Over-conditioning is an increasingly common but poorly documented problem in horses and ponies. No systematic data on its prevalence in ponies have so far been available for Slovenia. The aim of this study was to assess the body condition of ponies in Slovenia and to investigate factors associated with the occurrence of over-conditioning. In the field, we assessed the body condition of 50 ponies from six Slovenian regions using the body condition score (BCS) and the cresty neck score (CNS), while owners completed a questionnaire on feeding, pasture access, exercise, and health history of their animals. Over-conditioning (BCS ≥ 7) was found in 42.0% of the examined ponies. A strong positive correlation was found between BCS and CNS scores (r = 0.79). Ponies with unrestricted pasture access and those without organised exercise had, on average, higher BCS and CNS scores. Ponies with a history of laminitis or metabolic problems likewise showed higher average scores than healthy animals. Owners systematically underestimated the body condition of their ponies compared with the assessment of a trained assessor. The findings indicate that over-conditioning is a widespread and under recognised problem among ponies in Slovenia, and that owner education would contribute most to addressing it.
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