more sedentary
lifestyle.............so here’s the latest!
Update on the long term effects of fatness on the health and welfare of horses
The danger of fatness is neither new nor unique to the showing world; however the showing world is more in the spotlight and often shapes the views of many horse owners. So real is the risk of long term fatness to the health of horses, that the veterinary profession dedicated a whole session at BEVA to the latest research in the subject; to put it in perspective horses are developing Cushings as young as 6 years (Dr John Keen, University of Edinburgh); in fact research has shown that fat horses are 6 times more likely to develop laminitis (L Salonon RVC).
to parents who have been fat and are on an unbalanced diet; similarly ponies get laminitis at a young age. Fatness is inheritable.
Think of laminitis as the horse equivalent to the human heart attack, the metabolic and biochemical changes are very similar.
Old, fat horses won’t get laminitis or EMS because of what they eat today, any more than you and I get a heart attack because we ate a doughnut today. They get the life threatening problems because their metabolism has changed over a period of time due to being fat; in addition they may be genetically predisposed, they might be stressed (increases cortisol), they might have long- term mechanical damage to their lamellae from carrying around excess weight.......
Forage and occupational therapy
The health risks of being fat are similar in both horses and humans and are cumulative. Not all the fat is the same; some secretes hormones causing insulin resistance, chronic inflammation and changes to the lining of the blood vessels (endothelium) resulting in blood flow changes causing heart attacks in humans and laminitis in horses. The longer you are fat, the more dangers to health; you get a heart attack because you’ve been eating too many calories for years, horses get laminitis because they have been eating too many calories from a young age. Children are getting type 2 diabetes because they are born
The other thing they need to remember is we do like to be kept occupied. I’ve more time on my hands now and standing around in a bare paddock (beats being stuck in a stable, better for my joints and my brain) without some hay is deadly.
I have a psychological need to chew and if she restricts the grass too much and doesn’t give me hay, then I’ll eat her b….. fence posts and the bark off the trees. OK I understand why she restricts my grass as I do have a tendency to gain weight now I am leading an easier life.
But the latest research has shown that if you restrict fibre then you increase the risk of
1. wood chewing, (Walters) 2. gastric ulcers, (Murray) 3. colic, (Hillyer)
Meal Deal: Dodson & Horrells ‘High Fibre Nuts’ & ‘Everday Chaff’
Only £10.50 An overall saving of nearly £5.00
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www.forrest-feeds.co.uk info@forrest-feeds.co.uk
TEL 01623 882260 Please feel free to give us a call!!
www.equestrianlifemagazine.co.uk 79
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