May 2005

Dieting Is Serious Business

Weight loss should be achieved steadily and without having to starve your animal.

Yes, he’s overweight, but a starvation diet isn’t the answer.

OK, your horse is fat. You know it, maybe your trainer told you and heaven knows your veterinarian would point it out. Overweight horses, just like overweight people, are jeopardizing their overall health. Horses can become more susceptible to injury, laminitis, breathing difficulties, and hormonal problem. You’ve got to take action.

The first step in setting up a weight-loss diet is to determine what you horse’s ideal body weight is. This will be used to determine how much hay the horse should be fed. For safe but steady weight loss, if the animal is being worked daily, feed a minimum of 1.5% of his current body weight and 2% of his…