Monitoring Body Weight In Winter

Monitoring your horse’s body weight throughout the year can help you to spot changes that could be caused by illness or pain early which gives you the best chance of treating them successfully.  Weight monitoring is also important for making decisions about your horse’s diet so they stay happy and healthy. This is particularly important in winter when the colder weather can result in weight loss.  Read on as we explore how you monitor body weight in the winter, and how to implement changes to the horse feeds you use for both overweight and underweight horses without increasing the risk of digestive upsets.

How Does Winter Impact A Horse’s Weight?

Winter can present challenges for horse owners and knowing how to manage a  horse’s weight is key to keeping them healthy and in good condition. The colder weather and poorer quality grazing can result in weight loss, especially for older horses and ponies. Those that are stabled for longer periods need alternative sources of forage to pasture and these can sometimes supply more calories than they need especially if they can’t be ridden as much in the winter. To avoid excessive weight loss or weight gain it is important to monitor your horse’s weight.

Assessing Your Horse’s Weight And Condition

Assessing the amount of fat your horse has in specific areas is known as body fat or body condition scoring and is how you determine whether your horse is in the correct condition..

A weight tape gives you an idea of how much your horse weighs. Although these tapes are an estimate, they allow you to calculate the amount of horse feeds your horse needs as this is calculated as a percentage of their body weight.. It is possible to weigh your horse on a weighbridge which some horse feed companies make available to customers. Make sure you measure your horse’s weight regularly so you notice changes over time.

Monitoring An Overweight Horse In Winter

In winter, you should be aware that your horse’s winter coat may be making them look bigger than they are and could be hiding significant weight loss. Checking regularly is really important to avoid being caught out.

For overweight horses and ponies, winter is one of the best times to try and help them shed some weight. Excess weight can cause horses several issues, like an increased risk of laminitis linked to insulin dysregulation as well as resulting in poor performance. Encouraging your horse to use their energy reserves to stay warm by not over-rugging is key as is limiting grazing and using poorer nutritional value forage.

Feeding The Underweight Horse In Winter

If your horse is already underweight you need to ensure they don’t lose any more weight. Firstly, you should look at your horse’s intake and check you are feeding enough forage and also the bucket feed you are using. If you think the levels are right then you need to increase the calorie density of the feeds you are using. Oil is very energy dense but provides slow-release energy which is useful for horses that are stabled. Keeping starch to a minimum is important for digestive and behavioral health.

Make sure you introduce changes gradually to keep the gut healthy and try to feed your horse little and often so they can get the most from their meals – bigger feeds are not digested as efficiently and can cause digestive upsets!!

Be Aware Of Weight Loss And Illness

Although weight loss is quite common in horses over the winter, you should be aware that sometimes weight loss is caused by serious health conditions, so you should rule these out before making any assumptions. Here are a few things to consider when trying to pinpoint why your horse may be losing weight:

• Teeth: If your horse is suffering from issues with their teeth, it may be painful for them to eat, therefore reducing the amount of food they are eating and resulting in weight loss.
• Pain: If your horse is in pain, this may be causing them not to eat. You should be sure to check for back or muscle issues to decide whether this is the reason your horse is losing weight.

Disease

If you notice that weight loss has taken place over a short space of time, it might be that your horse is suffering from disease or infection – in this case, you should seek a second opinion from a vet.