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- Mary Beth Gordon, PhD
Dressage demands equine athletes. If your horse carries extra weight, particularly if he's a warmblood, he is more likely to suffer from insulin resistance, laminitis, colic or heat stress. Equine obesity can also thwart your training efforts, as an overweight horse is more prone to joint injuries and lameness. "I've heard judges criticize horses that were too thin," says equine nutritionist and dressage enthusiast Mary Beth Gordon, PhD. "But, rarely have I heard a judge make a negative comment on an overweight horse. Dressage is all about training the horse and creating communication and harmony. We work so hard on building strength in our horses, but so many dressage horses are overweight, we never see those beautiful muscles." Owners must ask themselves, What is the healthiest regimen for my horse?
Gordon explains that an analytical eye to your horse's weight can keep your training goals on track and your mount in the best shape possible. Weight management in horses involves checking your horse's current weight, looking at the content and quantity of his food and deciding how much exercise he needs in order to stay in a healthy range.
Assess Condition
Gordon says that, for many people, their horse's weight is a sensitive topic and adds, "I was excused from a farm because people were insulted when I said a horse was a 9+ on the body condition score and an immediate founder risk." Many professionals, like Gordon, use an objective body condition scoring system. This management tool can help determine if a horse's weight falls into a healthy range. A score of 1 is an emaciated horse. Conversely, a score of 9 reflects extreme obesity. For an average performance horse, a healthy body condition score is between 5 and 6.5.
Gordon says that, like many owners, she struggles with weight management for her own horses. "I have a Hanoverian mare, Watusi, who is an easy keeper, so she is prone to gain weight. Unless I keep her in a stall or dry lot [a small pen without grass] for a significant amount of time in the summer, she naturally ends up at a body condition of 7 or 8. This is where many dressage horses are, but it's not a healthy place."
You can use a weight tape (found at most local tack shops) to estimate how much your horse weighs. Follow the directions, and take a measurement around the barrel, withers to girth.
Most overweight horses didn't get that way simply because they were overfed. A research trial was conducted at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. It found that out of 300 horses 51 percent were overweight, with 19 percent qualifying as obese. Most were being fed a small amount of concentrated feed. These horses were overweight because all of the factors of weight management weren't being taken into consideration: content and quantity of food and exercise. These are the keys to a weight-loss program.
Make a Plan
Managing a successful equine weight-loss program is not easy and, to further complicate planning, some warmbloods have slower metabolisms (developed over time to survive harsh European winters) than other breeds. The first step is to consult your veterinarian to make sure there are no health problems contributing to weight issues.
Nutrition: Research has shown that just cutting calories can lead to loss of muscle mass and nutrient deficiencies. When horses are on diets, or in a negative caloric balance, it is important that their nutrient requirements are still being met. Look for a feed that is high in protein and fiber, low in fat and contains the appropriate vitamins and minerals, especially zinc and vitamins A and E. Otherwise, your horse's metabolism could slow down further and weaken his overall health. Gordon and her team did extensive research on weight management (published in independent veterinary journals). Then, they developed feed that addresses these and other issues.
Gordon says that many horses maintain their weight on free-choice grass or hay. But, if your horse is overweight, bringing him into a healthier weight range may mean going against traditional horse management practices, such as free-choice hay. One trick she uses is spreading one horse's allotment of two flakes of hay over a dry lot. "He has to work for every little piece and it lasts a lot longer," she says. Gordon also suggests feeding hay in mini-meals and switching from alfalfa to a moderate-quality grass hay.
