Obesity in Horses Flashcards
What are the different fat scoring systems used in horses?
BCS and the CNS (cresty neck scoring)
What is a good BCS in a horse using the 1-5 and 1-9 scoring systems?
1-5 = 2/3 1-9 = 5
n.b good score for CNS is 2
What groups of horses is obesity more common in?
Draught, cob, native and welsh breeds
‘Good doers’
Pleasure/non-ridden horses
Summer c.f. winter
Why is obesity such a problem in horses nowadays?
Horses have to do much less work to get grass that is much more calorific then they have evolved to do.
What equine conditions have been associated with obesity in horses (physical presence of fat)?
Excercise intolerance
Poor reproductive performance
Mesenteric lipoma
What equine conditions have been associated with obesity in horses (IR and inflammation)?
Laminitis
Hyperlipaemia
Developmental orthopaedic disease (DOD)
PPID (equine cushings)
What can increased NEFA and glucose in obese mares lead to?
epigenetic programming in utero of foal that may affect appetite, neuroendocrine function and metabolism. Therefore increased risk of obesity in later life.
How can being underweight during pregnancy affect foals?
Possibly reduced pancreatic weight and number of beta cells which impair glucose homeostasis and thus predispose to obesity/IR in later life.
What welfare implications may result as a consequence of calorie restriction in horses?
Sterotypes
Colic
Gastric ulcers
Dental problems
Therefore - increase activity or maintain DMI
How can grass intake be restricted?
restrict time for grazing
Use strip grazing or grazing muzzles
If grass intake can’t be controlled what options are there?
Stable and feed hay.
1.5% BWT hay
Soaking, straw substitution can help as well as hanging methods
Make sure to implement changes gradually to avoid colic!
What methods can be used to increase a horses energy expenditure?
Clip
Dont rug
Hay and water at opposite ends of the field
Circumferencial strip grazing
