Managing your horse's weight
Learn more about managing your horse's weight and the benefits of keeping your horse in optimal condition.
How much should my horse weigh?
This is a question that every horse owner ponders at various stages throughout the year. Is my horse carrying enough muscle? Is my horse carrying too much weight, or not enough condition?
A good rule of thumb is to use what we call the Body Condition Score.
What is the Body Condition Score for horses?
The Body Condition Score for horses (BCS) is a system designed to assess a horse’s overall body fat and muscle condition, typically using a scale from 1-5.
1 represents that the horse is on the ‘Poorer’ end of the weight scale, whereas a horse classed as 5 would be considered ‘Extremely Obese’. This system helps determine the appropriate management of the horse’s diet, exercise, and overall care to ensure good health and wellbeing.
Why is it useful?
The Body Condition Score is useful for a variety of reasons, including:
Health Monitoring
Diet and Nutrition Management
Exercise and Training Plans
Breeding and Performance
Disease Prevention
Objective Assessment
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Overall, BCS is a simple yet valuable tool for maintaining a horse’s health and ensuring the horse is properly cared for throughout its life.
How do I know if I have an overweight horse?
To determine if your horse is overweight, you can assess its body condition using the body condition scoring system.
What should I feel my horse if I want it to lose weight?
Some dietary adjustments you can make with your horse, include:
Soaking hay or restricting amount of unsoaked hay given
Trickle feeding
Avoiding high-calorie concentrates
Strip grazing or using a grazing muzzle whilst they are on turnout
Avoid treats & high sugar supplements
Fitness Plans for overweight horses
How can you help your horse lose weight? If you have a horse which is overweight, you will naturally want to produce a regimen & routine which improves their condition. Fitness plans for overweight horses should focus on controlled weight loss while building strength and fitness gradually. The key components are diet, exercise, and management adjustments.
Exercise Plan for the overweight horse
If you feel your horse needs to lose weight then we need to look at methods to improve their fitness and to reduce body fat, without overloading joints or causing stress.
A sample exercise plan for horses could include:
Week 1-2 Walking and Basic movement (i.e. Daily Turnout, 20-30 minutes walking)
Week 3-4 Increased Workload (i.e. Lunging 2-3 times a week, hydrotherapy, 40+mins walking with trotting intervals)
Week 5-6 Increased Intensity (i.e. schooling sessions with trotting and cantering, interval training, pole work)
How do I assess my horse’s progress with weight loss?
You will want to keep a close eye on the progress of your horse after embarking on a new training and/or nutrition approach. There are various ways you can manage their progress, including:
Weigh–tape & body condition score weekly
Regular hoof care (overweight horses are prone to laminitis)
Clipping (if needed)
Veterinary checks if you have any concerns about metabolic issues (EMS, Laminitis)