WHAT IS OBESITY?

A horse or pony that is obese carries more fat tissue than they should.

In more natural settings, it is rare to come across ponies that are overweight or obese as they have to survive harsh winters, live off rough grazing, and walk miles each day to find food and water. We can all agree that this is a little different to the lives our ponies have with us!

As pony owners, we tend to provide more food and warmth – in the form of hay, concentrate feeds and rugs – than our pony actually needs and then we restrict his movement to paddocks and a bit of exercise with us. Just like in humans, when a pony takes in more calories than he burns, he stores the excess as fat so it’s easy to see how with all the calories, and limited movement our ponies can become overweight.

The consequences

Obesity is a significant cause of illness and death in ponies. Aside from putting extra strain on ponies’ joints, tendons and ligaments, the excess fat tissue causes hormonal problems in the body, which upset the balance of the metabolic system with serious and sometimes even deadly consequences.

Therefore, the most important thing about obesity is to spot it early, do something about it and ultimately keep your pony’s weight under control and his body condition healthy.

The appearance of an obese pony

Identifying when your pony is overweight can be tricky. We have become more and more used to seeing overweight ponies as ‘normal’, because so many ponies are overweight, that we don’t realise our pony needs to lose some weight to avoid being in danger.

Ponies carry their fat in a few different places – just like humans. The obvious fat pads are in the crest of the neck and on the shoulders and hindquarter, but fat can also be stored over the ribs and at the top of the tail, among other areas. Fat on the outside is easier to assess than the fat that builds up around our pony’s organs inside their body. This ‘hidden’ fat is difficult to measure, but is very dangerous for our pony.

Body condition scoring

Body condition scoring, otherwise known as fat scoring, is a way to assess your pony’s fat covering to help determine whether he is at a healthy weight.

The three key areas to look at are the neck, body and hindquarters, and you will need to not only look at your pony but also to feel him so you can work out the difference between muscle and fat. Generally, fat feels more spongy, whereas muscle is harder, although fat in the neck can start to feel firm and this is when it is dangerous.

Each area you look at and feel is then scored from 0-5 and then an average is taken (ask an adult how to do this if you are not sure) to work out the final score for your pony.

A healthy score is around 2.5-3 out of 5 unless your vet advises otherwise.

The University of Liverpool in the UK created a table to describe each score.

Score 0 = Very poor Pelvis = Angular, and skin appears tight. Very sunken rump. Back and ribs = Skin tight over ribs. Very prominent and sharp backbone. Neck = Marked ewe neck. Narrow and slack at the base.

Score 1 = Poor Pelvis = Prominent pelvis and croup. Sunken rump, but skin is supple. Deep cavity under the tail. Back and ribs = Ribs easily visible. Prominent backbone with sunken skin on either side. Neck = Ewe neck, with narrow and slack base.

Score 2 = Moderate Pelvis = Rump flat on either side of backbone. Croup well defined, some fat. Slight cavity under the tail. Back and ribs = Ribs just visible. Backbone covered, but spines can be felt. Neck = Narrow but firm.

Score 3 = Good Pelvis = Covered by fat and rounded. No gutter. Pelvis easily felt. Back and ribs = Ribs just covered and easily felt. No gutter along the back. Backbone well covered, but spines can be felt. Neck = No crest (except for stallions) and a firm neck.

Score 4 = Fat Pelvis = Gutter to the root of tail. Pelvis is covered by fat. Need firm pressure to feel pelvis. Back and ribs = Well covered – need pressure to feel. Neck = Slight crest. Wide and firm.

Score 5 = Very fat Pelvis = Deep gutter to root of tail. Skin distended. Pelvis is buried and cannot be felt. Back and ribs = Ribs buried and cannot be felt. Deep gutter along the back. Back broad and flat. Neck = Marked crest – very wide and firm. Fold of fat.

Assessing the neck and shoulders

A very cresty neck in an obese pony.

Feel along the top of your horse’s neck and notice if there is any hard fat and if you can wobble it from side to side. Then run your hand down the neck and onto the shoulder. Fat can build up in front of the shoulder blades, which will cause your hand to move smoothly between the neck/shoulder. Instead, in a pony of a normal weight your hand should be stopped between the neck and shoulder by the shoulder blade. Ideally, this shoulder blade should be clearly defined. You may also feel fat pads behind the shoulder blades.

Assessing the back and ribs

Run your hand over the ribs. You should be able to feel them quite easily with light pressure. If you have to press firmly or can’t feel them at all, then your pony is carrying excess fat.

Place your hand over his back and note whether you can see and feel your pony’s spine. Ideally, your hand should follow the arch of the spine and be able to feel the backbone. Fat can build up on either side of the spine until it is higher than the spine and creates a gutter. This will often result in your hand lying flat across your horse’s back. If his spine is particularly easy to see and feel, this indicates a lack of fat covering this area.

Assessing the hindquarters

Run your hand over the hip bones – you should be able to see and feel them easily under a thin layer of fat. If you have to press firmly or can’t feel them at all, then your pony is carrying excess fat. If the bones are sticking out and are very easy to feel, your pony is likely to be underweight.

Safely look at your pony from behind. Ideally, his hindquarters should be slightly round. An ‘apple’ shape and a gutter along the backbone indicate too much fat is present. You should also feel for fatty areas around the top of the tail.

Weighbridges

Body condition score can be really helpful but it should be backed up with an accurate weight measurement from a weighbridge to confirm the weight properly. The trouble is, of course, getting to a weighbridge regularly, but this is really the only way to know your pony’s weight.

Final thoughts

For more advice on how to assess body condition, get your pony weighed on a weighbridge, or devise a tailored weight management programme, contact your vet and a nutritionist. It’s always good to involve your vet to so that they can consider all of your pony’s health needs when deciding what is the best course of action for him.