Addressing the ‘Air Fern’ in Your Barn
Nettie Liburt, MS, PhD, PAS
January 30, 2017
Roly-poly, cresty-necked horses and ponies are in harm’s way. Here’s how to help your overweight equid shed pounds.
Roly-poly, cresty-necked horses and ponies are in harm’s way. Here’s how to help your overweight equid shed pounds.
The good news is that many of the laminitis risk factors researchers identified can be detected early and modified.
Assess your horse’s body condition regularly so you can adjust his diet accordingly and identify potential problems.
Researchers could not identify a positive relationship between inflammation and obesity or insulin resistance in horses.
EMS did not appear to significantly impact horses’ humoral responses compared to age-matched controls, researchers said.
Weight loss is possible in most situations, provided the owner remains actively involved in the nutrition program.
While small in size, Minis have the same health needs and risks as other breeds, as well as a number of unique issues.
The team confirmed that EMS horses aren’t always fat, but that obesity can point to an underlying metabolic condition.
Coconut, or copra, meal could be useful for horses requiring low-NSC diets, researchers found
Use slow-feeders and reduced feeding rates to safely and effectively decrease horses’ body weight, researchers said.
There is an endless list of problems associated with obesity in horses. It is far more dangerous to have an obese horse than an underweight horse, and the problems are much longer lasting.
Changes in Finnhorse mares’ body weight and condition and in gene expression did not appear to evoke insulin resistance.
Researchers found that dominant horses seem to be have higher body condition scores than their less-dominant herdmates.
Obesity is not just a cosmetic issue. It’s a health issue. Learn how to modify your horse’s diet to help him slim down.
Owner-managed weight loss in horses with EMS reduced both insulin resistance and susceptibility to laminitis.
The new body condition index is designed to enhance the value of traditional body condition scoring.
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