Study to learn secrets of equine couch potatoes

October 28, 2010

Horses from different breeds will be kept under 24-hour surveillance in a bid to determine factors causing equine obesity.

Dr Dave Smith is leading the study into horse obesity.

It is hoped the Big Brother tactics will deliver results useful in tackling growing levels of equine obesity.

Researchers hope the study will help them discover exactly what makes the equine equivalent of a couch potato.

One in three horses in Britain, and over 80 per cent of ponies, are currently believed to be in danger of fat-related health risks such as laminitis - the equine equivalent of a human heart attack.

Tiny cameras, GPS devices and movement monitors will be attached to the horses used in the study to analyse every last aspect of their lifestyles.

A research team from Edinburgh Napier University and horse feed manufacturer Dodson & Horrell have teamed up to run the three-year project.

"The equipment will allow us to distinguish between food-related effort and other exercise - the horse equivalent of a trip to the fridge or the gym," said study leader Dr Dave Smith, a veterinary nursing lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University.

The research, the first of its kind, will be conducted at a Norfolk farm run by the British-based international charity, World Horse Welfare.

About 15 horses will initially graze in paddocks specially seeded with different grasses by retailer Oliver Seeds.

"We suspect a major factor in rising obesity levels has been the move from grazing in traditional meadows, which naturally feature a variety of grasses, to monoculture fields more suited to dairy cows," he said.

"However, there are also horse and pony owners who, through overfeeding, are unwittingly killing with kindness. Even horses in 'show' condition can be significantly overweight."

Dr Teresa Hollands, senior nutritionist at Dodson & Horrell, said a prior study had shown that obese horses were at greater risk of developing skin, muscular and bone problems, as well as laminitis.

"Owners forget that although they might not be putting food in a bucket, these ponies and horses are over-consuming calories from grass," she said.

"What's interesting is that some animals that graze together in the same field get fat, while others remain perfectly healthy. What we hope to find out with this study is if there is a horse equivalent of the human couch potato."

Every chew and canter will be followed online by researchers via webcams attached to each horse.

"We will be watching them around the clock as they go about their natural routines," said Dr Hollands. "It will allow us to find out who the grazers or gorgers are, exactly how far they travel, how much they eat, and what they eat.

"Once we have that data for each breed we will then be able to advise owners on how best to feed and manage their horses so they don't get fat and unhealthy."