4 ways to prevent OBESITY

Excess fat can compromise your horse’s health. But a few commonsense measures will help keep his weight in check.

Just as with people, slimming down an overweight horse can be difficult, particularly one that’s genetically predisposed to heaviness. It’s much better to prevent obesity. This requires an unbiased eye and vigilant management, but the payoff for the health of your horse will be immense. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Count the calories in concentrates.

Sweet feed and other concentrates provide essential calories to horses who need them---athletes, pregnant mares and the like. But they fuel weight gain in an easy keeper.

Many horses don’t need any grain, yet receive a half scoop twice a day so they don’t feel left out at mealtime. This “kindness” only leads to obesity. If your horse is verging on being overweight, cut back his concentrates to a literal handful or none at all. You can add a supplement to ensure he’s still getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs and, of course, make sure he has plenty of hay to keep him occupied.

2. Rely more on hay.

It’s difficult (but not impossible) for a horse to become obese on an all-hay diet. As you cut back on your horse’s grain, increase his hay ration, providing 24-hour, freechoice access if possible. This not only is good for his digestion but helps reduce boredom. Some horses still gain weight on hay, particularly if it is rich. To compensate you can look for good-quality hay that is lower in calories or restrict your horse’s daily intake to 1 or 2 percent of his ideal body weight.

3. Control grazing. Pasture is not the equine equivalent of salad.

Not only will too much grazing put pounds on most horses, but it can trigger laminitis in those with insulin resistance or other risk factors. Grazing muzzles offer a relatively easy and effective way to control the amount of grass a horse eats without having to limit his turnout. If a grazing muzzle isn’t an option, consider designating a dry lot or very sparse pasture as the “fat field” and keep the farm’s easy keepers there during periods of lush growth or, for particularly at-risk horses, year-round.

4. Increase exercise.

Activity is essential to keeping a horse’s weight in check. That’s not news to anyone. Unfortunately, the level of exercise your horse needs may come as a surprise. Casual riding on the weekends isn’t enough to make a difference to a horse who is prone to putting on weight. Even when he’s turned out full-time, he’s still not going to get the sustained exercise he’ll need to burn enough calories to offset even a modest diet. An easy keeper needs five or six sessions of targeted exercise per week, each lasting at least an hour and ending with him in a good sweat.

If you can’t fit this amount of riding into your own schedule, start looking for help from a friend, an eager young rider or even someone interested in half-leasing your horse. Coordinate your schedules and ask your veterinarian to help you devise an exercise program that takes your horse’s current fitness into account and gradually improves his conditioning.