Weight control
As light continues to be shed on the human obesity epidemic, the same issue is being recognised in pets. “Unfortunately we’re all getting fatter and the horse hasn’t escaped with more than one in five horses and ponies now described as overweight in the latest NEHS,” says Spillers’ equine nutritionist Clare Barfoot. “Obesity has also been linked to several clinical conditions in horses, not least laminitis, so as education increases on the dangers of obesity in humans, pets and horses, it’s likely to stay in the spotlight.” In the results from our survey, we were pleased to see that, for most of you, the issue of equine weight is at the forefront of your mind – 52% weightape your horses on a very regular basis, and a large proportion of you could tell us exactly what your horse’s stats are in this area. Surprisingly, 27% admitted to having never weightaped and fat scored your horses, and, as Clare explains, these two management actions are important, even if your horse is a healthy weight. “It’s just as important to condition score a horse that is in ideal condition as one that is under or overweight. This is because regular condition scoring or weightaping can pick up small changes that may need to addressed with an adjustment in diet before they shift towards a less desirable weight. Also, condition scoring and weigh taping are much more objective than just eye-balling
your horse. In addition, it’s a good habit to get into, particularly during the winter months when the majority of horses and ponies are rugged up most of the time or have thick fluffy coats that can hide protruding ribs or fat pads! “Condition scoring encourages you to get hands on and feel different areas of your horse’s body, which can help determine if it’s fat or muscle you’re seeing.”