Horse World

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One of the problems horse owners often run into is ensuring their horse will not lose weight. 

Knowing why this is a problem and where the problem arises is the first step to solving the problem. Horses that are too thin can often have as many health problems as those who are too fat. The secret is to ensure your horse is kept at the best possible optimum weight.

A horse losing weight may occur for several reasons and one of the more basic reasons is their teeth. Horse teeth are different from other animals because they constantly grow and fall out. Horses often grind their teeth. 

They may also be worn down from the food that is being fed to them because the food may not be correct for them thus causing them to grind more in order to swallow their food.  If they are grinding their food, the sharp edges of their teeth may wear into their tissue in their mouth.  This then causes the food to pass through the horse without being digested. 

Also look at the form of the teeth as well as how they eat their food.  If they are uncomfortable, you will need to check their teeth and take the proper steps to make their meal time more comfortable. 

Another serious problem that often occurs with horses losing weight is when they contract worms.  Worms are parasites living in the digestive system of the horse.  They cause the horse to feel ill and the horse does not gain any nutrition from the food he eats. This can be solved easily by de-worming your horse. 

If you do not worm your horse on a regular basis it can lead to colic, which will cause more problems.  Horses should be wormed on a very regular basis as the worms live in their droppings which can then mean they are re infested if the horse grazes near to them.

What are you feeding your horse?  Certain types of feed do not have the correct nutrients.  Some owners mistakenly feed their horse too much sugar beet (Sugar beet is low in nutrients).  If you feed wet-bran that is too wet, it also absorbs all the nutrients from the feed. This will cause your horse to lose weight over time. 

Also check for other health problems that may be bothering your horse.  Horses use energy that is stored to keep them warm when it is cold.  If they use too much of this energy trying to keep warm, they will easily lose weight. This can easily be restored with fibre. 

They may also have an injury or wound causing pain. If they are sensitive to the pain, they may stop eating regularly.

Knowing your horse and recognizing the signs and signals he gives you is important. You should be able to recognize easily when he is having problems with his feed and act accordingly. Otherwise he could eventually become very ill. Ensure you read up and research from reputable sources how to feed him.

Investing in a weighing tape may be a good idea as this will give you a good guide when calculating his feeds as to how much you should give him.

Previous Articles By This Author

• Buying Your First Horse
• Equipment for Horses
• Basics of Horse Care
• Grooming your Horse
• The History of Horses