Andrew McClelland
The Advocate
Horses used to be the backbone of a farm. Only a century ago, if a producer wanted to plough a field, remove trees or get into town, he’d have to hitch up a team.
In Canada, it was only in the 1940s that tractors started replacing horses as the engines of most heavy lifting in agriculture.
Yet, the love and fascination for equine companions remains. That means the work horses kept today are descendants of the past genetic selection of Belgians, Percherons, Clydesdales, and all breeds that worked on farms.
But with the more “leisurely” lifestyle that work horses now enjoy can come health concerns.
“All draft horses tend to become overweight very easily,” said Angie Beaudet, an equine nutrition consultant who has worked in the field for 10 years. “Canadians, Halflingers, many of the Spanish breeds, mules, donkeys and miniature horses can also tend to obesity. And these are the ‘easy-keeper’ breeds that are popular for horse lovers to own.”
The most common culprit regarding obesity is insulin resistance. Horses are able to produce more insulin on a higher level than many other species. Similar to a human with pre-diabetes, the insulin of a horse will kick in strongly when its blood glucose levels are rising. While its glucose levels are under control, its insulin is soaring.
Health issues to watch for
“That can lead to a lot of health problems for horses,” Beaudet explained to participants at an April 24th videoconference organized by the Quebec Farmers’ Association as part of its ongoing Farm Forum series. “It’s what leads to laminitis or founder. It’s often associated to Cushing’s disease, and gut issues and even asthma can result from horse obesity.”
Those are health issues no horse owner wants to deal with. Knowing if your horse is overweight is key, says Beaudet, who works at Moulée Vallée Feed in Richmond, QC.
And, much like keeping cattle, keeping track of a horse’s body condition score is the best safeguard against equine obesity and the host of problems that arise from it.
“When I’m evaluating a horse’s health, I’m going to use a body-score system to evaluate the fat distribution in key areas on a horse’s body,” Beaudet said. “That means checking fat distribution in the neck, withers, shoulder, ribs, loin and tailhead.”
Equine body-condition scoring gives a rating between 1 and 9 for each of these six areas; divide the sum total by six and you’ll have an indication of a horse’s body score.
An ideal score in the “easy-keeper” breeds is 5, Beaudet explained. However, most tend to obesity and will stand at the 7- to 9-mark when the overall score is calculated.
Conditions are preventable
“All of these health concerns are pretty much 100-per-cent preventable and we can manage them if we do the proper things,” Beaudet said. “We just have to adapt the horse’s diet to stop health concerns from arising and managing them if they do.”
The first step is getting an analysis of the hay you’re feeding your equine friend. Working with a nutritionist is key, she said, along with getting the hay analyzed by a reputable lab.
“We want a hay with low sugar, starch and digestible energy so that your horse doesn’t gain weight too easily. We also want a low iron level. There’s still a lot of debate on the subject, but some studies have shown that high iron levels predispose horses to insulin resistance,” she explained.
A common misconception among horse owners looking for feeding hay holds that a lower protein level will keep a horse’s protein intake in check.
Keep sugar intake low
However, Beaudet said, hay with a protein level below 10 to 12 per cent will be detrimental to the animal’s ability to gain muscle mass — and muscle mass is key to combating insulin resistance.
“We always want to keep sugars as low as possible,” Beaudet specified. “That means no feed, no grains, no molasses. You want to avoid everything that’s oats, corn, barley —
all those kinds of ingredients.”
As many agricultural producers know, keeping a horse is not for the faint of heart — or for the light of pocketbook. Horse-keeping is expensive due to feed, stabling costs and professional expertise required to keep them healthy. For Beaudet, keeping a close eye on diet and nutrition is vital to making sure your horse is happy and healthy.
“One hundred years ago or even 50 years ago, horses could work 10-12 hours a day, several times a week. That’s just not really realistic nowadays. But the right diet, with the right exercise and monitoring of health concerns can help them adapt to being kept as a hobby or for sheer enjoyment.”