Q. There is a really fat horse at the barn were I board. I'm scared she's going to colic or founder because of the weight. My friend part-boards her but can only get up once a week to ride, only now the horse is so fat the girth won't fit.(not even western). I couldn't just leave the horse in this condition, so I phoned the owner (who only comes to see her horse a few times a year). I wanted to lunge the horse a few times a week, but she doesn't want me to. She wants me to ride her, but with the girth not fitting, I can't ride bareback for too long because my legs get really sore. I think I should take it slow with this horse, as she's so fat. Should I just walk her from the ground for the first week or two?

A. I face this dilemma every year with my horses. They are sedentary throughout our long northern winter, doing nothing but eating themselves into obesity till spring. You are right to be concerned about laminitis. It sounds like this mare is primed for an attack. Your first order of business should be to contact the owner again and have her call the stable owner requesting that her mare's daily ration be dramatically reduced. Since this mare is so out of shape, you will not be able to safely exercise her enough to take off any significant weight for a while. Her meals must be reduced to help shed the extra pounds as quickly as possible.

I'm leaving you a link to an article I've written on bringing a sedentary animal back into work gradually and safely. This should give you the guidelines you need to set a reasonable riding schedule for this mare.