The Blue Cross animal charity today warned of the dangers of equine obesity as it revealed that 40% of all horses and ponies taken in by its equine centres last year were overweight - an increase of 5% on the previous year.

Richard Stephenson MRCVS, equine vet at Pool House Veterinary Group, regularly treats overweight and obese horses and fears that Britain will soon be facing an epidemic of this ‘killer disease’. He said: “Obesity increases the risk of arthritis, heart disease and lung problems, and it is directly linked to laminitis - one of the most common causes of euthanasia in horses. Next to colic, obesity kills more horses than any equine disease in the UK – yet it is one hundred per cent preventable.”

The Blue Cross is today launching a new campaign to tackle the growing problem of equine obesity by providing practical guidelines for every horse keeper to monitor and manage the weight of their horse. The Fat Horse Slim campaign is backed by many of the UK’s leading riders, including Olympic team members Mary King and William Fox-Pitt.

“Many owners may not be aware that their horse has a weight problem or the serious health risks associated with this,” says Rosie Mogford, Blue Cross equine welfare education officer, “Our perceptions as horse owners have changed over the years and ‘well’ or round looking horses are now more acceptable than they used to be. With this campaign we hope to educate people about the healthy weight for their horses and teach them how to achieve this.”

The Fat Horse Slim pack contains everything the horse owner needs to know about weight monitoring and management, including: a 28-page Blue Cross guide; a Shires weigh tape; calculator; body condition score guide; wall chart for recording weight changes over time; and vouchers for free and discounted Shires and Dengie products.T