Equine obesity is one of the biggest welfare issue for UK horses. As vets, it is our obligation to talk about it and offer guidance and advice when we are confronted with it. Such an emotive subject can be hard to address with owners, and sometimes the obvious approaches are counter-productive. However, there is work being done to better understand how we can tackle this issue. Communication is key, as with so many things, and the way we discuss tricky topics like this can be the difference between losing a client's trust or preventing loss of life through laminitis.