A reader asked The Horse whether it would be more beneficial to cut back her overweight horse's rations, increase his workload, or introduce a combination of the two.
Dr. Janice Holland responded, lauding the owner for understanding the health implications an obese horse may face, including a propensity for laminitis, arthritis, heat stress and more.
Involving the horse's veterinarian is key, as some weight issues may be related to metabolic diseases, which often require medication as well as feed and exercise adjustments.
Working with an equine nutritionist is also helpful to ensure that the horse is receiving adequate calories. Weighing the horse at least bi-monthly – preferably with a scale – is preferred.
Decreasing calories or increasing exercise can help a horse lose weight, but doing them both together will garner faster results.
Mature, mostly grass hay is recommended for horses that need to lose weight since it's lower in calories than other hays. A slow feeder or a haynet with smaller holes can force the horse to consume his hay more slowly, preventing him from getting bored in his stall. His turnout time doesn't need to be decreased, but consider using a grazing muzzle to limit how much grass he can consume. This is particularly important when grasses are lush.
Increase his workload, if possible, to include a minimum of 30 minutes of trotting three to five days a week. If the horse is mainly trail riding, increase the total amount of time on the trails each week.
It takes about two months for a horse to safely drop one body condition score, which is about 50 pounds.
Read more at The Horse.
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