Manage his weight
A shift up or down in your horse’s weight is one of the most common signs that something’s up. Regularly check your horse’s weight by body scoring him. Feel round his neck, withers, ribs and behind his loins for lumpy fat deposits. Weight loss can be an indication that what he’s been chomping on isn’t being processed well enough or that he’s in some sort of pain. So, if your horse is dropping weight, don’t just look at what he’s eating, but how he’s eating it. An older horse with a good appetite sometimes drops weight because, although he’s eating, he’s not chewing it and that comes down to dental problems,” explains Claire. However, how an older horse maintains his weight also has a lot to do with his breeding. Native breeds are extremely efficient at storing energy but exercise will help with weight management – if they’re sound enough to do so. “Older Thoroughbred type horses and Arabs have the opposite problem,” says Claire. “They struggle to keep weight on in the winter months.”