The effects of an obesogenic diet on the transitional phase in the horse

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an obesogenic diet on the autumn and spring transitional phase in the horse. Horses are a polyestrous species being fertile from spring until autumn and have an anovulatory period in the winter. Before and after winter mares go through a transitional phase.

For this experiment 14 (autumn transitional phase) and 13 (spring transitional phase) Shetland pony mares were used. The control group was fed a maintenance diet and the Fat group was fed a diet 200% of maintenance. The results do not show any significant differences between the two groups. A correlation is found between the duration of the autumn transitional phase and the weight gained during the experiment.