Increased body fat (aka “good do-ers or “easy keepers”) is one of my most in-depth topics here at THA. I write many posts on this website found in the Nutrition topic of this Horse Care section. However, you can extrapolate this information to work on the opposite – the “Hard Keeper,” who is chronically underweight.

I often joke with someone who wants to put more weight on their horses. I reply, “Go to your local scuba store and buy some weight belts, then place them on your horse, and you will have immediate weight gain.” The point is for the owner to specify whether they want more body fat or body muscle. The process is very different. Unfortunately, many think adding sugar (starch, grain) and exercising will add muscle. Neither is true unless you add amino acids to the diet needed to build muscle. Just ask any bodybuilder. Do you see them eating donuts while pumping iron?

Use the search feature or visit the Nutrition section for all the information on obesity and weight loss.

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