Hefty horses may need to diet to prevent problems

By Marty Metzger
Correspondent

Most horse owners would agree that starving a horse is a serious form of abuse. Yet many fail to recognize that equine "land whales" also suffer maltreatment.

A horse type known as easy keepers seems to gain weight simply by licking fence posts. But any horse can become periodically portly by overindulging on pasture, grain or alfalfa hay. Some will never incur any ill effects other than a hot air balloonesque appearance. Equine obesity, however, leaves the barn door open for a myriad of ailments including founder and other hoof problems, colic, heart maladies and complications of Cushing's disease.

Overeating is one cause of profusely portly horses. Lack of exercise is another. Age, breed, body type and pregnancy are additional factors to consider when determining an animal's condition. Some horses should be weightier than others. Arabians, Saddlebreds and polo ponies tend to carry less body fat. Draft breeds usually are well fleshed-out. Ponies are extremely prone to weight gain because people tend to feed them full-sized horses' portions. But beware of trimming pounds off every fat horse.

For example, before putting that overweight mare on a crash diet, be absolutely sure she's not in foal. There are rare mares that regularly continue heat cycles while pregnant. One such mare, purchased as a performance horse, was subsequently placed on a bare bones subsistence diet and intense treadmill exercise program for several spring months to trim rapidly accumulating belly fat.

The previous owner swore the mare had never seen a stallion, much less been bred. Ultimately his teenage son confessed that, while his father was out of town for a weekend, the mare had gotten into a field with a neighbor's stud. Fear of punishment had kept the boy silent until the mare's new owner produced irrefutable proof: a thankfully healthy, albeit gaunt, stick-figure filly.

The Henneke Scale, a widely accepted method to objectively evaluate a horse's condition, was developed by Dr. Don R. Henneke in 1983. This chart assigns each of six body parts a number grade which, divided by six, is the horse's score. A score of 1 is extremely emaciated, while the highest number, 8, is dangerously obese. Scores between 5 and 7 are acceptable, 5 being the ideal.

Of particular local interest during this record-breaking hot, dry year is hay. Many horse owners who previously painstakingly selected hays for their feeding program might now be scrambling to find any clean, affordable hay. Drought conditions have shrunk supplies to the point that large horse operations are culling many animals before winter.

What is the best type of hay to feed to maintain a healthy horse? All hays provide roughage. Grass hay is high in fiber, low in protein and low in calcium. Types include brome, timothy, prairie and orchard. Legume hays, higher in protein and minerals, should be included in the feed of young, developing animals, breeding stock and hard-working adult horses. Legume hays include several clover varieties and alfalfa. A popular alternative is a grass/alfalfa mix. Any hay fed to horses must be free of dust and mold. Quantity should be adjusted to meet each horse's needs.

Grass hay is currently scarcer, and therefore pricier, because it requires more water to grow than alfalfa. Bales that last year cost $4 each are now easily fetching $7 and higher.

Grains (oats, corn, barley and wheat, for example) are high-energy feeds that, if not properly regulated, horses will consume to the point of founder or colic. The volume fed of this feed source should be particularly suspect in obese horses.

Natural protein supplements (such as cottonseed and soybean meals), commercial formulas, pelleted or senior feeds are necessary when poor quality grass hay is fed, or for certain individual horses, such as dentally challenged geriatrics. Mineral and vitamin requirements, sometimes regional, must also be kept in mind.

A clean, fresh, free-choice water source available at all times is critical in maintaining equine health. Colic and even impaction can result from insufficient water intake. A salt block should always be available to encourage adequate drinking.

A healthy weight-loss regimen should be implemented once it's determined that a horse is just too fat. The quality of a fat horse's feed ratio should not be compromised when adjusting the quantity. Increased exercise should be introduced gradually. Consult a veterinarian or feed store personnel to tailor a weight-reduction plan to the individual animal, again based on activities, age, breed, general health and soundness.

Whales belong in the deep, blue sea, not in the pasture.