associated with obesity and methods of weight loss.

 The growing trend of feeding concentrate diets has led to an increase in the number of horses classed as obese. If a horse is overweight, they are less able to cope with the physical demands of being ridden and their “job” as well as being at risk of other health conditions.

 

How can I assess my horses weight?

 Even without access to a weigh tape, assessing your horse’s bodyweight is very simple. The Body Condition Score (BCS) system is based on visually assessing the horse as well as feeling for fat deposits or bones in certain areas. The simplified, five point scoring system is often used. This splits the horse’s body into three areas; neck and shoulder, back and ribs and bottom. Each area is given a score between 0 and 5, where 0 = emaciated, 1 = poor, 2 = moderate, 3 = good, 4 = fat and 5 = obese. These are then used to calculate a total score, identifying their overall appearance. As a general rule, if you can feel but not see bones, the horse is just right.

 

What will happen to my horse if he is overweight?

 Overweight or obese horses are prone to several conditions which may negatively affect their health. Fat (known as adipose) tissue produces inflammatory proteins called cytokines. These cause inflammation throughout the body which damages tissues and affects metabolism. Laminitis is a well-known illness which is associated with metabolic changes and obesity. Obese horses may also be prone to developing osteoarthritis.

 

What do I do if my horse is overweight?

 For animals to lose weight they need to have a calorie deficit which means they consume less calories than they use. This can be done by increasing the amount of exercise whilst limiting calorie intake in food. This may mean cutting down hard food and feeding a high-fibre, low-sugar forage. It is extremely important that forage is not restricted as horses and ponies digestive systems are designed to constantly take in food. Preventing this natural feeding behaviour can lead to hindgut dysfunction, gastric ulcers and stereotypic behaviours as a stress coping mechanism. Feeders that slow forage consumption, such as the Haygain Forager, can help as they maximise chewing time, mimicking natural feeding behaviour.

 

It is possible to get your hay tested to find out the sugar content and hygiene status by sending a sample to a laboratory. If it’s not possible to source a low-sugar, high-fibre forage the sugar content in hay can be reduced; the recommended process is a mixture of soaking and steaming. There are lots of other associated benefits of steaming hay including reducing bacteria and mould. 

For more information about Haygain and to find out more about their Forager, visit https://haygain.co.uk/pages/your-horse-overweight

 

To find out more about the benefits of steaming hay, visit https://haygain.co.uk/pages/benefits-of-hay-steaming 

For Haygain’s blog post on horse obesity, visit

https://haygain.co.uk/blogs/news-and-events/horse-obesity