Oil provides more than twice the energy of carbohydrates and makes an ideal addition to the ration of horses and ponies who need to put on weight or struggle to maintain weight. The main advantage of feeding oil is that you can increase the energy density of the ration without vastly increasing the meal size.

(Also see Body Condition Scoring) It is much more common to see an overweight horse today than it used to be and it should come as no surprise that just like us, carrying too much weight can be detrimental to their health. This is to the extent that equine welfare charities are now taking overweight horses as seriously as malnourished horses. It takes almost twice as long to get an overweight horse down to a good weight compared to promoting weight gain in an underweight horse. Carrying too much weight can lead to damage to internal organs, increases the likelihood of limb problems and significantly increases the risk of laminitis (think of all that weight on his hooves!). To promote weight loss you should feed your horse 1.5% of his bodyweight per day, a common misconception is to starve overweight horses but this in itself could lead to further complications such as gastric ulcers and stereotypies if the horse is stabled for long periods of time. A good diet for an overweight horse is high in fibre, low in calories and low in sugar (Hi-Fi Good Do-er is ideal as it can also be used to completely replace hay/haylage) along with a broad spectrum vitamin and mineral supplement from the Dengie Natural Vitality range to ensure he is getting a balanced diet.