Dietary strategies to achieve weight loss

In the last two newsletters, we discussed reasons why free choice strategies don’t work for every horse and the hormonal instances that support this. Today’s newsletter discusses some of the strategies to help maintain healthy weight control.

In order to accurately develop a plan for healthy weight control, it’s important to understand how much the horse is consuming. All food that a horse consumes, grass, leaves, hay, grain, and treats contain energy for the horse. Excess energy is stored as body fat.

Important concepts regarding food:

» There is no such thing as “poor hay is just filler to keep the horse busy.” Even poor hay contains calories that need to be accounted for.

» Beet pulp has more calories than hay.

» Grains and beet pulp have similar caloric yields.

» Fat has more calories than grains or beet pulp.

Reducing caloric intake.

Exchange low calorie feeds instead of high calorie feeds. Review your horse’s diet to see what is easy to cut out or reduced. For instance, if you are feeding a cup of vegetable oil for a nice shiny coat, or feeding copra (about 10% fat), you can easily achieve a reduction in caloric intake, by exchanging low calorie foods instead of high calorie foods.

► A second method of reducing caloric intake is by feeding less.

» For horses on pasture, this may include limited turnout time and using a grazing muzzle during that time.

» For horses on hay, this can be achieved by using a hay net, and weighing the amount of hay that is consumed.

Hay reduction and ulcers:

Some people are under the impression that if their horse doesn’t have hay in front of them 24/7, their horse will develop ulcers. A 2015 study on calorie restriction showed weight loss, but did not find that gastic ulcers developed.  

Increase exercise and movement:

Horses were designed to move a lot. In the constraints of our present-day lifestyle, it’s difficult to get a horse to move to optimal levels. This is especially difficult if your horse has mobility issues, such as laminitis, arthritis, or recovering from an injury or illness.

We have many challenges that we face. These include boarding constraints, lack of suitable pastures, and lack of time to ride or exercise our horses.

» One way that movement is encouraged is to have a pasture track system where the horses are encouraged to move through the track for food, water, and shelter.

» Other methods include riding, hand walking, lunging, or allowing your horse to be used as a lesson horse.

Develop a system that can work for you.

The key to successfully managing your horse's weight is to develop a system that works for you. Each person’s circumstances are unique and it’s important to have a system that can be maintained over time.

Disclaimer: Statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

©Joan Kulifay 2024

Back to blog