The Challenges of Chronic Weight Loss

Weight loss is simply a result of more calories being used by the body than are being consumed. There are several potential causes of chronic weight loss in horses. These causes include poor quality or limited feed supply health and disease problems as well as social interaction and competition among horses. Chronic weight loss can also be the result of starvation. Starvation can be caused by intentional neglect ignorance economic hardship of owner disease dentition pecking order parasites or seasonal variation in availability of pasture. Remarkably horses can survive chronic weight loss.

It has been reported that horses can lose 30 percent or more of their body weight and still survive. Horses in this condition will have very little muscle mass and will be very weak. They will need special attention and a sound nutrition program to return to a proper body condition. Even with the best of care some horses wont survive especially horses that have lost 50 percent or more of their body weight.
Perhaps the most common cause of weight loss is poor quality or limited feed. Forage hay and pasture plays a significant role in chronic weight loss since it is the primary component of the diet. In addition it is difficult to accurately determine the quality of hay and pasture. In other words a person may be providing enough forage for their horse but the forage is of such poor quality the horse is not able to properly digest it.
If horses have free choice access to as much forage as they will consume and they are losing weight better quality forage must be provided. In addition a grain concentrate can be added to provide extra nutrients that are missing in poor quality forage. 
The other common mistake made with feeding horses is simply to not provide enough feed. For example an adult horse requires at least two percent of its body weight per day or 9 kg for a 450 kg horse 20 lb for a 1000 lb horse in dry hay. If the horse is being fed less than this amount often the result will be chronic weight loss.
A number of other diseases and chronic health problems can result in weight loss. Any disease that affects a horse will increase both protein and energy requirements often resulting in weight loss. In order for horses to recover from the disease and gain weight the disease or health