Equine Obesity

A pilot study, recently carried out by the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, shows that rates of obesity among horses are likely to be as high as they are among people. Here at Animal friends we are shocked to hear that there is such a problem with equine obesity.

A pilot study, recently carried out by the University of Nottingham's School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, shows that rates of obesity among horses are likely to be as high as they are among people.

Here at Animal friends we are shocked to hear that there is such a problem with equine obesity.

Below is a summary of the report which showed that at least one in five horses that are used for leisure are overweight or obese, the study showed.  The condition can lead to serious problems such as laminitis, arthritis and equine metabolic syndrome

Questionnaires were sent to 500 owners that are registered at the Oakham Veterinary Hospital, one of the school's clinical associates specialising in the treatment of horses.  None of the owners used horses for anything other than leisure activities.  Of the 160 questionnaires returned, one in five showed their horses to be overweight or obese.

Dr Sarah Freeman, a specialist in veterinary surgery at the school, supervised the research and said: “This provides the first snapshot of the prevalence of obesity in horses in the UK and an insight into owners’ management of bodyweight in horses. Obesity is linked to a number of different diseases, including arthritis, laminitis and equine metabolic syndrome. A larger study would be useful to establish the prevalence and risk factors for equine obesity in different horse populations across the UK.”

The owners were asked about their perception of their horse's body conditions and asked to score their answers from zero to five, with a score of 3 or more indicating they considered them to be overweight.
The results also showed that grass was the main source of forage for half of the horses and coarse mix for the other half.  Only one in ten horses was not fed any concentrate.

The researchers assessed the body condition of fifteen horses, selected randomly, to see if the scores had under or overestimated the horse's weight.  They assigned an average score that was much higher for these horses; eight owners had scored their horse at least one grade lower that the researcher had, which indicated the owners had underestimated the weight of their horses.

As a result of these findings, the authors estimate the true prevalence of overweight and obese horses was likely to be 54%, instead of the 20% indicated by the responses to the questionnaire.
Helen said: “Increasing incidence of obesity is a multi-species problem, affecting both humans and their companion animals. I feel that addressing this issue is an important role for the profession, and I hope to do my part when I go into practice.”

When trying to reduce your horses weight, you must ensure that his diet contains the correct nutrient levels in his food. This can be achieved by feeding a complete feed which has already been formulated to offer a complete nutritional diet.

Remembering to feed you horse plenty of good quality forage before feeding a hard feed will enable the horse to maintain a natural source of diet which will also keep his gut healthy.

In addition to feed, exercise is vital in reducing your equine friends weight. Horses carrying extra weight should not be forced to do intense sessions in the school. Add variety into his regime, with gentle hacking and until he is fit enough to go on and do some more intense work more frequently.

Click here for more information on Fittening Your Horse

Animal Friends Equine Insurance is pleased that equine obesity is being taken seriously The health implications for your horse could lead to serious health issues if it isn’t tackled appropriately. Ensuring that your horse has a balanced diet with plenty of exercise will help him lose those pesky pounds.