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EQUINE OBESITY, DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN THE UK?

Equine obesity is considered to be one of the UK's most serious equine welfare concerns, affecting somewhere between 31% and 54% of the UK horse population (BEVA). In this blog we look at managing equine obesity; why it's so important to keep a horse's weight under control, and what signs to look out for!

With any animal and its owner, it's often difficult to explain that their beloved pet is overweight, and you're often faced with denial or refusal to change the way they manage their pet's diet. When it comes to equine obesity, it seems to be an even bigger and more complex issue.

Many horses are owned for more leisurely purposes, and it is easy to forget that a horse would naturally be active, foraging for food, breeding and running with large herds. By domesticating, we've also adapted their diets, but their metabolism has not evolved, so a horse's diet needs careful and constant attention. A little bit of extra weight should not be considered as 'sturdy' or 'healthy'; it can, unfortunately, lead to significant health problems. Horses would naturally lose weight over winter before regaining it in the spring. However, many modern-day practises now mean that horses maintain their weight, so it's essential to check a horse's weight regularly, especially as we come into spring.

Top Tips For Equine Weight Management

Measure weight regularly to detect gains and losses. This can be done with a measuring tape, weighbridge or body condition scoring.

Checking feed. It's easy to overfeed or give a horse more calories than it needs. Suggest speaking to a nutritionist who will help determine the correct feeding plan. Likewise, use quality feeds and avoid dusty or mouldy hay, which could lead to weight loss, respiratory problems, and overall poor health.

Don't crash diet. A horse needs a steady supply of feed to keep them healthy. By crash dieting, owners can do more harm than good. Feed little and often with appropriate and quality feeds.

Control grass intake. Understand good grass management and make plans ahead of spring.

Exercise: walking is best. Walking burns fat quicker than faster work, so a brisk walk or a steady trot will help keep weight under control.

High energy feeds contain more calories, which means horses can quickly put on fat if you're feeding for increased energy. Building up your horse's fitness is the best and the preferred way to increase their energy levels.

Just like humans, every horse is different. Avoid rugging up or feeding just because everyone else on the yard is. Owners must check their horses' body temperature and assess their weight before rugging up and stick to the planned feeding routine unless changes in body condition are noticed

As We Approach Spring/Summer

Spring is a key season for horse owners to be even more aware of their horse's weight. Lush, green grass is springing up in pastures, and it will start to become plentiful as we head into April. Horse owners need to be prepared and implement their grass management plan. New grass is higher in digestible energy (calories) and sugars, contributing significantly to weight gain during the Spring and Summer months.

Grass Management

Taking care to build up turnout time and avoid changing from winter pasture to spring pasture in a day is essential. Consider strip grazing or grazing muzzles to reduce grass intake. Horses with increased health risks, such as equine metabolic syndrome, laminitis, tying up, or colic, need to be managed carefully in spring due to the sudden change in grazing. The increase in starch and sugars in spring grass can cause horses with health risks, considerable problems.

7 Signs Your Horse Could Be Overweight

Many studies have shown that horse owners worryingly underscore their horse's weight, meaning more work needs to be done to educate horse owners and support them in identifying red flags.

Does your horse have a Body Condition Score 7 or above? Make yourself familiar with body condition scoring, which will help identify your horse's optimal condition. The ideal BCS for most breeds and disciplines is a 5 but ranges from 4 to 6.

A High Girth: Height Ratio. To calculate, divide the girth measurement by the height measurement. A horse would be considered overweight if the Girth: Height ratio equals or is greater than 1.26. A pony would be regarded as overweight if the Girth: Height ratio is equal to or greater than 1.33.

Hard or large crest. When a horse is overweight the area at the base of their mane, the crest, can go hard or lumpy

Hampered Movements. Are they suffering from Laminitis or Founder? Are they showing an inability to move their shoulders correctly, and overall are they unable to move their joints well?

Blowing hard after a minute of gallop work? Linked directly to fitness, but a lean horse tends to be a fit horse!

The saddle no longer fits. It is normal to have the saddle readjusted as their shape changes naturally; however, is it because they have put on weight?

Behaviour Problems. One of the first things a behaviourist will look at is your horse's energy intake and note if they are taking in more energy than they are using up!

The Negative Effects Of Obesity On Equine Health

• Altered oestrous cycles and decreased fertility (Vick et al, 2006)

• Poorer prognosis for recovery from laminitis (Menzies-Gow et al, 2010)

• Increased risk of hyperlipaemia (Watson et al, 1992)

• Impairment of normal thermoregulation (Cymbaluk and Christison, 1990)

• Increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production characteristic of inflamm-aging (Adams et al, 2009)

• Greater risk of osteochondrosis dissecans in foals born to obese mare (Robles et al, 2018)

•Increased risk of laminitis (Robin et al, 2015)

• Undesirable behavioural traits (Buckley et al, 2013)

Increased blood pressure (Bailey et al, 2008). It also may be associated with:

• Increased risk of orthopaedic disease through increased loading

• Preputial and mammary oedema and dermatitis

• Ventral oedema possibly as a consequence of compromised lymphatic drainage

• Strangulating small intestinal lesions caused by pedunculated mesenteric lipomas

• Greater susceptibility to hypertriglyceridaemia and hyperglycaemia when faced with other critical illness

• Inappropriate lactation possibly via effects on thermoregulation and prolactin production

• Reduced growth rates in foals caused by excessive mammary adiposity and reduced milk production, and/or exaggerated compensatory growth rates once weaned

• Subfertility in mares and stallions

• Respiratory compromise (McGregor-Argo, 2009). Relative to total body mass the mass of the respiratory tract may decrease as much as 15% (Dugdale et al, 2011)

• Pharyngeal collapse

• Poor performance (Kearns et al, 2002).

Equine Weight Management

The University of Glasgow has created and updated a free weight management app, Equi-BCS, to help owners monitor their horse's bodyweight and condition.

The Equi-BCS App was developed by Katie Williams, an equine nutritionist, who developed the app as part of her PhD in veterinary research at the University of Glasgow.

The Equi-BCS app allows owners to record and share their horse's weight data, making it much easier for professionals to support horse owners to help them keep their horse's weight on track. This feature also supports horses that are not holding their weight, so health issues can be spotted early.