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Fat or Obesity in Horses
  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

Introduction

Introduction » Obesity & Health » Overview of Correcting Obesity » Step 1 (part one): Concentrates » Step 1 (part two): Exercise » Step 2: Forage Adjustments » Supplements » Maintaining Ideal Body Weight » More Info 

Overly fat or obese horses have become the number one nutritional problem in horses kept in affluent societies and continues to grow toward the overall number one health problem of horse owners. We define obesity not by any particular weight of a horse but by body condition score which is a rough measure of how much fat the horses is carrying. Horses are healthiest when they are carrying a Henneke body condition score of between a 5 and a 6. This will vary a bit depending of the type work a horse does ...more on body condition scoring.

Horses tend to eat the amount of feed needed to meet its energy needs but also has some amount of chewing time requirements and fullness feeling requirements that control their desire to feed. There are several reasons horses under modern management regimens may become obese:
  • If the feed is very palatable or has high energy density horses easily eat more than required to meet their energy needs.
  • The amount of exercise low so caloric needs are low.
  • The horses metabolism is unusually energy conserving. Though this is related to exercise it is also a factor unto itself with a almost 300% range in energy requirements in similar horses.
Even mature (stemmy) cultivated pasture and hays represent much better than average that occurs naturally and simply restricting access to pasture may not be enough. With restricted access to forages horses speed up their rate of consumption and can consume a whole days forage in as little as 6 hours as opposed to the more leisurely 16 hours when offered free choice.

If a horse chronically takes in more energy than he expends, weight gain occurs and if it continues the horse becomes obese with a body condition score greater than a 7. There are serious medical and psychological effects from chronic excessive feeding. This article discusses the causes and health consequences of obesity and how to go about correcting it while keeping your horse happy.
      ~Word Count: 2962 words (The average magazine page contains about 600 words);
      ~Last Updated: September 08, 2009;

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Discussions on Fat or Obese Horse Nutrition
  Titles Subtopics Posts Updated
iconFeeding fat horse straw?13 Oct 22, 09
iconDiva Horse's Condition?19 Oct 12, 09
iconFat PONY Diet16 May 2, 09
iconGrazing Muzzle TransitionJan 30, 09
iconLow NSC hay and effects of storageSep 5, 08
iconBreakaway muzzleJul 28, 08
iconHanks Summer Diet 43 Jun 17, 09
iconHelp with Obese TWH11 Jun 28, 08
iconGrasse: COPD and Founder 234 Jul 28, 08
iconHanks WWD 2 help me make it to spring90 Jul 4, 08
iconTo fat and COPD and chronic laminitis...34 Jun 2, 08
iconMare won't lose weight!81 May 23, 08
iconPony won't stop eating!50 May 3, 08
icon Low Temps and feedingDec 2, 07
iconArticle Update: Fat or Obesity in Horses Nov 21, 07
iconHay dispensing machine.Nov 21, 07
iconHanks weight watchers diet188 Feb 5, 08
iconFat warmblood mareFeb 1, 07
iconFiber & fat horse diet19 Jan 22, 07
iconFat horse winter turnout20 Jan 4, 07
iconHelp with diet :-)...37 Jul 28, 07
iconFree Choice Grass Hay46 Nov 21, 06
iconHay BellyOct 12, 05
iconFat rolls?Sep 18, 05
iconMuscle building supplement to help reduce weightJul 7, 05
iconQuiessence45 Jun 18, 05
iconHow long is too long without feed?Aug 31, 05
iconCaloric intakeApr 2, 05
iconChubby MustangJul 19, 04
iconOverweight stall rested warmbloodMay 22, 04
iconMinimum Roughage Required?Oct 13, 03
iconHow to slow down hay consumptionApr 6, 03
iconHay belly, poor conditionNov 6, 02
iconGrazing muzzle rubs20 Jul 4, 07
iconFeeding fat horses22 Jul 9, 02
iconProblem with grazing muzzleApr 15, 02
iconIntroducing horse to grazing muzzleJan 11, 02
iconHorses that are just plain fatOct 28, 01
iconGelding on Diet14 Aug 23, 01
iconHorse reducing dietOct 28, 02
iconFounder, Feed, and MorgansNov 25, 99
iconOverweight horse with "issues"Aug 26, 99
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