How to support better outcomes for overweight horses

The term easy keeper can be misleading because these horses can be extremely challenging to manage. Easy keeper describes a horse that readily maintains his body weight without supplemental calories beyond forage. Without careful oversight these horses end up overweight or even obese.

“Equine obesity has become such a prevalent issue that I currently spend a great deal of time helping horse owners find natural, healthy, and appropriate feeding practices for their overweight horses—and it’s not just as simple as feeding them less, although that is often part of the equation,” notes Rachel Mottet, PhD, equine nutritionist and owner of Legacy Equine Nutrition, an independent equine nutrition consulting business based in Ocala, Florida.

Obesity causes significant health issues, and its increasing prevalence demands attention. “It is estimated that in the United States approximately half of the horse population is overweight or obese,” explains Alex Rankovic, PhD, research associate in companion animal and equine nutrition at the University of Guelph, in Ontario, Canada.

“I’ve seen figures reported by North Carolina State University estimating that around 50% of horses are overweight and, of that number, 15-30% are considered obese,” adds Mottet.

Obesity raises animals’ risk of developing adverse health conditions and can shorten lifespan. “For horses specifically, obesity increases their risk of debilitating endocrine and metabolic disorders, as well as painful orthopedic conditions such as laminitis and osteoarthritis,” says Rankovic. “Obesity can also negatively affect a horse’s reproductive performance, their ability to thermoregulate, and their overall exercise tolerance, further compromising health and well-being.”

Figuring out how to manage easy keepers and prevent weight gain—or help them lose weight safely—can be daunting. In this article we’ll break down some must-know tips and tricks for navigating the difficulties of managing an easy keeper.

Overweight Horse Care Challenges

Again, easy keepers might not actually be easy to keep. Overweight or obese horses often need changes in both diet and exercise to return to a healthy condition. However, individual feeding practices and forage restriction pose complications because horses are herd animals that have evolved to trickle feed.

Numerous risk factors contribute to equine obesity, but genetics and breed play a critical role. Horses’ unique metabolic qualities and genetic tendencies can lead to different body condition outcomes in a herd on the same diet