How to Safely Refeed the Malnourished Horse

Horse owners are familiar with the tragic pictures shared on social media of the emaciated horse rescued by the authorities or the one that could not be saved due to its poor condition. Malnourished horses are a reality even in our affluent Western world. Sometimes these horses are the result of wellintentioned people trying to save unwanted horses only to find they are unable to do so because of cost or scarcity of feed. Sometimes the malnutrition is the result of poor teeth advanced age parasites or any disease condition that affects the horses ability to eat or metabolize feed effectively.

The prognosis for the malnourished horse varies with the severity of the body weight loss and the length of time the horse has been subjected to insufficient nutrient intake. Starved horses quickly run out of body fat reserves to mobilize and then they begin to use muscle mass for energy. This can include skeletal muscle as well as protein from the breakdown of essential organs such as the heart liver and kidneys. When starvation goes on for too long the damage to muscles and body organs can become catastrophic. Horses that are allowed to lose weight sufficient to drop them down to a body condition score of two or less on the Henneke scale of 9 are far less likely to ever return to health.
In addition to acute body condition loss starvation in the horse causes a multitude of symptoms including weakness heart arrhythmia and electrolyte irregularities. Starvation will exacerbate existing conditions such as arthritis or joint issues and will reduce immune function.
Horses that are thin but also plagued with parasites such as ticks or lice will have a more difficult time regaining health once on a suitable feeding regime. Horses that are senior or suffering from debilitating health conditions such as lameness or poor teeth can be even more difficult to refeed to health
Bringing a Malnourished Horse Back to Health
The most effective way to refeed a malnourished horse is to first establish a plan that includes your veterinarian. Horses that have been subjected to prolonged nutrient deprivations could have potential physical damage to body tissues and your veterinarian will need to assess the animal before a refeeding program is initiated.
An assessment of current body weight and desired body weight is necessary as is an estimation of current body condition. A weight scale for this kind of workup is the