30 Sept 2025
Horse owners described feeling guilty, frustrated and worried when it came to managing their animal’s weight.
Chris Simpson
Job Title
Spillers' questionnaire asked owners about weight management strategies, receiving 1,519 responses.
Around three-quarters of leisure horses in the UK may be overweight, according to a survey of horse owners.
The survey, conducted earlier in the summer by the Spillers brand as part of its efforts to tackle equine obesity, found that may be the case for more than 74% of respondents’ horses.
The questionnaire sought to understand owners’ weight management strategies and knowledge.
It received 1,519 responses, mainly from owners with horses aged between 11 and 20.
More than half (58%) reported monitoring their horse’s weight daily or weekly, but the majority were said to use imprecise methods, for example 30% did so by eye or photographs; just 13% used a weighbridge.
A fifth (20%) of respondents’ horses were affected by Cushing’s disease, equine metabolic syndrome or laminitis.
Owners perceived a lack of exercise (38%) and excess calories/overfeeding (37%) as the top causes of weight issues, with age and health issues ranked third at 24%.
Likewise, lack of time to exercise (22%), difficulty controlling calorie intake (21%) and the horse or pony always being hungry (21%) were identified as the biggest barriers to managing weight.
The respondents were said to demonstrate good knowledge of weight management strategies, with stabling for part of the day or overnight and small-holed hay nets being the most popular methods (19% and 18%, respectively), while soaking hay and strip grazing were less common at 14% and 12%.
However, just 7% of respondents were currently using a grazing muzzle to manage their horse or pony’s weight, while 52% had never used one.
Around half of those who had tried a muzzle found it to be successful, while the rest are said to have reported limited success.
More than half (58%) were not aware straw can be fed as a partial forage replacer; 24% were aware and had not yet tried it, while 18% were already using it.
Mars Horsecare project lead Bella Fricker said the results offered “valuable insights”, adding: “While owners seem to be very motivated, they are somewhat overwhelmed by the barriers they face or lack confidence to make the management changes they need to support weight loss.
“The survey results have shone the spotlight on the areas where we can provide further practical educational support for horse owners. We aim to be partners in care to help make change happen and banish equine obesity for good.”
