WINTER WAISTLINE WATCHING IT’S NOT ONLY THE HUMAN POPULATION THAT HAS SEEN LEVELS OF OBESITY ON THE RISE. HORSE OWNERS ARE INFLICTING SIMILAR LEVELS OF OVER-FEEDING ON THEIR EQUINE FRIENDS AND, AS WITH HUMANS, THE CONSEQUENCES CAN BE SERIOUS, SAYS HELEN TRIGGS.
M
ost dressage horses are carrying extra kilos according to vets and equine nutritionists. While they don’t need to be as streamlined as a race horse, they need to be carrying muscle not flab. In the winter, turnout is often restricted and exercise may be limited so owners should review their feeding programme to match the new situation. Apart from the extra strain on joints and tendons that overweight causes, there are some serious medical conditions which can cause the cause suffering and can be life-limiting. Lizzie Drury MSC RNUTR, nutritionist for Saracen Feeds, says We need to take off our rose-tinted glasses and look at our horses with fresh eyes. There’s no short or quick fix for an overweight horse. There has to be a long-term commitment – and if you fall off the plan, keep persevering. “Winter makes everything worse. We keep our horses too wrapped up – they need to be kept on the cool side to help support a weight loss programme.” By monitoring the amount of calories in the form of sugars and starch in the horse’s food, preventable metabolic conditions can be prevented. ABOVE: OVERWEIGHT HORSES ARE AT RISK OF SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS WHICH CAN BE LIFE-LIMITING. LEFT: TURNOUT MAY BE RESTRICTED AND EXERCISE LIMITED IN WINTER, SO FEEDING REGIMES SHOULD BE REVIEWED. OPPOSITE: WHILE HORSES APPRECIATE GOOD RUGS WHEN TURNED OUT, KEEPING THEM ON THE COOL SIDE HELPS SUPPORT A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME.
16 // Issue 8 2020 // BRITISH DRESSAGE
