As many a horse owner is aware, horses vary in their ability to maintain body condition. This is particularly of concern for those that own Thoroughbreds, older horses, those in hard work or those that have limited access to grass (most commonly during the mid- winter and -summer months), who often get the short end of the stick and end up forced to pump hundreds of dollars into feeding their animals, just to maintain an already inadequate body condition score until the situation changes due to either a return of the grass or a lightening of the animal’s workload.
Causes of Poor Body Condition Score
Teeth – poor dental care in the horse can result in difficulty in chewing food, leading to poor digestion, or an unwillingness to eat due to dental pain. The ‘average’ horse (one without any particular dental issues) will require its teeth to be looked at annually to rasp down any hooks or sharp points, as well as deal to any other related dental issues. This dental pattern should begin from the age of 3, at which point wolf teeth, if present, are likely to be removed because, if left in, they will interfere with the presence of the bit, leading to problems.
Ill health – similarly to people, a sick horse’s digestion may not be one hundred percent. The horse may also lose its appetite and eat less due to illness, and will be using up more energy getting better – so the (possibly smaller) amount of food he is eating will not be going as far towards maintaining body condition, but will rather be put towards immunity and rectification of the horse’s health.
Young horses, such as this yearling, often have a ribby appearance due to their fast growth rate and the inability of the body to assimilate body condition at the same rate
Age (young and growing, old and inefficient) – young horses are often ribby and thin in appearance because everything they eat is going towards growth. Horses up to the age of two years will likely have a lanky thin appearance due to the quick rate of growth – the amount of food the horse gets in a pasture diet (and even in some grain diets) may not be enough to have the animals body condition score keep up with the huge growth happening at the time. Similarly, in older horses as in older people, the body is not as efficient as it once was. The animal is less efficient at digesting its food, and what it does digest is used to more inefficiently run the other body systems (such as keeping the older horse warm during the winter). Age is often a key factor in the body condition of an animal.
Parasites – horses should be on a regular worming program. The exact worming program will depend upon the number of horses per amount of land and how they are managed, but worming should be efficient enough that horses have as low a worm burden as possible. Not only can some parasites cause permanent damage, but a high parasite burden can be a cause of poor body condition. Horses with a high worm burden will exhibit a ribby appearance, a harsh staring coat and a pot belly, as well as a flat, tired demeanor.
Discomfort/stress – as with people, horses experiencing high levels of discomfort or stress are prone to weight loss. Common anxiety-associated behaviours include crib biting and fence walking, and can lead to a light horse. Horses changing environment (for instance, a pasture horse learning to be stabled) can experience an increase in stress levels. Not only is the horse burning off excess energy being stressed and performing associated activities, but an anxious animal will often also be off its feed, which only complicates matters.
Difficulty in maintaining body condition is often a 'Thoroughbred problem' - these horses are notorious for having issues maintaining adequate condition, often despite the owner's best efforts
Insufficient feed for individual requirements - as with any animal, a horse requires a certain amount of feed in order to fuel his body. Not enough feed will result in a horse using up fat stores in order to replace what is required but not available. This leads to a lightening in condition, resulting in a thinner animal. Some animals are naturally leaner than others, and find it more difficult to maintain body condition. Thoroughbreds, for instance, are notorious for running lean (but of course there are exceptions). Whereas some horses can survive off the smell of grass, others require more feed to keep them looking good and well covered. Pregnant mares will require more feeding, as they are eating for two. Similarly, a lactating mare will require more feed again, as she is feeding her growing foal. A shortage of feed for her will result in her losing weight, and her milk production lessening.
Incorrect feeding - as with insufficient feed, the wrong type of feed can result in problems leading to poor condition. For instance, a high-strung Thoroughbred fed exclusively high energy feed when it does not require it will likely be over-active and nervous, leading to vices such as stall-walking and fence-walking. Stress and over-activity can lead to a loss of body condition. Deficiencies can result in similar behaviour. It is important to feed the right stuff, in the right balance, so that the horse’s requirements are met.
In part two we will discuss different feeds that can be used for helping a poor horse maintain and gain body condition.
