Is equine obesity really a problem?
Yes. In recent years the perception of ‘good condition’ has changed dramatically and as a result many leisure horses are carrying more than the ideal amount of body weight.
EoR is a bit confused as to how a "perception" results in actual weight changes, but perhaps it's something to do with a quantum consciousness entanglement matrix thing.
The ILPH are not taking this lying down:
To help horse owners establish what the right weight for their horse is, we will be running Right Weight Road Shows around the country. On these days the general public will be invited to bring their horse to be weighed on a mobile weighbridge.
Horseowners have always regularly been warned against overfeeding horses. This is not some new issue.
The quantity of hay should be carefully regulated, and never as much given as the horse will eat if at all voracious.
(Dennis Magner: The Standard Horse Book, 1893)
In the performance horse industries, especially race horses and pacers, there is an increasing trend to feed young horses much greater quantities of protein and grain in the rations than previously used.
R H Kerrigan: Practical Horse Nutrition, 1986
"EoR is a bit confused as to how a 'perception' results in actual weight changes"
ReplyDeleteIf the owners think the horse is underweight / poor condition they will feed it more and work it less until it is as plump as they think it should be.
The horse will fatter itself up easily, which is why "The Standard Horse Book" quote you give says not to feed it until it won't eat more.