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The ballooning incidence of obesity among horses, especially in the face of increased awareness, worries veterinarians and nutritionists. According to a recent study, some industry professionals, such as show judges, have difficulty recognizing adiposity.*

“Excess body weight is very common in horses and ponies, and can become a welfare issue if not addressed appropriately. Carrying excess body condition, especially for many months or years, can put them at risk of serious illness, including metabolic disease and laminitis,” said Clarissa Brown-Douglas, Ph.D., a nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research.

Researchers recently surveyed 211 show hunter judges to determine their professional experience and their opinion on body condition, making special note of consequences they assign when presented with thin or obese horses. Respondents were highly skilled, with almost half of all respondents having more than 20 years of judging experience. As part of the survey, judges were sent 13 photos of horses to categorize as thin, average, overweight, or obese.

About 95% of the respondents indicated that having too much or too little fat covering compromises an animal’s score in competition. Judges disclosed they were more likely to penalize a horse or pony if they were deemed too thin rather than too fat. In other words, judges were more accepting of extra body weight. Some judges also suggested they were more accepting of extra fat coverage on a pony than a horse.

The 13 photos included five obese, three overweight, two average, and three thin horses, as classified by experts. While a minority of judges correctly identified the obese horses, most judges indicated these were simply overweight. The majority of judges also identified the three overweight horses as average. In the same vein, average horses were subsequently, and therefore incorrectly, viewed as thin by most judges.

These data show that not only are judges less able to identify average—and therefore healthy—horses, but average horses incorrectly viewed as thin receive harsher penalties than overweight and obese horses.

On the upside, the majority of judges (64%) did request additional educational materials and concrete guidelines for assessing fat coverage in horses and ponies at the conclusion of the survey.

“When working with owners of overweight horses and ponies, nutritionists often recommend regular weighing, either with a weight tape or scale, and routine condition scoring. Tactics for safe weight loss include low-calorie, low-sugar, high-fiber forage and a well-formulated vitamin and mineral supplement,” advised Brown-Douglas.

In addition, Brown-Douglas recommends regular exercise. “Boosting a horse’s metabolic rate through exercise can also support weight control. In an effort to achieve weight loss quickly, many horse owners want to play around with the diet too much, often to the point of not feeding the horse a sufficient amount for optimal gastrointestinal health, while completely ignoring the benefits of exercise,” she said.

*Munjizun, A. and S. Pratt Phillips. 2021. A survey: Horse show judges’ perceptions on equine adiposity. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science:103549. 

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