Measuring weight loss

Belly girth measurements provide  a better way of assessing early weight loss according to recent research.

One of the problems faced by owners of overweight horses, is monitoring the response to weight loss programmes. Obviously weighing the horse would be ideal but is often not possible. Weigh tapes placed around the heart girth (just behind the elbow) may not detect any change despite a decrease (or increase ) in body weight, because that is not where the excess fat is deposited.

Two recent weight loss studies have both shown that belly girth measurements are more closely related to changes in bodyweight in early weight loss (after the first week of feed restriction) as opposed to the more commonly used heart girth measurements. Belly girth measurements are taken at the widest point of the belly - approximately two thirds of the way between the point of the shoulder and the point of the hip. They may even be more accurate than some ultrasound fat measurements.

One study conducted last year by researchers at the Department of Veterinary Clinical Science at the University of Liverpool and supported by World Horse Welfare, highlighted the need for 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. It was 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.”

See Equine Science Update for more information