Vets unite against equine obesity
Shock tactics could be needed to prevent horses suffering and dying from avoidable issues caused by excess weight
VETS are considering whether “shock tactics” could be necessary to combat the increase in the deadly but preventable consequences of equine obesity.
The British Equine Veterinary Association’s (BEVA) ethics and welfare committee is working towards a forum to take a joint approach on the issue.
Committee chairman Lucy Grieve told H&H it is recognised that the UK has “a problem with equine obesity”.
“We need to do something about it,” she said.
Ms Grieve said vets see “considerable amounts” of obesityrelated diseases, and that a survey of BEVA members showed they are “struggling to get owners to listen effectively”. She believes it is easy to anthropomorphise horses, to “feel sorry for them” in bad weather and believe they need more rugs or food.
But they are “adapted to living in bad weather” and will naturally come out of winter lean but gain weight in spring and summer.
“We’ve talked about shock tactics, like graphic images of rotated pedal bones [from laminitis],” she said. “We don’t know how far we’ll have to go.”
The plan is to create a focus group, involve the wider industry and behaviour change experts and eventually create a forum.
“We’ve got to get everyone singing from the same hymn sheet,” she said. “Monitoring
weight — body condition scoring every month using a chart — can prevent obesity, which is much better than trying to lose weight.
“It’s about helping owners, not bashing them. It’s getting the message across about healthy horses not being round and shiny, and that laminitis isn’t a cruel disease, some of it is avoidable.
“If people saw the laminitics I see, struggling to walk, pedal bones rotated through the soles of their feet, they’d never let their horses get overweight. I think we can save a lot of lives with this.”
Vet Joe Mackinder, whose Yorkshire-based Rainbow Equine Hospital practice puts down “tens” of horses every year due to obesity-related conditions, agrees attitudes have to change.
“Some vets are thinking, ‘How do we get across that having an overweight pony isn’t something to be proud of?’” he told H&H.
“As a rule, you get much more criticism on a yard if you can see ribs than if your horse is obese; people have got used to it.
“Of course no one wants to see emaciated horses but, and this could be controversial, no horse ever died from being a bit lean.”
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MR MACKINDER advised owners to talk to their vets or feed companies, adding that vets can test for underlying issues.
“And ask people like your trainer for honest opinions,” he added. “Can you not feel ribs easily? Have they got a big apple bottom, or a big crest? These could mean they’re a bit too fat.”
World Horse Welfare sees a large number of obese horses, such as Fell pony Dave (see box).
“We are pleased to see Rainbow highlighting the issues around overweight horses and, importantly, giving owners advice and tools to help them deal with weight management,” said the charity’s Sam Chubbock.
“Given the high numbers of overweight horses in the UK, the perception of what a healthy horse should look like may be distorted.”
For advice, search “World Horse Welfare obesity” online.