Assessing Early Weight Loss
A study examining Managed weight loss in obese ponies: evaluating weight change, health and welfare, conducted last year by researchers at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Liverpool and supported by World Horse Welfare, suggested that it would be beneficial to find a more accurate method for monitoring early weight loss in overweight ponies rather than relying on conventional equine body condition scoring.
A further study comparing two practical weight loss protocols for the management of overweight and obese horses and ponies was conducted earlier this year by the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Liverpool and funded by the government-initiated Knowledge Transfer Partnership and the WALTHAM Equine Studies Group. It confirmed that the proportional change in belly girth was more closely associated with changes in body weight than the proportional change in heart girth in the early stages of weight loss.
Dr Caroline Argo and Alex Dugdale of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Liverpool said: “It is important for owners to understand that early weight loss is not immediately recognisable as a change in the horse or pony’s overall appearance or body condition score. However, owners do need some assurance that measures taken to promote weight loss are being effective. Simply measuring belly girth at regular (weekly) intervals can provide this. Without such reassurance, we might be inclined to either give up or more alarmingly, harmfully increase our efforts to induce weight loss.”
Clare Barfoot BSc (Hons) RNutr, a member of the research team for the second study continued: “Our findings clearly support the concerns raised in the initial study on the accuracy of using conventional body condition scoring or heart girth measurements to monitor early weight loss. Although weigh tapes used around the heart girth can estimate bodyweight they are not as reliable in picking up early weight changes in weight loss programmes. Measurements around the belly girth have proved to be a more reliable way to monitor weight loss although it is important to ensure that the initial measurement is taken a week after food restriction to accommodate initial losses in gut fill and water, and that measurements are taken in a standard way at a similar time of day.”
Samantha Lewis, Right Weight Manager for World Horse Welfare, commented: “This research will be of great benefit to owners who are taking steps to help their horses lose weight by enabling them pick up on changes at an earlier stage. While weightapes used at the heart girth can be useful to obtain estimates of body weight, changes in belly girth may be more sensitive for monitoring early changes in weight when obese ponies are encouraged to lose weight.”
The researchers are still working on validating a more accurate body condition scoring system, based on the findings. In time they hope to be able to create a more effective weight loss assessment method for owners to use.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
