Feed manufacturer calls for help with weight management survey
Three lucky participants will receive a three-month supply of a SPILLERS Balancer of their choice
The SPILLERSTM Brand is urging owners of overweight horses and ponies to take part in their new weight management survey. The results will help the trusted feed manufacturer to shape their weight management support resources into exactly what owners need to help them with their horses’ weight loss journeys. As a thank you for participating, three lucky winners will receive a three-month supply of a SPILLERS Balancer of their choice.
It’s estimated that over 50% of leisure horses and ponies may be overweight or obese and, in some groups of ponies, obesity rates may be as high as 70%. Excess weight carries many health risks, with laminitis being one of the most serious. Quite simply, horses usually get fat because they receive more calories in their diet than they burn through activities such as exercise, keeping warm and just the daily energy required to keep them alive (basal metabolic rate).
Knowing how waistlines expand is one thing, but doing something about it is often a trickier exercise!
Contributing factors to piling on excess pounds include:
· Improved pastures due to farm diversification.
· More horses and ponies being kept for leisure purposes rather than sport.
· Leisure horses and ponies are often only in very light work, reducing their energy expenditure.
· Milder winters compounded by the overuse of heat-insulating rugs.
· Changes in the type of horses owned, for example, more cobs and natives that tend to be good-doers.
· Owners not being able to recognise when their horse or pony is overweight.
The survey is designed to provide a better understanding of the unique needs of owners of overweight horses or ponies. The responses will help the SPILLERS brand improve the support they provide, enabling the team to create even more helpful resources, better product recommendations, and an even more supportive community. The brand has already created the SPILLERS Slimmers’ Club, which now supports more than 13,500 horse owners, offering practical guidance and camaraderie, to help with equine weight loss.
“Managing equine obesity is crucial for the health and wellbeing of our horses,” said Bella Fricker, SPILLERS’ Slimmers’ Club Project Lead. “As horse owners ourselves, we know how hard it can be to keep our horses’ waistlines in check. This survey gives us the opportunity to listen directly to horse owners, so that we can continue to provide the best possible support to help horses achieve healthier weights. It’s all a part of our mission to end equine obesity in the UK by 2035.”
The survey will be open from June 20 until August 1, 2025 and participants will be entered into a draw, with three lucky winners receiving a three-month supply of SPILLERS Balancer – the perfect addition to an equine diet to support nutritional needs while keeping weight on track.
The survey takes less than five minutes to complete. Click here to participate.
To find out more about the SPILLERS range, contact the Care-Line on + 44 (0)1908 226626 or visit www.spillers-feeds.com.