Rosina Lillywhite explores the critical role equine nurses can play in combating this pervasive issue, focusing on education, nutritional management, exercise planning and behavioural interventions.

Nicola Menzies-Gow MA, VetMB, CertEM(IntMed), DipECEIM, FRCVS looks at the growing epidemic, with up to 70% of UK ponies either overweight or obese.

Nicola Menzies-Gow discusses the reasons behind horses and ponies gaining too much weight, its repercussions and prevention tools.

Lucy Grieve discusses the impact of this “taboo subject” on the UK equine population, as well as how vets can empower owners of overweight horses to make achievable changes.

Tamzin Furtado uses insights from human health behaviour change to explain how veterinary professionals can facilitate communication around complex equine welfare topics such as obesity.

Sarah Stoneham discusses how advice can be tailored to increase effective and sustained weight loss, and improve horse welfare.

An increasingly worrying problem in equids, as in other animals, obesity and the accompanying laminitis it causes are probed by the author, who delves into management options.

A meeting of academics and practitioners with an interest in equine obesity and obesity-related laminitis was convened for Vet Times Equine (sponsored by Bova UK) on 14 January 2020. Published evidence was reviewed and opinions were shared to provide the following summary for veterinary surgeons managing horses with obesity.

David Rendle, Pat Harris and Nicola Menzies-Gow discuss the welfare threat posed by this issue, and the need for education to alter perceptions of healthy body condition.

Jamie Prutton provides some pointers on how to guide owners about nutritional advice for horses deemed overweight or obese.

David Rendle, in the second of a two-part article, highlights a one health approach to tackling this condition in horses.

Andy Durham looks at how and why inappropriate nutrition occurs, and some of the points veterinary surgeons should educate owners on.

David Rendle discusses measures he considers should be taken to manage obesity in horses, in the first of a two-part article.