Back to All Studies

Obesity and metabolic disease increase a horse's risk of developing laminitis, a painful condition of the feet. Researchers will evaluate a novel method for inducing weight loss and improving metabolic function (sensitivity to insulin) in overweight ponies. They will use a dynamic feeding system that requires ponies to walk in order to access food, thereby providing them with unsupervised, prolonged exercise. Reseachers will then evaluate how increased exercise affects body condition and insulin sensitivity and determine if the feeding system is an effective treatment option for obesity and metabolic disease in horses/ponies. Providing a safe, accessible and effective approach to managing and preventing obesity and metabolic disease in horses will reduce the incidence of diseases such as laminitis and osteoarthritis.

Study ID
D14EQ-813
Study Status
Complete
Start Date
03/01/2014
Grant amount awarded
$10,800
Grant recipient
Queensland University of Technology
Study country
Australia
Investigator
Melody A. de Laat, BVSc, PhD
Study category
Endocrine/Metabolic (Diabetes, Thyroid)