Purina's new horse weight management challenge, Through Thick and Thin, seeks to empower owners to help their horses achieve and maintain healthy body condition and lifestyle
Purina Animal Nutrition announced today the launch of its new challenge, Through Thick and Thin, which seeks to help every horse in America achieve and maintain an optimal body condition score (BCS). In a recent survey of horse owners, one in four said they were concerned about their horse’s weight,[1] so Purina is introducing the challenge to educate and empower horse owners around taking an active role in managing this critical component of overall health.
“A horse’s body condition affects multiple areas of their life, from their performance to their overall health,” said Mary Beth Gordon, PhD, Senior Director, Equine Technical Innovation. “And of all the health issues horses can face, their weight and their BCS is something horse owners can have a meaningful impact on with the right tools and information.”
BCS is a numerical system used to assess a horse’s physical condition based on its palpable fat and visual appearance. It is measured on a scale of 1-9, with 1 being severely underweight and 9 being severely overweight.
While the optimal BCS for each horse depends on their specific career, age and other factors, the average horse should target a BCS between 5 or 6. Broodmares may achieve a BCS of 7 throughout their pregnancy, while racehorses and endurance horses may be healthy at a BCS of 4. Horses that are at a higher BCS than their optimal score are at greater risk for metabolic issues, while horses with a lower BCS than optimal are at risk for malnourishment.
Veterinarians are an important resource to consult when managing a horse’s weight. They can identify what the optimal BCS for each specific horse should be and provide crucial medical support for issues that may be related to obesity, such as insulin resistance. A partnership between horse owners, veterinarians and nutritionists is an excellent approach to help horses reach their optimal body condition and support any health challenges horses are experiencing.
Dr. Mary Beth Gordon, PhD, Senior Director, Equine Technical Innovation at Purina, demonstrates how to use a weight tape.
Horse owners can measure their horse’s BCS themselves by assessing their horse’s fat cover over specific areas of the body. For more detailed instructions on measuring and interpreting a horse’s BCS, review these tips from the Purina technical team.
“By providing horse owners with educational resources on weight management and the feed and nutrition solutions that help optimize body condition, we’re taking steps to reach our goal of having more horses in the United States achieve and maintain their optimal BCS,” said Dr. Gordon.
Horse owners can participate in the Through Thick and Thin Challenge by:
- Learning more about their horse’s weight
- Getting a personalized feed recommendation for their horse
- Signing up for the Feed Greatness Challenge, a 30-day feeding trial exclusively from Purina Animal Nutrition
- Sharing their horse's weight management journey by tagging @purinafeedgreatness on Instagram and Purina Horse Feed on Facebook
About Purina
Purina Animal Nutrition LLC (www.purinamills.com) is a national organization serving animal owners and their families through more than 4,700 local cooperatives, independent dealers, and other retailers throughout the United States. Driven to unlock the greatest potential in every animal, the company is an industry-leading innovator offering a valued portfolio of complete feeds, supplements, premixes, ingredients and specialty technologies for all animal markets. Purina Animal Nutrition LLC is headquartered in Arden Hills, Minn. and a wholly owned subsidiary of Land O’Lakes, Inc.
