Q: My 10-year-old reining horse is an easy keeper and a 7 to an 8 on the body condition scale. My veterinarian recommends he lose weight to prevent other problems later in his life. What tips do you have for helping him lose weight but still supporting him with the nutrients he needs? 

A: Too often I have observed horse owners who believe having a “pleasantly plump” horse is overall healthier than he might be without the extra pounds. Several studies and reviews have been published estimating 40% to 50% of horses in the United States were considered obese. 

Body condition scoring measures the amount of fat on horses. Although you can use several methods to assess body condition score, the one most people use is the Henneke system, which has a range from 1 (poor/emaciated) to 9 (extremely obese). It allows you to evaluate fat cover across six regions of the body. Most horses should be in the range of 4 to 6. So, your horse at a score of 7 to 8 is on the overweight to obese side. When evaluating your horse’s body condition, be sure to do so consistently, always using the same method for the best assessment. 

As your veterinarian mentioned, carrying excess weight can be detrimental to your horse. Excess weight will cause wear on joints, tendons, and ligaments. It can predispose a horse to bouts of osteoarthritis and other joint problems and laminitis. Overweight horses might also develop muscle strain injuries. In addition, excess fat can make it difficult for a horse to regulate his body temperature, which will lead to dehydration, poor performance, and heat stress. So, shedding some excess fat could help your horse have a more successful and longer athletic career. 

Facilitating Safe Equine Weight Loss 

If your horse doesn’t have a medical condition that predisposes him to being overweight, your goal is to decrease the caloric density of his diet and/or increase his exercise. I often advise an increase in turnout time, with the horse wearing a muzzle, or developing a turnout system that requires the horse to walk from one resource to another (for example, placing small amounts of hay in multiple locations). You could include additional exercise, such as trail riding or time on a hot walker. However, with your reiner, especially if he’s wearing plates (a special shoe designed to help reining horses slide well), it might be difficult to incorporate this.  

I would suggest working on limiting his calorie intake. Source a good-quality grass hay as the base for his diet. He should receive a minimum of 1% of his body weight in forages. Grains and concentrates tend to be very calorie dense, so you might need to decrease the amount you’re feeding to reduce his calorie intake. Choose a high-quality ration balancer to meet his nutrient needs. These are a concentrated source of vitamins, minerals, and possibly amino acids, depending on the product, designed to be fed in relatively small amounts. Ration balancers are a great way to help meet nutrient requirements without additional calories, like daily multivitamins for humans. 

Take-Home Message 

You should routinely monitor your horse’s body condition to evaluate his weight loss. Also, work with an equine nutritionist to be sure your horse receives the nutrition he needs daily and loses weight in a safe way. Keeping your horse at a healthy weight can decrease his risk for other health conditions, such as joint disease and heat stress, and improve his performance. 

Do you have an equine nutrition question?