How to make my horse lose weight ? How to make my horse fat ?
This information will help you better understand how to manage your horse’s weight
To know if the food we give the horse is correct, there is a tool known as “Body Condition Score”, which is very valuable because it allows us to evaluate if the ration we give our horse is adequate, insufficient or excessive.
If the horse does not receive the correct amount of nutrients, it will begin to consume its body reserves, i.e., it will begin to lose weight, which will affect its athletic or breeding performance. Conversely, if the horse is not physically active and the feed is provided in large quantities or with high levels of nutrients, it will gain weight and present problems associated with obesity.
Étant donné que déterminer si un cheval est gros, maigre, en perte de poids, etc., sur la base d’une observation vSince determining whether a horse is fat, lean, losing weight, etc., based on visual observation is mostly a subjective assessment, since some may see it as a fat horse, while others will appreciate it as a horse in good condition, tools have been developed to get a more objective idea about this. One of these tools is to weigh the horse periodically, but it is rare that a special scale for horses is available. You can also by taking two measurements on your horse the height at the withers and the thoracic perimeter have a very good estimate of the weight of your horse with a margin of error of about +/- 20kg but the important thing as far as we are concerned for this subject is to observe the differences in weight and if the margin of error is always the same, it does not affect our approach.
The other system we can use is to determine the physical condition of the horse based on a method developed in 1983 by Dr. Don Henneke of Texas A&M University, which consists of evaluating and assigning a score to the different body fat reserves that are accumulated in the horse body.
As mentioned above, the first method provides an approximation of the weight of the horse but does not take into account small variations in body weight, and there are situations in which it can not be used as in females in the last period of pregnancy. So the second method offers greater advantages in that it gives us a more accurate approximation, since it indicates the amount of fat reserves that the horse has, which allows us to control if the food that we give the horse is correct. If the horse receives more energy than it needs, its body will start to store this excess energy in the form of fat tissue, increasing its body reserves and improving its physical condition. Otherwise, the horse will not be able to generate body reserves and its body condition will not change, making this method more sensitive.
Although there are some disadvantages to using a tape to weigh the horse or to determine measurements, it is important to use both methods for evaluating and formulating rations.
There is a formula that can help us determine the weight of the horse if we do not have a tape to weigh, in which case we can use any measuring tape, although the most recommended are those of the “tailor” type (those that are colored, yellow or blue) to take the body measurements of horses. The formula that can be used is the following:
Weight(kg) =(4,3TP)+(3HG)-785
TP = Thoracic Perimeter in cm
HG = Height at Withers in cm
Regions determining body condition
This system gives the horse a score from 1 to 9 based on the amount of fat stored in certain areas of the body. The body condition of 1 corresponds to an emaciated horse, i.e. in the bones, and the highest, 9, corresponds to an extremely obese horse.
The areas that should be inspected by palpation and visually to determine the body condition of the horse are:
- The loin (lumbar area): In this area, the horse begins to deposit fat as it improves its physical condition. In very lean horses, the spinous processes (ends of the vertebrae) become very prominent. As the horse begins to gain weight, these structures disappear as fat begins to accumulate around them.
- Ribs: This area is of great importance, as it can be assessed easily and clearly. In very thin horses, the ribs can be clearly seen and felt; as the horse gains weight, fat settles around them until they can no longer be seen or felt. In horses with condition 5, the ribs are not visible but can be felt. In brood mares in the last period of gestation, some care must be taken when assessing this area, as the weight of the foal causes the belly to drop and the skin to stretch, making the ribs more obvious.
- Base of the tail: When the horse is at its lowest level of fitness, the base of the tail stands out because there is no fat around it. As the horse improves in body condition, this area fills with fat and a bulge may form. However, when evaluating this area, it is important to consider the horse’s own conformation, as some breeds have a lower insertion than others, which can lead to errors in evaluation.
- Withers: When evaluating this area, you also have to be careful, as there are horses that have a defective conformation in this area and in the case of adult horses, there is also some prominence of this area. As fat accumulates, the cross becomes more or less visible and in obese horses the cross is bulging with fat; at levels 6 to 8 you can feel the fat to varying degrees and at level 5 the cross is rounded with little fat deposition.
- The neck: In extremely lean horses, the bony structure of the neck can be seen and the upper profile will be very thin (kennel area). As the horse improves its body condition by accumulating fat, it will be deposited in the upper neck area. It is important to consider the breed and conformation of each horse, because in the case of Spanish horses, it is very important that the neck has a good fat deposit. In a horse with a body condition of 8, the neck is thick along its entire length and has an obvious fat deposit on the upper profile.
- The shoulder: This area is very useful to better define the body condition, especially in cases where, due to the conformation of the horse, we can make mistakes. As the physical condition of the horse increases, fat is deposited behind the shoulder and elbow.
Evaluation of the body condition of a horse
Below you will find the description of the different body condition scores as well as their description:
Condition 1 (bad): It is an extremely emaciated animal, i.e. too thin, its bony structures are easily noticeable, and on the neck, cross and shoulder, on the back and base of the tail, the spinous processes (end of each vertebra) are clearly visible. The fatty tissues are not perceptible.
Condition 2 (très maigre) : Animal émacié, les structures osseuses du cou et de la croix sont légèrement discernables. Les apophyses épineuses dans le bas du dos sont encore proéminentes mais commencent à avoir de la graisse palpable à leur base, et les apophyses transversales (partie de la vertèbre faisant saillie latéralement) sont arrondies au toucher. La base de la queue est proéminente, les côtes sont légèrement discernables et une légère couche de graisse est ressentie à la palpation.
Condition 2 (very lean): Emaciated animal, the bony structures of the neck and cross are slightly discernible. The spinous processes in the lower back are still prominent but are beginning to have palpable fat at their base, and the transverse processes (laterally projecting part of the vertebra) are rounded to the touch. The base of the tail is prominent, the ribs are slightly discernible and a light layer of fat is felt on palpation.
Condition 4 (moderately thin): The spinous processes in the lumbar region protrude slightly beyond the adjacent structures, the ribs are seen as a slightly discernible line. The base of the tail is prominent according to the conformation of the horse but the fat is noticeable. The neck, rib and shoulders are not obviously thin.
Condition 5 (moderate): The neck and shoulders have a smooth transition to the rest of the neck, and the cross is rounded. The fat around the base of the tail is spongy to the touch, the ribs are not visible but can be easily felt.
Condition 6 (moderately fleshy): Fat begins to settle on the neck, withers and behind the shoulder. Fat at the base of the tail begins to be soft and fluffy on the ribs. The kidney may show a slight indentation due to fat accumulation around the spinous processes.
Condition 7 (Fleshy): At this stage, there is a deposit of fat on the neck, on the withers and behind the shoulder, at the base of the tail, the fat is palpated gently. The ribs can be felt, but between them there is a layer of clear fat. The indentation on the back becomes clearer.
Condition 8 (Obese): Detachment in the back due to fat deposition, the ribs are difficult to feel. The neck is thick, with fat deposits in the area behind the shoulder and follows the same line of the body. The cross is full of fat deposits around it.
Condition 9 (Extremely obese): An obvious indentation in the lumbar product of the fat deposit, in the area of the ribs, the fat is felt irregularly. Behind the shoulder, the cross, the neck and the base of the tail, a bulge of fat can be seen.
Optimal body condition will depend on the activity the horse is engaged in, as well as the condition for a breeding mare with conditions below a score of 4, it has been determined that they are 3 or 4 weeks later in first ovulation in the breeding season than mares with body conditions of 5 or more, they also need more cycles to be in foal and there is a greater proportion of failure in early gestation. Horses with very high body condition have long term problems, for example, obese horses have a predisposition to endocrine problems, colic, laminitis, etc. On the other hand, horses with sporting activities will have poor sporting performance if they are in extreme body conditions.
For breeding mares, it is recommended that they enter the breeding season with a body condition of 6 or 7, as the nutritional requirements at the time of foaling and lactation are very high and can reduce their body condition. Stallions should have a similar body condition, as if they have a large number of mares to service, intensive use during the breeding season will cause them to lose weight.
For horses that are involved in sports activities, the body condition should be 4 to 5 if they are doing very intense exercise and 5 to 7 if the work is not very. Remember that a horse with low or little body fat reserves will not have enough energy and, on the contrary, a horse with high body fat reserves will be a less agile animal.
If we consider that our horse is not in the required physical condition, we must make adjustments to his diet and exercise regime, and all these changes must be done gradually; you cannot pretend to change the physical condition of a horse in a short time and we must consider a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks to go from one physical condition to another. The best option for improving body condition is high energy feeds, which have high levels of fat, helping horses to improve this condition without risk to their gastrointestinal health.
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, when you want to change body condition, there are two main variables to consider: the diet and the activity of the horse. In less active horses, it will be easier to gain body condition, but they will lose body condition. In this case, it is most appropriate to decrease the activity and increase it according to the improvement of the body condition, obviously with the increase of the energy of the ration. If the physical condition is excessive, it is necessary to gradually increase the level of exercise or decrease the energy level of the ration.
It is important to keep in mind that any modification of the ration must be progressive and respect the physiological restrictions of the horse, such as: maximum concentrate consumption, minimum and maximum forage consumption.
Animals that are in extreme body conditions, and for which there is no obvious reason to be in this state, it is advisable to seek veterinary advice as there is probably an underlying pathology that has led our horse to this state.
What is sought in the body condition assessment is that the horse is in the best shape possible, with good muscle development, neither too lean nor too fat. The body condition is assessed visually and must be complemented by palpation of the different structures and areas where the body fat reserves are deposited
