We’ve all been enjoying the recent hot spell after a lingering, cold, and wet spring. While summer can bring various issues for horse owners, from flies and hard ground to summer allergies, the main concern for many is lush grass, an abundance of sugar, and the associated risk of laminitis.
After weeks of hot, dry weather, the grass is likely to shoot away due to the recent, welcomed downpours.
Careful management of equines diagnosed with Cushing’s, EMS, or who are prone to laminitis will be key to keeping them healthy.
Understanding Laminitis, EMS, and Cushing’s Disease
Laminitis is an inflammatory condition of the hooves that causes lameness in horses and ponies. It is often linked to hormonal diseases such as Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) and Cushing’s disease (also known as Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction or PPID).
EMS is characterized by insulin resistance, obesity, and abnormal fat deposits, while Cushing’s disease affects the pituitary gland, leading to a variety of symptoms including a long, curly coat, excessive drinking and urination, and muscle wasting.
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The Role of Sugar in Equine Diets
Sugar is a contentious topic among horse owners, but it’s important to understand its role in equine diets. In healthy, exercised horses, sugar shouldn’t cause a problem. However, horses and ponies prone to laminitis or suffering from Cushing’s disease or EMS need a low sugar (not sugar-free) diet.
Grass and other forages should make up the largest proportion of most equine diets, making it nearly impossible to avoid sugar completely.
Horses are designed to digest sugar, and sugar-free feeds are virtually impossible to find as most raw materials are plant-based and contain some level of natural sugar.
Managing Grazing and Sugar Intake
When the grass is growing, it will have a high sugar content and contribute significantly to the diet.
To manage this, you may find it useful to restrict the grazing of your horse or pony. This can include using a muzzle while in the field or a track system, which keeps the horse moving rather than restricting movement as stabling does.
For many, stabling for part of the day and using low sugar forage is the preferred option. There is no one correct method; rather, a variety of tools can be used depending on your situation to help reduce sugar intake overall.
Increasing workload will also benefit if this is an option; you can always look to lunge or ride and lead if time is an issue.
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Feeding Rates and Sugar Content
It’s important to consider feeding rates when looking at the percentage content of sugar. The highest percentage sugar content doesn’t always contribute the most sugar to the diet when fed at recommended rates. For example, Horslyx Balancers, despite having 33% sugar content, will only contribute 82.5g of sugar to a 500kg horse when fed at recommended rates because the feeding rate is only 250g per day.
In contrast, a low sugar, complete fibre feed with a 5% sugar content would contribute 125g of sugar per day when fed at 2.5kg per day.
Conclusion
Sugar is a natural part of the horse’s diet, and horses are highly efficient at digesting it when intakes are little and often.
Due to the trickle feeding pattern of Horslyx Balancers, the intake of sugar is little and often over the day, allowing for easy absorption in the small intestine and preventing it from reaching the hindgut.
A 250g daily allowance of Horslyx will provide 82.5g of sugar per day, which is less than you would find in 1kg of good hay.
Remember, careful management of diet and grazing, along with regular exercise, is key to maintaining the health of horses with Cushing’s, EMS, and laminitis.
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