OMG what is that THING?!

Imagine you buy back a horse you used to own, sight unseen, and this is what gets dropped off in your pasture:

January 2007

This hippopotamus (sorry) was once a fairly fit, if stout, riding horse:

summer 2004

Look! He had a neck with an actual throatlatch then!

He was so obese, the owner didn't dare ride him in his condition, and was afraid founder was imminent.

She boarded him at a private barn with strict diet instructions, trying to hand exercise him as much as possible.

February 2007

Despite the owners' efforts, the weight was slow to come off. As spring approached, he'd lost enough to be able to cinch up a saddle, and exercise increased.

April 2007

However, the barn owner reportedly took it upon herself to feed him when he looked "bored" or "hungry" which slowed the rate at which he was able to shed the extra weight.

summer 2007

By the end of summer 2007, he was moved to a different barn, where his diet was better regulated.

January 2008

It took over a year to get him back to an acceptable weight.

Here he is now, still a big stocky boy, but no longer dangerously obese:

summer 2008

OMG! I think I see ... withers!!

Obesity in horses is a dangerous condition. It can cause irreversible damage, and should be considered as undesirable as malnutrition.

IMO and that of the owner of this horse, it is easier to add weight to a horse that needs it, than to remove excess weight from an overly fat horse.

There will always be a horse that stays thin no matter what or how much you feed it ... there will always be a horse that stays fat no matter how well you regulate its diet. I'm not on the warpath against people who happen to own such individuals and do their best to manage their weight and maintain a healthy condition. However, if you're overfeeding your horse because you LIKE to see them FAT ... STOP!!

Think about what is best for the individual horse.
Then feed accordingly.

Go figure.

Funny thing is, I didn't find these articles until after I started the blog:

An overeating, slothful horse leads to an obese horse. Unlike humans, however, horse owners often don't see the dangers of an obese horse. Caretakers may see no harm in giving their horses rich foods, but obesity in horses is just as unhealthy as obesity in humans and can lead to fatal diseases.

University of Missouri-Columbia. "Horses Suffer From Obesity, Just Like Humans." ScienceDaily 25 April 2007. [read article]

And another:

Horses face serious health risks because of obesity, according to recent research. Fifty-one percent of the horses evaluated during the pioneering research were determined to be overweight or obese -- and may be subject to serious health problems like laminitis and hyperinsulinemia. And just like people, it appears as though the culprits are over-eating and lack of exercise.

Virginia Tech. "Fat Horses Face Health Problems." ScienceDaily 10 July 2007. [read article]

So, maybe I'm on to something here.

Welcome to Obese HOTD

Skinny Horse of the Day has a sibling!

The name was inspired by the Fugly Horse of the Day blog, but the similarities end there.

I will profile random horses selected from photos available to the public in an effort to show that obesity in horses should be no more acceptable than malnutrition at the opposite end of the spectrum.

I have a few online friends who I believe will offer up some photos of their "easy keepers" on request, but we'll start with my own. (I'm well aware than any time you point your finger at someone, three point back at you.)




This is my overweight Tennessee Walking Horse gelding ... no, he's not a broodmare about to drop a foal any day. I limit his pasture and he gets no more than a handful of grain to wash down supplements. He's just a big fan of eating.

He's looking better today ... a brief illness caused him to drop at least 100 pounds if not closer to 200. He's got more energy and to put it bluntly I feel better about riding him in his present condition than I do when he's packing more fat and sweats more easily.

In short, my opinion is that moderately thin is a safer condition for the overall health of the horse than is moderately obese.

I welcome comments and opinions from those who agree and those who oppose this point of view.