FEBRUARY 2026 THE RIDER/ 9 INSIDE


Preventing Obesity.........................9 From the Trainer’s Eye ................10 Grey Bruce Horse Day.................12


The Overweight Horse – A New Year’s Resolution


Preventing Obesity


Guelph, ON Jan 8, 2026 - Equine Guelph has made a New Year’s Resolution to empower horse owners to learn more about their horse’s nutrition and needs. Janu- ary, dubbed by Equine Guelph as Nutrition Education Month, will be dedicated to learning more about the overweight horse - in- creasing awareness of what care- givers can do to prevent their horses from becoming over-condi- tioned and offer practical tips on how to tackle weight gain. Research shows that nearly


29% of Canadian Horses are over- weight or obese (Kosolofski et al., 2017; Mills et al. 2025). As a re- sult, a new study was undertaken, a collaboration between the At- lantic Veterinary College and Uni- versity of Guelph, to better understand the attitudes and barri- ers that horse owners experience regarding their obese horses. (Re- cent Equine Guelph research arti- cle: Survey Reveals Emotional and Practical Challenges in Man- aging Horse Weight) Prevention is always prefer-


able to intervention. Being aware and tracking your horse’s body condition over time, particularly during changes (such as a change in diet, forage source, or season) will help you be able to make small changes to keep your horse at an ideal body condition.


To prevent weight gain in horses: • Regularly perform Body Condi- tion Scoring (BCS) • Maintain or increase your horse’s exercise regime • Reduce caloric intake • Try a grazing muzzle while on pasture (introduce slowly with longer duration over several days) • Try a haynet or slow feeder sys- tem when providing hay • Source a more mature hay • Ensure you maintain a diet that provides sufficient essential vita- mins and minerals • Employ the help of an independ- ent equine nutritionist


Preventing a horse from be-


coming over-conditioned starts with routine monitoring and con- sistent BCS tracking. When a horse’s body condition rises above the ideal of 5/6, intervention is warranted and it’s time to act. Equine Guelph offers a


quick-learning resource, the Body Condition Scoring Tool, to help


Research shows that nearly 29% of Canadian Horses are overweight or obese. Photo Credit: I-stock


caregivers learn how to body con- dition score. The online tool is available for free to the public. It can be found at www.TheHorse- Portal.ca/BCSTool. For a deeper diver, Equine


Guelph offers two Introduction to Body Condition Scoring online short


courses on


TheHorsePortal.ca – instructor-led from January 19-26, 2026 and a self-paced on-demand format. These courses will give caregivers the tools to help determine whether a body condition score is appropriate for their horse, under- stand what actions should be taken next, and create an action plan for their horse’s weight and health goals. Equine Nutrition Month, the


BCS Tool, short online course and barn poster are all possible thanks to the generous support of Equine Guelph’s sponsor, Masterfeeds. “We are thrilled to partner


with Equine Guelph for Equine Nutrition Month”, says Jenna Beach, Masterfeeds Equine Media Sales Associate. “Masterfeeds pri- oritizes education on optimal nu- trition and support for horse owners. Regular body condition scoring empowers owners for proactive, long-term equine health management.” The bottom line is that


“pleasantly plump” can lead to se- rious health issues in horses – just like people. Join Equine Guelph in making your resolution for this new year in aiming for a healthy weight for your horses!


About Equine Guelph: Equine Guelph is the horse


owners’ and care givers’ Centre at the University of Guelph in


Canada. It is a unique partnership dedicated to the health and well- being of horses, supported and overseen by equine industry groups. Equine Guelph is the epi- centre for academia, industry and government - for the good of the equine industry as a whole. For further


information,


www.equineguelph.ca. Story by: Henrietta Coole


Web Link(s): Story web link: https://thehorse- portal.ca/2026/01/the-overweight- horse-a-new-years-resolution/


Other web links: Research article: Survey Reveals Emotional and Practical Chal- lenges in Managing Horse Weight -


https://thehorseportal.ca/2025/12/s urvey-reveals-emotional-and- practical-challenges-in-managing- horse-weight/


The Body Condition Scoring tool: https://thehorseportal.ca/ healthcare-tools/body-condition- scoring-tool/


Body Condition Scoring online short courses on TheHorsePor- tal.ca – instructor-led from Janu- ary


19-26, 2026 -


https://thehorseportal.ca/course/int roduction-to-body-condition-scor- ing-winter-26/


Body Condition Scoring online short courses on TheHorsePor- tal.ca - self-paced on-demand - https://thehorseportal.ca/course/on -demand-body-condition-score/


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ORCHA News .............................16 Conditioning The Race Horse......16 OCHA News ................................17 ORHA News ................................18 OFA Viewpoint ............................19 Kickstart Your Horse Journey......19


Model Horse Hobby.....................20 OQHA News ................................21 Fitness for Riders .........................22 QROOI News...............................23 BGRA News.................................23


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