When a horse appears to be healthy outside, it is expected it is also healthy on the inside.

A horse with a shiny coat, toned muscles, strong hooves, and exhibit an excellent body condition is usually a healthy animal that’s ready to take on work. For a horse to perform its best unfailingly, it must receive proper nutrition and have excellent health condition. On the other hand, horses in poor health state may not be able to perform well. Some may manage for a very short period of time but will eventually develop poor performance and behavior when they are being ridden.

A horse with poor body condition, such as having visible ribs, only indicates that the horse is not receiving the nutrients it is supposed to have. If more serious health issues are not the primary cause for an unhealthy horse, this problem can be remedied by proper diet. You must consider its nutritional program to be able to assess why your horse is not eating right or putting on some weight; or why, despite all your efforts, he fails to thrive.

 

Feeds and Feeding

You can start by observing your horse’s eating habits. Observe how your horse eats his feed – he might or might not be chewing his food properly causing him to eat less. This problem is quite common especially in older horses with compromised dentition. Have your veterinarian check on your horse’s teeth for any dental problems.

Check your horse’s feed composition. Yes, your horse may be receiving free forage and allowed to graze on pasture but there are times when your horse eats hay or grass that may be of good quality but is poorly digested. While testing hay for quality and digestibility is possible, your horse may be able to tell you if the hay you are giving is not good for him. If your horse does not fancy hay, you might be overfeeding or simply – he doesn’t like the quality.

Next is to give the right amount of the right type of feed for your horse. You can achieve this by weighing the feed using a scale. If you feed less than what your horse actually needs, you will be raising an animal that does not receive the right amount of vitamins, proteins, and minerals from the food he eats. Adjust the amount of feed you give to your horse and make sure that it compensates for the type of work or activity he does every day.

Parasite Control Program

If nutrition is not the problem but still your horse has not maintained a good body condition, you need to check on your parasite control program. Resistance to different type of equine dewormers is now prevalent. While it is important to keep your worm on a regular deworming schedule, you must still consult your veterinarian for the ideal program suitable for your particular area. Get a fecal egg count exam for your horse to determine if your dewormers are still effective for the type of equine parasites present.

Medical Issues

Once nutritional problems and parasites have been ruled out as a cause for your horse’s failure to achieve an ideal body condition, there could be other reasons (i.e. medical conditions) that contribute to your horse’s weight loss. Conditions such as dental problems, gastric ulcers, colic, and chronic pain can have a negative effect on a horse’s appetite to feed. Remember that an injured, sick, or malnourished horse usually appears lethargic. Once they get back on track, do not feel hurt, and receive adequate nutrients from feed, they will feel better and will get the energy they require to do work. Of course, medical conditions in horses are best left to the veterinarian for assessment and treatment.

Being Healthy is Being Complete

If you want your horse to be radiant and have the desired weight, you should not only take care of feeding him enough calories -  it also has to do with making sure he receives vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and the essential amino acids from the food he eats. When these nutrients are given altogether, your horse can have a beautiful, glowing hair coat; toned muscles, excellent immune system, and will overall become a healthy animal – both inside and out. Providing calories can surely trim the fat on your horse, but to compensate for the lack of muscle, and making sure your horse wears a shiny coat and strong hooves, complete and balanced nutrition is extremely important.

Support balanced nutrition for your horse so he can live a healthier life. A healthy horse will always be a happy horse, because if he feels great inside, it will only reflect on the outside. An ideally healthy horse is not just having a horse that appears bright on the beautiful on the outside, but is also the healthy state that’s happening on the inside. Dont allow parasites to rob your horse of good health treat parasites today ..