U.S. horses face obesity epidemic mirroring human rates

A recent peer‑reviewed study found that about 51% of mature light‑breed horses in the United States are obese, a prevalence that ranks among the world’s highest and exceeds rates in Britain, Australia and Denmark.

The obesity is not due to laziness but to feeding practices that do not match the horses' natural physiology. Many owners provide diets that promote excess weight, leading to equine metabolic syndrome, which includes elevated triglycerides and a high risk of laminitis, a painful hoof condition.

The authors point out that the same country leads the G7 in human obesity, suggesting a shared environmental factor that is affecting both species and underscoring a broader public‑health issue.