One of the most important parts of keeping a horse healthy is maintaining its weight. We suppose the same can be said of every man and animal on the planet, but that would make for a much longer and more complicated blog post. Let’s for now focus on obesity in ponies, which is starting to become a problem in many areas of the country, with many owners feeling like their hands are tied – that the problem is beyond them. They feel powerless to stop equine metabolic syndrome. Thankfully, due to new research, it seems that owners can implement highly effective weight loss programs, as discussed in this article in the American Farriers Journal.
Horestalk reports, “A study of horses with equine metabolic syndrome showed that weight loss, managed by their owners at home, reduced insulin resistance and susceptibility to laminitis. The researchers said recent research provided proof that conscientious owners really can help reduce the risks posed by obesity in ponies.”
What owners can do is to restrict calories with their horses in addition to increasing exercise. That seems to be common sense though, don’t you think? However, the research doesn’t take into consideration the fact that much of proper horse maintenance depends on the owner. If he or she doesn’t keep a watchful eye on the horse, chances are the horse will slip into unhealthiness. There needs to be a better way to monitor horse owners, but we might have a ways to go for that.
The study is a fascinating one and we encourage all horse owners to check it out in the Equine Veterinary Journal. After all, you don’t want your horse to have insulin issues or develop laminitis, right?