Exercise In general, horses that are properly fed are more likely to be too fat than too thin. If you have a healthy but overweight “couch potato” horse that is just fed hay and/or a reasonable amount of pasture (i.e., no grain), it’s time to increase the exercise regimen to get him to a healthy body condition. As with humans, a good diet should always be combined with reasonable exercise to promote the best possible health.
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This article originally appeared in the 2010 issue of Horses USA. Click here to purchase a copy.
Holly Caccamise has been with Horse Illustrated and Young Rider magazines since 2007, and in 2019, she became Editor in Chief of both titles. Caccamise has a master's degree in Animal Science with a specialization in equine nutrition and exercise physiology. She has also worked as a racing magazine ad copywriter and top-level show groom.
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