Pesky Pudgy Ponies: Equine Obesity and the Behavior Consultant

Abstract

Obesity is one of the most common, and also most preventable causes of poor welfare in leisure horses. Research to date has shown that leisure equestrians have a poor ability to visually distinguish between healthy and unhealthy weights for horses. Equine behavior consultants are well-placed to offer advice as they are generally called in when an owner has recognized some problem. Equine behavior consultants should consider investing in their education around recognizing obesity and ways it can be managed and addressed, to best serve their clients as part of the veterinary and behavior team.