News.

Continued from page 1.

The Overweight Horse - A New Year's Resolution
Preventing Obesity

January 8, 2026 | Guelph, Ontario - Equine Guelph has made a New Year's Resolution to empower horse owners to learn more about their horse's nutrition and needs. January, dubbed by Equine Guelph as Nutrition Education Month, will be dedicated to learning more about the overweight horse - increasing awareness of what caregivers can do to prevent their horses from becoming over-conditioned and offer practical tips on how to tackle weight gain.

Research shows that nearly 29% of Canadian Horses are overweight or obese (Kosolofski et al., 2017; Mills et al. 2025). As a result, a new study was undertaken, a collaboration between the Atlantic Veterinary College and University of Guelph, to better understand the attitudes and barriers that horse owners experience regarding their obese horses. (Recent Equine Guelph research article: Survey Reveals Emotional and Practical Challenges in Managing Horse Weight)

Prevention is always preferable 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 Condition 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 system when providing hay
• Source a more mature hay
• Ensure you maintain a diet that provides sufficient essential vitamins and minerals
• Employ the help of an independent equine nutritionist

Preventing a horse from becoming over-conditioned starts with routine monitoring and consistent BCS tracking. When a horse's body condition rises above the ideal of 5/6, intervention is warranted and it's time to act.