Why is obesity a bad thing?
There are many reasons why obesity is a bad thing and surprise surprise, they are very similar to the reasons why being obese is bad for humans. Obese animals are metabolically compromised by their obesity. Obese horses can suffer a peripheral Insulin resistance (which is not unlike Type II diabetes in humans) which is in effect a form of avoidable Cushings syndrome. Obese horses are at a much greater risk of Laminitis, they are more likely to suffer from performance limiting arthritic joint disease, they are at greater risk of colic from strangulating lipoma, their reproductive function is more likely to be compromised and obese mares are far more likely to have problems foaling ( if they were able to conceive in the first place.) Having foals and youngsters overweight can be extremely detrimental also. Conditions such as OCD and most of the developmental orthopaedic diseases are much more likely in animals that have high calorie intake and reduced exercise potential (i.e. the ideal c
