Helping your overweight horse slim down requires careful management of diet and exercise. In this video, Bryan Cassill, MS, MBA, Commercial and Formulations Manager for Mars Horsecare and BUCKEYETM Nutrition, explains the science behind feeding overweight horses and offers practical management tips.

(Editor’s note: The content of this video is the expert’s approach to the topic. Please consult with your practitioner if you have questions.)

Where to Start?

“Feeding an overweight horse can be complicated,” said Cassill. “It can take a long time to get to the point that we want. The first thing we are going to talk about is how to develop a plan.”

He said you need to honestly evaluate your horse’s current condition. Does it currently have a body condition score of 8 and need to get to a 6? Is it currently at a 7 and needs to get to a 5?

“Where am I at currently, and what will my end point be that will define success?” he said. “It also could be that the horse has some sort of condition and I’m trying to decrease weight so the horse can live a happier, healthier life.

“We need to attack those problems through a multi-faceted approach,” he concluded.

Steps to Help Your Horse Lose Weight

Helping an overweight horse involves several management steps.

Increase Exercise

Owners might need to increase the horse’s caloric output through exercise while decreasing its caloric input. “Diet is complicated, but we still want to increase those calories out,” Cassill said. “It doesn’t have to be complicated; it might just be more walking.” Even low-impact activities can have a positive effect.

More turnout (without constant grazing) is another way to increase calories out. Cassill said overweight horses might need to be turned out on dry lot or wear a grazing muzzle.

“Activity outside is better than staying inside with no activity,” he noted.

Decrease Calories

“How are we going to decrease calories but still provide what this animal needs to have a happy, healthy hind gut and provide the micronutrients that horse needs?” Cassill queried.

He recommends feeding a mature forage that is high in fiber and low in calories.

“We still want the horse to eat,” said Cassill. “So we don’t want a forage that is all sticks and briars. We want something the animal is going to eat. High-fiber and low-energy.”

This can be a safe way to keep the hindgut healthy and help the horse lose weight.

The very small amount of grain or concentrate the horse receives should have as few calories as possible, he said. There should not be a lot of calories, fat, or energy in the concentrate portion of the diet. It does need protein and a higher level of minerals and vitamins.

“We are going to put this horse into a catabolic state,” said Cassill. “We want this horse to start mobilizing fat out of its body. There’s a lot of oxidation that comes with that.

“We need a protein source so we can keep the muscle and get rid of the fat,” he said.

Final Words

By increasing exercise and decreasing calories in the diet, owners can help their horses reach a healthy weight.

Further Content

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