Feeding to the Horse’s Body Condition

always be considered the starting point for any complete ration. Other things to consider might be parasite burden a simple inexpensive fecal analysis can tell you if the horse has an unhealthy parasite load or gastric ulcers which inhibit the ability of the gastrointestinal tract to digest and absorb nutrients. And again increasing the frequency of feeding will often increase the total amount of nutrients consumed over the course of a day and can help put weight on a hard keeper.
Why is my horse too fat?
While its relatively easy for most of us to wag a disapproving finger at a skinny horse we tend to be more forgiving of our excessively fluffy equine friends. But carrying too much weight can be even less healthy for a horse than carrying insufficient weight. Health conditions that plague overweight people including arthritis insulin resistance heart disease and circulatory problems are equally prevalent in overweight horses. Insulin resistance has reached almost epidemic proportions in pleasure horses and is frequently associated with obesity and laminitis. Insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism are involved in the complex endocrine regulation of feeding behaviour. In its most simple explanation insulin resistance decreases activity of enzymes that degrade ghrelin thus ghrelin remains high in the blood and the stimulus to eat prevails. Controlling insulin resistance can be very challenging for horse owners as there is little in terms of a cure that we can rely on. Feeding compounds that can increase insulin sensitivity e g. fenugreek and cinnamon can help control irregularity in plasma ghrelin.
Feeding a fat horse can be very difficult as often this horse will put on 20 pounds just by looking at a bale of hay. The key is to reduce energy intake without sacrificing nutrient intake. This can be achieved by feeding hay that has been soaked for 24 hours to reduce sugar content and offering this in small amounts frequently over the course of a day. The diet can then be balanced with a ration balancer which contains balanced nutrients without additional energy. Just providing a balanced ration can be enough to reduce excessive feed intake in overweight horses.