Owner Perceptions On Overweight Horses And Recommendations To Combat Obesity
Equine obesity is one of the biggest welfare concerns facing leisure and competition horses today, with the prevalence of obesity in leisure horses being reported as high as 45-60%. In addition, Robin et al., (2015) reported a 31.2% prevalence of 792 horses, including those used for competition. Interestingly, this value could be even higher as data was obtained from owner reported body condition scoring (BCS), and it is known that owners frequently underestimate their horses BCS.
There are a huge number of factors that contribute to equine obesity. These are further complicated by public perception, where obesity is often normalised by the equine industry. Whilst researchers and industry professionals are currently working on education and initiatives, equine obesity is still on the rise, with the number of horses suffering from nutritional related disorders increasing.
Factors Contributing to Obesity
One barrier is the inability to distinguish between excess fat and the horses build, with Jensen et al., (2016) reporting 41.7% of owners to underestimate their horses body condition score. This is a particular issue in ponies and native breeds, with an interview response from Furtado et al., (2021), stating “I thought that was just her build, thought she was just a big chunky cob”. This may account for the 3-fold higher prevalence of obesity in ponies compared to horses reported by Potter et al., (2016).
Whilst some owners are aware of their horse’s obesity, they may not be aware of all possible management methods, with owners reporting that they have tried everything and seen no improvement. Furtado et al., (2022), highlighted this with an owner quoting “I don’t know what else I can do here”.
This is often further complicated by modern equine management, such as increased time stabled and the increasing access to quality forage and feed, as well as physical constraints in management. Around 60% of UK horse owners keep their horses on a livery yard, which often comes with management restrictions. For example, owners may not get a choice over the type of forage they give their horse or the grazing opportunities (Furtado, 2019). Other complications include a lack of time to exercise horses or having to avoid exercise due to horse or rider injury.
These factors all highlight the importance of reaching out to nutritionists for support on formulating individualised management strategies that work for the horse and owner. Research shows that there could be a lack of owners going to equine nutritionists for feeding decisions. Westendorf et al., (2013); reported of 242 owners, only 25.5% used a professional to make feeding decisions with 20.5% going to vets, and only 3% using a nutritionist.
Challenges Faced due to Public Perception
The industry’s perception of equine obesity adds an additional challenge. Furtado et al., (2021), highlighted that whilst feelings of shame and terms such as “neglect” and “poor welfare” come to mind when discussing an underweight horse, overweight horses are often described using humour with phrases such as “podgy” or “chunky”. Furtado, (2019), also reported the use of euphemisms such as “in show condition” or “wintering well”. It has become a social norm to promote excess fat as part of healthy equine bodies, often showcased in the media and in showing classes. This has potentially skewed the industries’ idea of a healthy body condition score to the higher end of the scale.
Despite the use of humour around the topic, owners do recognise the health risks associated with obesity. However, action is often not taken until the horse has developed a nutrition related disorder.
Initiatives and Guides Currently in Place
One initiative currently aiming to combat equine obesity is “The Weigh to Win” scheme started by The Horse Trust alongside Tamzin Furtado in 2019. This involves vets working alongside judges at showing competitions to BCS horses and award the horses and ponies with the healthiest body condition. The aim of this programme is to showcase what ideal body fat looks like and give owners an idea of what they should be working towards.
There is also an Equine weight management guide by (Furtado et al., 2018), called “when the grass is greener” which is a useful guide to assist owners in recognising their horses body condition and categorises all possible management methods that could be implemented.
Saracen Horse Feeds are working hard to ensure horse owners are educated on correct nutritional management to avoid obesity. We offer free of charge yard visits, where a member of our team can assess your horse’s body fat and recommend a suitable ration to meet their requirements.
Recommendations to assess and monitor your horse’s body fat
- Body fat scoring: it is important to get hands on when assessing your horse’s body fat. We recommend using the 9-point scale every couple of weeks. By scoring areas such as the neck, ribs, back, and tailhead, you can make informed decisions about feed, exercise and care.
- Weight taping: combining weight taping with body fat scoring will give you a complete picture of your horse’s condition.
- Take regular photos: subtle changes in body fat may not be easy to spot when looking at your horse every day. Taking photos to go alongside your body fat scoring and weight taping can help to spot small changes.
- Speak to a nutritionist. It is completely normal to have difficulty assessing your horse’s body fat. This is something that takes time and repetition to get to grips with, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Recommendations to support your horse with fat loss
Adjust Feed
- Consult a nutritionist for advice on supplementary feed and forage.
- Reduce calorie intake from feed by using a feed with a lower digestible energy content, or a ration balancer.
Manage Grazing
- Manage grass intake through strip grazing, track systems, or rotational grazing.
- Utilise a grazing muzzle to slow down grass intake. Don’t allow your horse to binge, such as taking the muzzle off for a few hours. Horses can eat up to 24 hours’ worth of grass in just 4 hours, and this excessive intake can increase the risk of laminitis.
Monitor Conserved Forage Intake
- Monitor forage intake and reduce if necessary. Forage intake should never be below 1.5% body weight per day. *This includes hay, haylage, grass, and any forage replacers.
- Use slow feeders to slow intake of forage.
- Assess forage quality. Mature, stemmier hays tend to have a lower digestible energy content than soft, leafy hays. Get your hay analysed if you are unsure.
- Oat straw can be mixed with other forage, as long as it makes up no more than 50% of the forage intake, as an extra low-calorie option.
- Soak forage in fresh water for up to 8 hours to reduce sugar and fructan content.
Increase Exercise
- Turn out with friends to encourage movement.
- Increase exercise frequency, intensity, or duration if possible.
- Provide enrichment in the stable or paddock to encourage movement.
Allow for Natural Weight Loss
- Allow your horse to naturally lose some weight in winter, so that it is less detrimental if they gain weight from the quality spring pasture.
- Don’t over-rug.
Ask for Help!
- Buddy up: research has shown that people who buddy up with other owners whose horses also need to lose weight are 45% more successful at achieving weight loss. This can help to plan fun weight loss activities together and hold each other accountable.
- Get a sharer or pay a professional to help with riding or yard work.
- Contact a member of the Saracen Horse Feeds nutrition team.
Saracen Horse Feeds are here to help. Complete our detailed Feed Advice Form , or call our nutritional helpline on 01622 718487 for some immediate advice.
Potter SJ, Bamford NJ, Harris PA, Bailey SR. Prevalence of obesity and owners’ perceptions of body condition in pleasure horses and ponies in south‐eastern Australia. Australian veterinary journal. 2016 Nov;94(11):427-32.
Robin CA, Ireland JL, Wylie CE, Collins SN, Verheyen KL, Newton JR. Prevalence of and risk factors for equine obesity in Great Britain based on owner‐reported body condition scores. Equine veterinary journal. 2015 Mar;47(2):196-201.
Furtado T, Perkins E, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Watkins F, Christley R. Exploring human behavior change in equine welfare: Insights from a COM-B analysis of the UK's equine obesity epidemic. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 2022 Nov 8;9:961537.
Jensen RB, Danielsen SH, Tauson AH. Body condition score, morphometric measurements and estimation of body weight in mature Icelandic horses in Denmark. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. 2016 Oct;58(1):19-23.
Furtado T, Perkins E, Pinchbeck G, McGowan C, Watkins F, Christley R. Exploring horse owners' understanding of obese body condition and weight management in UK leisure horses. Equine Veterinary Journal. 2021 Jul;53(4):752-62.
Furtado T. Exploring the recognition and management of obesity in horses through qualitative research. The University of Liverpool (United Kingdom); 2019.
Westendorf ML, Puduri V, Williams CA, Joshua T, Govindasamy R. Dietary and manure management practices on equine farms in two New Jersey watersheds. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2013 Aug 1;33(8):601-6.
Furtado T, Perkins E, McGowan C, Watkins F, Pinchbeck G, Christley R. When the grass is greener: The Equine Weight Management guide for every horse, every yard, and every owner. University of Liverpool.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331657281_When_the_grass_is_always_greener_practical_equine_weight_management. Published 2018. Accessed January 24, 2025
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