The Equinist: Articles and Commentary by Susan Kauffmann

These days, most of us don’t have to look too far to find someone whom we think could stand to lose a few pounds – often more than a few. We have no difficulty recognizing obesity in humans, and we generally understand that overeating and a lack of exercise are the major culprits in our growing propensity to pack on the pounds. In addition, we know that being overweight can have serious consequences for human health. When it comes to our horses, however, we are apparently failing to notice that there is a widespread and rapidly increasing problem with equine obesity, and many of us are not aware that overweight horses also face many health risks – some of which can be devastating. A Bigger problem than most think (pun unavoidable!) A recent study by a team of researchers at the Virginia-Maryland regional College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech is shedding new light on the prevalence of equine obesity, and the nu...

This article first appeared in EQUUS magazine. How a common but little-known condition similar to Type II diabetes triggered a painful and frustrating episode of laminitis. Some years ago, when my then 7-Year-old Morgan gelding foundered for no apparent reason, I was determined to find out what had caused the painful and frightening episode that left him unrideable for nearly a year. In the course of my research, I was surprised to discover that a common but at the time little-known condition called insulin resistance (IR), which is similar to Type II diabetes, had triggered his laminitis. I also learned that my horse had been exhibiting the classic signs of IR for some time, and had I recognized those signs, the whole devastating experience could likely have been avoided. This horse is obviously obese, with a cresty neck and fat pads around the tail head that indicate insulin resistance. This horse should NOT be on grass. Thinking back, it was clear that Gryphon, alth...