Companies join forces to tackle equine obesity crisis

A national practice group and a horse feed manufacturer have teamed up in a bid to highlight the increasing trend of overweight horses.

VetPartners and feed firm Dengie are running a joint campaign highlighting the dangers of overweight horses with the aim of reducing the number of equines suffering serious health issues, such as laminitis, linked to obesity.

Champions

The campaign will be launched on 1 March, and each VetPartners practice is nominating a vet or equine nurse to champion it. Owners can sign up to receive a free guide to equine weight management.

VetPartners’ equine business development manager John Millar detailed how equine obesity has become a serious welfare concern among vets.

He said: “If a horse or pony is overweight, it can cause significant health issues. It can predispose them to laminitis and EMS and puts extra strain on the heart, joints, tendons and muscles, increasing the risk of injury.”

Risk period

Mr Millar added: “We are approaching the highest risk period for obesity, when spring grass will be coming through, and it’s concerning that a lot of equines are coming out of winter already overweight.

“We are urging owners to take a close look at their horse’s condition and, if they are carrying too much weight, to take action now.

“We are here to help them achieve this, and it’s our aim to keep the equine population as healthy as possible. We can help owners identify if their horse is overweight, and work with them to create a suitable diet and management routine.”

Equine practices

Among the VetPartners’ equine practices supporting the campaign is Liphook Equine Hospital in Hampshire and Rossdales Veterinary Surgeons in Newmarket.

Jamie Prutton, vet and senior associate at Liphook Equine Hospital, said: “Equine obesity continues to be a significant problem and at Liphook we see a number of obese patients every week.

“As an eminently controllable situation, we hope that by supporting the weight loss campaign we, as a group, can provide the tools and support owners need to promote weight loss in their horses.”