The DOs And DON’Ts Of Managing For Healthy Joints

if they are not overweight or galloping over crosscountry courses. And the more years a horse spends carrying excess weight the more damage is done. Its always worthwhile to try to get a horse back to a healthy weight even in his later years.
Easy keepers
Exercise alone may not be enough to keep a horses weight in check particularly if that horse is an easy keeper. In such cases you also need to cut back on the calories he consumes each day. Keep in mind that not all horses need highcalorie concentrates. In fact goodquality hay alone can provide enough nutrition for many moderately active horses. If you cant find goodquality hay or simply cant bear the idea of putting nothing in your horses feed tub each evening you may want to feed a balancer pellet that provides nutrition without unneeded calories. Another effective weightloss strategy for an easy keeper is outfitting him with a grazing muzzle when pastures are lush.
The added challenge of obesity
Particularly challenging to manage are outofshape obese horses. You will need to make both dietary changes and increase the horses activity level to reduce his weight. But be aware that too much work too soon can lead to injury or stresses that increase the risk of arthritis.
Consider consulting with a trusted trainer andor your veterinarian. Together you can map out a progressive conditioning program and diet plan that makes sense given your horses situation and limitations. Then as you watch for changes in your horses weight keep an eye out for signs that youre pushing too hard.
DONT overdo training
Just as inactivity can contribute to arthritis so too can too much exercise. Without periodic days of rest a horses body cant effectively manage the minor inflammatory processes that are a natural consequence of any activity. Continual work escalates