How to know your horse is the right weight? (2024)
How to know your horse is the right weight?
- Understanding the importance of maintaining the right weight for horses is crucial for their overall health and well-being.
- The article provides practical information on how to assess a horse’s condition through fat scoring and offers helpful tips on how to help horses shape up if they are overweight.
- The case studies of two horses demonstrate the significant impact that weight can have on a horse’s health and highlight the importance of managing weight effectively.
Why is the right weight so important?
Laminitis is a common condition, meaning it is easy to underestimate its severity.
There are many triggers, but excess weight is one of the most frequent – it is also one that horse owners really can do something about.
The condition isn’t restricted to native ponies during the spring and summer months – it can, and does, affect all types
of horse and pony throughout the year. A horse’s hoof wall is attached to the bones within the foot by finger like structures called laminae. In laminitis sufferers, this structure starts to separate, causing the bone inside the hoof to drop. In the worst cases, the bone can drop through the sole of the foot. Laminitis is an incredibly painful condition, which must always be treated as an emergency. However, by regularly monitoring and controlling your horse’s condition you should be able to avoid weight-induced laminitis completely. For more information please speak to your vet.
Don’t miss out on our comprehensive PDF guide that provides valuable information on maintaining the right weight for your horse.
