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Are you among the throngs of owners that find it hard to evaluate your horse’s body weight? Is he too fat, too thin, or in perfect body condition? According to researchers*, assessing body weight and recognizing a healthy weight continues to be challenging, even among seasoned owners.

“In one study, 37% of owners reported a horse was in moderate body weight, whereas researchers reported that 45% of those same horses were not simply overweight but obese. On the flip side, 28% of owners considered a horse overweight while researchers reported those same horses as having a normal body weight,” relayed Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist.

“In other words, it is just as easy to miss an overweight horse as a thin horse and, importantly, both extremes have consequences,” Crandell added.

Problems with obesity include risk for insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome, and laminitis, as well as decreased athleticism and inability to appropriately regulate body temperature. Thin horses are at risk for malnutrition and anemia, poor-quality coat and hooves, and increased likelihood of infection, fertility issues, and musculoskeletal injuries.

What makes body weight determination—and therefore management—difficult for some horse owners? Some reasons include:

  • Lack of knowledge regarding appropriate body weight or condition;
  • Conformational differences and the appearance of weight changes based on breed;
  • Widespread availability of quality feed and forage year-round, which differs from what many undomesticated horses would experience; and
  • Owner preference for a thin or overweight horse.

“Breed standards definitely make a big difference in assessing what is ‘normal’ and managing body weight,” Crandell emphasized.

Various tools can be used to routinely determine body weight and condition in horses. Weigh tapes, scales, body condition scoring charts, and even online calculators* based on morphometric measurements (e.g., height, body length) and demographics (e.g., breed, age, reproductive status). Well-focused photographs taken with a cellphone can also prove useful in evaluating changes in body condition over time.

“Regardless of what tools you ultimately choose, be sure to use them correctly and frequently. This will give you a much better idea of what your horse’s body weight and condition actually are. Then you can consult with a Kentucky Equine Research nutrition advisor to help determine what the weight and condition should be and how to achieve this while still offering an appropriate and balanced diet,” Crandell advised.

For easy keepers, for example, a nutrition advisor may recommend a low-intake supplement pellet to provide a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals for mature horses that maintain body weight on diets composed primarily of forage. These products may also contain chelated or proteinated minerals to increase digestibility, as well as natural source vitamin E.

*Catalano, D.N., R.J. Coleman, M.R. Hathaway, et al. 2019. Estimation of actual and ideal bodyweight using morphometric measurements of miniature, saddle-type, and Thoroughbred Horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 78:117-122. 

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