Obesity in Horses

Question 1

Define obesity

Answer 1

Medical condiiton where excess fat accumulation -> negative affect on health

Question 2

How is obesity measured in horses?

Answer 2

NOT BMI (accurate weight difficult) 
- BCS (geenralised adiposity) or CNS (regional adiposity)

Question 3

What are the 2 BCS scales? What are optimum scores for each?

Answer 3

• 0-5 with 2.5-3 optimum (use 1/2 scores)

- 1-9 with 5 optimum (use whole scores)

Question 4

Which areas are emphasised in condition scoring?

Answer 4

Tailhead, back, withers, neck, rib, behind the shoulder

Question 5

What is the optimum CNS?

Answer 5

2

Question 6

Which ponies are usually seen to be obese?

Answer 6

Show ponies

Question 7

Which animals are most commonly seen to develop obesity?

Answer 7

• draught/cobs/native/welsh ponies
• good doers
• pleasure/nonridden
• summer more than winter
  > underrecognised by owners

Question 8

Why does adiposity increase in the summer?

Answer 8

• ^POMC from pituitary pars intermedia -> apetite and adipogeneiss
• evolutionary adaptation to get through winter

Question 9

What adverse effects does chronic adiposity have?

Answer 9

• Insulin resistance (fat releases hormones that inhibit insulin)
• Mild pro-inflammatory state

Question 10

Give 3 conditions associated with physical presence of excess fat (1*)

Answer 10

• excercise intolerance
• abnormal repro
• mesenteric lipoma (±strangulation)

Question 11

Give 4 condiitons asscoaited with obesity and IR (2*)

Answer 11

• Laminitis
• Hyperlipaemia (stress induced)
• DOD (developmental orthopaedic problems)
• EMS

Question 12

Which aspect of obesity causes the greatest risk of laminitis?

Answer 12

> IR

- suggeted changes in insulin signalling, inflammaotry cytokines, endothelial dysfucntion

Question 13

What are the epigenetics implications of obesity?

Answer 13

Pre natal (genes switched off or on during late foetal and early post-natal stages) dependency on maternal diet
> obesity or emaciation  
- obese mothers have ^ glucose conc and NEFA -> epigentic changes, possibly permenant (appetite control, neuroendocrine, fuel metabolism and energy partintioning) 
- sub-optimum nutrition -> v pancreatic weight and B cells, structual changes -> impaired glucose homeostasis

Question 14

What must be considered when controlling calorie intake in horses?

Answer 14

• DMI must be maintained

- welfare concerns associated with restricting DMI (sterotypies, colic, ulcers, dental)

Question 15

How can weight loss be acheived?

Answer 15

> resitrict calorie intake 
- grass muzzle
- double net forage
- restirct pasture and feed hay/straw 
- soak hay to wash out nutritents
- hang from middle of stable - difficult for horse to get food 
- subsitute hay with chaff or unmollassed beet pulp (IF OWNER WANTS TO FEED MEALS - NOT necessary) 
> increase energy expenditure 
- water and food at opposite ends of pasture
- strip graze (circumferential) 
- clip
- do not rug

Question 16

How does ^ energy expenditure -> weight loss?

Answer 16

• promotes glucose uptake and use by skeletal mm. by insulin indepentant route for ~24hrs
• ^ insulin sensitivity
• v inflammation
• v feed intake

Question 17

What % body weight should a horse eat in forage? How much are they capable of eating?

Answer 17

1.5%

can consume 3% BW in 3 hours at grass!!