The symptom of weight loss can manifest itself as a result of very different diseases and thus weight loss is often not directly associated with gatsric ulcers in the horse. Weight loss usually develops from a lack of appetite and a poor general condition caused by the pain associated with stomach ulcer. Due to the reduced food intake, the organism is no longer supplied with enough energy and nutrients and body mass is broken down. As horses are usually not weighed regularly, weight loss is often not immediately recognised. 

How can I tell if my horse has lost weight?
The first external signs of weight loss visible to the owners are the obvious appearance of the ribs and hip tubercles and muscle loss. A reduction in weight is often also noticed when the saddle no longer fits optimally and the saddle girth seems to become "longer".

What is the optimal weight for my horse?
The optimal weight of a horse cannot be determined across-the-board on the basis of its breed or size, as there are light, flowery and/or small-framed types as well as heavy and/or large-framed types between different breeds as well as within the same breeds. For example, when it comes to the weight of warm-blooded animals, weight ranges of about 600-700 kg are usually given. But there are also warmbloods, which are smaller and more flowery and therefore lighter or larger and stronger and therefore heavier. Therefore it cannot be said across the board that a horse of a certain breed or size must have a certain weight.

How can I determine the weight of my horse?
If you have the possibility to use a truck scale or a mobile horse scale, you can get an exact picture of the weight of your horse. However, those who do not have these options can also calculate the approximate weight using a formula. For this purpose the chest circumference of the horse and the length of the horse from the bow joint to the ischial tuberosity (both in cm) are measured. When measuring, make sure that the horse stands closed, i.e. that both front legs stand together and both hind legs stand together. The weight of the horse is then obtained by squaring the chest circumference, multiplying this value by the length of the body and dividing the result by 11900.

Why should I even know the approximate weight of my horse?
Knowing the weight of the horse is important when it comes to how much hay the horse should get (at least 1.5-2 kg hay per 100 kg body weight). But you should also know how much the horse weighs when dosing the worming or sedating.