Equine obesity is endemic in domestic horse and pony populations, contributing to laminitis, EMS, and reduced quality of life through a combination of improved forage and reduced exercise.
Equine obesity causes welfare harm through laminitis risk, reduced mobility from excess weight, and the chronic inflammatory state associated with adiposity. Overweight horses are often less willing to exercise, creating a cycle where reduced activity worsens obesity. Appropriate weight management through grazing restriction, dietary modification, and increased exercise improves long-term welfare. The pace of weight loss must be managed to prevent hyperlipaemia, particularly in ponies and donkeys that are most at risk. Owner education about healthy body condition is a critical welfare intervention in a horse population where the ideal weight is increasingly unfamiliar.