Gro 'n Win® is an excellent choice for an overweight horse, pony or miniature horse. Gro 'n Win® is a safe, low-calorie, low starch and sugar, low glycemic formula that will provide the essential nutrients not adequately supplied in forage-based diets. Return to Gro 'n Win® Rx>

Obesity

Stories about human obesity are never far from the headlines, with equine obesity not far behind when it comes to articles in the equestrian press. With statistics trending toward 50% of the equine population being classified as overweight or obese, research into the area is becoming top priority for vets, nutritionist and welfare organizations alike.

Weight gain has always been thought of as a consequence of a simple imbalance between calories consumed and calories burned. However, what makes some animals more prone to weight gain and why they don't seem to lose it remains a mystery. This weight gain may accelerate the onset of several metabolic problems, such as insulin resistance and laminitis and puts a strain on virtually every body system.

Maintaining your horse at an ideal weight is not always easy. Some horses are what may be referred to as an "easy-keeper," a generic term used to describe a horse or pony that easily maintains body condition and is prone to being overweight. These horses can easily become obese, which, as in humans, is not desirable for horses, ponies or miniatures.

The current industry practice is to utilize body condition to assess the amount of fat your horse or pony is carrying. The traditional body condition scoring method used in North America was developed by Dr. Don Henneke in the early 1980s and utilizes a numerical ranking system from 1 to 9 to estimate the stored body fat. Most horses, ponies and miniatures should be kept in a moderate (5) to moderately fleshy (6) range. Remember that the particular job your horse has will have an impact on the amount of fat cover your animal carries. For instance, a race horse or eventing horse may be perfectly fit at a BCS of 4, while some breeding and show horses perform better at a fleshy condition (BCS of 7). When horses start reaching BCS scores of 8's and 9's, we are beginning to push the limits of good health and a proper weight reduction plan should be implemented.

Most horses are overweight because they have stored excess energy as fat, so reducing caloric intake is typically the first step. Care should be given when starting a weight reduction plan for your horse since too rapid of weight loss can increase the risk of the potentially fatal metabolic condition, hyperlipemia, especially in ponies and donkeys. Additionally, reducing weight by restricting access to forage may increase the risk of gastric ulceration and abnormal behaviors.

Here are a few tips to consider for safe weight reduction:

• Replace conventional feeds with one providing lower energy, (i.e., a high fiber, low starch and sugar) such as Gro 'n Win®, to help promote weight loss yet maintain time spent chewing and provide the required vitamins, minerals and amino acids your horse needs.
• Check the analysis of your current forage and if necessary, move to a lower calorie source such as a more maturely cut hay (avoid alfalfa or 3rd cutting hay).
• If necessary, remove all other supplemental feed and provide an all forage diet. Remember that forage alone will not meet all vitamin and micronutrient requirements. Supplementing with Gro'n Win ensures your horse receives these essential nutrients missing from hay or pasture in a low calorie formula.
• We recommend that you should not restrict the total ration to less than 1.5% of body weight per day, which is 16.5 lbs of intake for an 1100-lb horse.
• Restrict access to grass, especially "lush" pasture, but maintain turnout by utilizing grazing muzzles, dry lots or managed grazing.

Just like with any management changes, nutritional and exercise changes should be made gradually and in such a way as to not stress the horse. Shifting to a lower-calorie diet, such as Gro 'n Win®, you can safely create an energy deficit so the horse or pony begins to utilize its fat reserves while still supplying the essential nutrients (amino acids, vitamins and minerals) required on a daily basis.

Once your horse has achieved the desired body condition, constant monitoring and adjusting of your horse's diet will be essential for successful weight management. Open communication with an equine nutritionist along with regularly scheduled checkups with your veterinarian, especially throughout the weight loss process, is imperative to ensure your horse's continued good health.