Just as it is for humans, obesity is harmful for horses, too. Not only does exercise demand greater effort, the extra fat actually worsens the animals’ performance on a chemical level.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n
According to a Swedish and Icelandic study including nine Icelandic horses, <\/span>an increase in body fat in horses leads to negative changes in blood levels<\/b> during and after exercise. Even a weight gain of as little as 45 lbs is enough to affect the horses’ blood chemistry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The study found that lactate breakdown, glucose availability and the relative proportion of red blood cells in the blood had decreased. A decrease in the proportion of red blood cells associated with an increase in body fat percentage <\/span>has never been seen in any other species before<\/b>. These factors cause horses with a higher body fat percentage to take longer to reach their normal respiratory rate after exercise and it also <\/span>limits their performance<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Weight gain also has a negative impact on the horses’ locomotor system. Especially in the forehand and after training, <\/span>the asymmetry in their movements increases<\/b>. This led the scientists to the conclusion that acute loading combined with weight gain is <\/span>additionally detrimental to the movement<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n The reason for the change in the locomotor system remains to be unclear. However, human research has shown that weight loss can reduce pain and obesity can <\/span>alter the biomechanics of walking<\/b>. In addition, the <\/span>production of neurotransmitters related to inflammatory processes in the body increases<\/b> as older horses gain weight.<\/span><\/p>\nHeavier horses get a crooked posture<\/span><\/h2>\n
Owners are often unaware of their horses’ excess weight<\/span><\/h2>\n