Dr Jazmin Markey, PhD, PAS
Owners have long described certain ponies and horses as "easy keepers", often implying that these animals require less feed on a day-to-day basis and may gain weight more easily than others. While there is some truth to this observation, the reality is considerably more complex.
Many ponies and certain horse breeds may be metabolically efficient by design. In practical terms, this means they may utilise and store energy differently from those bred or adapted for very different environmental or athletic demands. In modern management systems, where rich forage, grain-based feeds and the occasional extra treat are often readily available, that efficiency can sometimes become a challenge.
This helps explain why discussions surrounding equine metabolic health frequently involve ponies, native breeds and other traditionally easy-keeping types, although predisposition alone does not guarantee that a metabolic issue will develop.
One way to think about this concept is that some equids evolved under environmental conditions where efficient energy utilisation and conservation offered a genuine survival advantage. For native ponies and breeds historically adapted to harsher climates or inconsistent forage availability, storing energy efficiently would have been beneficial. In modern domestic settings, however, those same physiological tendencies may become less advantageous when horses or ponies have access to more calories than they genuinely require.
The broader principle remains the same: some horses may simply be more metabolically efficient than others. This does not mean ponies are inherently unhealthy. Rather, it suggests that nutritional management may need to account for differences in metabolic efficiency.
Insulin regulation lies at the centre of many modern discussions surrounding equine metabolic health. Insulin is a hormone involved in helping the body manage glucose and broader nutrient utilisation following feeding. In metabolically predisposed horses and ponies, this regulation may become abnormal, leading to what is now more appropriately termed insulin dysregulation.
This distinction matters. Historically, owners often only heard the term insulin resistance, but insulin dysregulation better reflects the broader picture, which may include abnormal insulin secretion patterns alongside altered tissue sensitivity. Persistently elevated insulin concentrations are widely recognised as a major risk factor for endocrinopathic laminitis (a form of laminitis associated with metabolic dysfunction), which is one reason why early recognition is so important.
One common misconception is that metabolic risk can be judged solely by appearance. Physical signs of obesity certainly increase concern, and regional adiposity (such as a pronounced cresty neck, tailhead fat deposition or other unusual fat pads) may provide useful clues. However, metabolic dysfunction does not always present in the same way. Some horses may appear outwardly healthy while still demonstrating altered insulin responses.
This is where additional discussions surrounding hormones such as leptin become particularly interesting. Adipose tissue is not simply a storage site; it is metabolically active endocrine tissue capable of influencing broader physiological signalling. Hormones such as leptin help regulate appetite and energy balance, offering further insight into why some horses may process, store and respond to calories differently from others.
Research in predisposed breeds has reinforced the concept that metabolism is not simply a matter of appetite, feeding behaviour or owner management alone, but rather a combination of factors.
Although ponies are commonly highlighted in metabolic discussions, this is not strictly a pony issue. Arabians, Morgans, donkeys, native cobs and certain other easy-keeping horse types may also demonstrate similar predispositions. It is equally important to understand that breed predisposition does not guarantee a metabolic issue will develop, just as the absence of a known predisposition does not automatically eliminate risk.
Breed tendencies help inform risk, but individual management, activity level, age, body condition and diet remain important. This distinction matters because oversimplification can lead owners to overlook risk in some horses while overestimating it in others based solely on breed or type.
Because metabolically efficient animals may process and respond to calories differently, seemingly small management decisions can become significant over time. Rich pasture, seasonal fluctuations in non-structural carbohydrate content (starch and sugar), concentrated feeds, treats, underestimated forage intake and incremental overfeeding can all contribute.
Owners are often surprised by how modest calorie excesses may accumulate in smaller horses and ponies. This is where proactive management often matters far more than reactive dietary changes after a problem has already developed.
Supporting metabolically predisposed horses and ponies does not require fear-based feeding, but it does require thoughtful management.
Practical strategies may include:
Monitoring body condition and regional fat deposition regularly
Understanding actual forage intake rather than relying on estimates
Managing pasture access where appropriate
Avoiding unnecessary calorie creep through treats and extra "goodies"
Encouraging appropriate exercise where medically suitable
Ensuring nutrient requirements continue to be met even when overall calorie intake is restricted
Importantly, calorie restriction and nutritional adequacy are not synonymous. Horses and ponies receiving fewer calories may still require balanced vitamin, mineral and amino acid support.
Ultimately, understanding metabolic predisposition is not about labelling ponies as problematic or assuming all horses are metabolically identical. Rather, it is about recognising that some equids may process and respond to nutrition differently, making proactive, individualised management especially important for long-term health and wellbeing.
At Keyflow®, we recognise that metabolically predisposed horses and ponies still require balanced nutrition, even when calorie intake or pasture access may need to be carefully managed.
Products such as Sensi-Care®, a comprehensive low-starch, low-sugar feed, may support even the fussiest or most sensitive types. Golden Oldies®, a concentrated low-starch, low-sugar balancer mash, offers targeted nutritional support for older horses and ponies at comparatively low feeding rates. Pink Mash®, designed to support hindgut health, may also assist with hydration, palatability and, where appropriate, partial forage replacement.
As always, nutritional plans should be tailored to the individual horse's body condition, workload, age and metabolic status.
The Keyflow Range
International Stockists
United States