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From Fat to Fit Ready to get your horse fit for the busy travel and riding season? Here’s a 10-step weight-loss plan to get you started. By Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD
A fit horse is a happy horse, and one with the energy and motivation to frolic. Read on for ways to get your horse ready for the busy travel and riding season.
Horses become overweight for the same reason we do—they eat more calories than they burn. It isn’t any healthier for them than it is for us. Your overweight horse is stressing his joints, heart, and lungs, and has a difficult time regulating his body temperature during exercise, which can lead to dangerous overheating and heat stroke, especially as we head into spring and summer. Following is a 10-step weight-loss plan to help you get your horse moving from fat to fit. Plus, I’ll explain what to look for in a feed supplement, and give you a hay-equivalent chart and a lean menu (page 20). >> USRider® Equestrian Traveler’s Companion
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Spring 2020
