The well-being of your horse is undoubtedly essential. Preventing obesity is one of the aspects of keeping your equine companions healthy. Doing so is essential because obesity can lead to various health conditions. Unfortunately, many horse owners get it wrong with the feeding, leading to obesity that affects the life quality. This article details key strategies that will keep your horse fit and fabulous.
Feed the Horse a Balanced Diet
Poor diet is the root cause of obesity and conditions like Colic in Horses. Therefore, feeding your equine friend on a balanced diet would be best. Such a diet encompasses a proper combination and quantities of essential nutrients. A proper diet for your horse should include the following:
- Forage: high-quality like pasture and hay to provide fiber. The diet is crucial for healthy digestion and proper gut health.
- Carbohydrates: moderate quantity of corn, barley, and oats to provide energy for exercise and daily activities.
- Fats: healthy fats like vegetable oils as a source of concentrated energy.
- Protein: Adequate protein from certain grains and legume hay like alfalfa for muscle development.
- Vitamins and minerals: forage and grains rich in Vitamins A, D, and E. Such feeds are also rich in minerals like zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, and calcium.
- Salt and water: salt supplement or block to provide chloride and sodium to maintain electrolyte balance. In addition, make access to fresh water easy for hydration, thermoregulation, and proper digestion.
It’d be best to consult your veterinary for proper portions according to age, weight, and other conditions. Besides, avoid sudden diet changes.
Set a Regular Exercise Regimen
Obesity also causes Founder in Horses, an inflammation of the laminae, affecting the hoof. As a result, your horse will be in severe pain that can lead to its demise. Therefore, set a regular exercise regimen to help maintain a healthy weight. The exercise routine should consist of riding, turnout, and lunging. Such physical activities will help it burn excess calories. While doing so, check for signs of pain when the horse moves or shifting weight when it moves. In addition, observe changes like lying down more often or swelling hooves.
Provide Mental Stimulation
Horses overeat when bored. Therefore, providing mental stimulation like slow feeders or puzzle toys would be best to keep it engaged. It also extends the feeding time. This strategy will keep your horse focused on the puzzles, reducing the calories it takes. For best results, train it on mental stimulation from a young age.
Schedule Regular Veterinary Check-Ups
Grain overload and rapid weight gain can happen without you noticing it. The unnoticed changes can lead to conditions like Laminitis in Horses, affecting your equine companions’ well-being. Therefore, schedule regular veterinary check-ups to determine if the horse has a healthy weight. The professional will consider factors like weight and age to determine the suitable weight and advice you accordingly.
Obesity is the leading course of conditions like Colic in Horses. Unfortunately, how you feed your horse and treat it leads to unhealthy weight gain. Therefore, it’d be best to use the information you have read here to strategize how to keep your horse fit and fabulous.
