FAQ / Horse / Overweight

Overweight
"My trainer says my horse is overweight, how do I help it lose weight?

The most important thing is to monitor your horse’s energy intake in relation to how much energy it burns.

Often, the best first step is to reduce high-energy concentrates. If the forage needs to be supplemented with protein, a protein concentrate can be used to keep the concentrate feed amount low while still meeting the horse’s essential protein requirements.
The forage portion should be limited, but a horse has a daily roughage requirement of 1.5 kg dry matter per 100 kg body weight, which should not be reduced. If you have high-energy hay/haylage, you can supplement with straw to provide sufficient chewing time and fiber intake. However, keep in mind that straw also contains energy, though less protein.
 
Exercise is, of course, a great way to increase energy expenditure and provides many other health benefits for the horse. However, as long as the horse consumes more energy than it burns, it will not lose weight. By creating a tailored feeding plan and analyzing the forage, you can calculate your horse’s exact needs and determine how much it should eat to reach a healthy weight.

Do you need help with a customized feeding plan for your horse? Contact us!
Read more about feeding at Trikem Academy.