The start of the pasture season can increase health risks
The long-awaited pasture season is here! In the excitement of freedom and lush green grass, it’s still worth paying attention to a few key points, because eating spring grass increases the risk of, among other things, laminitis and insulin resistance, as well as colic, when moving from indoor feeding to green pastures.
When transitioning from hay to pasture, the risk comes from the dietary change for a horse accustomed to dry hay to fresh grass, which contains significantly more sugar and starch than dry hay. The amount of feed consumed on pasture also often increases compared to the indoor feeding season. Sugar and starch have been shown to predispose horses to both colic and laminitis. In fresh grass, sugar and starch occur in the forms of glucose, fructose, fructan, and sucrose. The sugar content of fresh pasture varies, among other things, by grass species, but also by the stage of growth and even the time of day.
Remember to be cautious when turning out to pasture
So never turn a horse out to pasture for a long time without a careful, gradual introduction to fresh grass. Horses must always be accustomed to grazing gradually, slowly increasing the amount of grass eaten. Sugar and starch levels are at their highest in spring, and therefore extra caution is needed when transitioning to pasture with horses that are prone to reacting to changes in carbohydrate intake; their grazing time should be carefully restricted during the first weeks. Even so, caution is necessary with all horses, because the change is significant for the horse’s digestive system. Many owners don’t realize just how much pasture grass a horse can gorge on in just a few hours. According to some studies, certain pony breeds can eat around 40% of their entire daily feed requirement within three hours.
As a rule of thumb, as pasture grass matures, the amount of carbohydrates generally decreases as the plant’s fiber content increases—that is, as the grass becomes more stemmy. Mid-summer pasture grass is safer for horses than the young grass of spring and early summer. Even so, caution is still recommended, as many environmental factors affect sugar levels in grass. According to grass research, sugar content has been found to be lowest in the evening and highest around midday. For laminitis-prone horses, evening and night are therefore the safest times to graze. Many horse owners notice that so-called “pasture bloat” is at its worst during the first weeks and eases for many horses as the season progresses.
Risks vary from horse to horse
If a horse has a history of laminitis, or has been diagnosed with insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome, the risk of laminitis during pasture season is high. For such horses, grazing should be avoided entirely, and the horse should be fed year-round with forages that have had their sugar content tested.
Body condition is worth monitoring for all grazing horses throughout the summer. A horse should not be allowed to gain excessive weight even on pasture, and making regular body condition scoring a habit is recommended. Regular exercise during the pasture season helps maintain the horse’s health and wellbeing and reduces health risks. Preventing any rounding out can be difficult during grazing season, but by autumn at the latest it would be good to lose the “summer kilos” to avoid health problems.
Supporting metabolism during dietary changes
Changing a horse’s diet from dried hay to fresh grass is a major shift for the horse’s sensitive digestive system. In addition to gradually introducing green grass, you can try to ease the transition with supplementary feeds that support the horse’s metabolism and digestion. For example, certain herbs and supplements can support the body’s normal metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and the breakdown of sugars, and thereby reduce the health risks associated with the start of pasture season. For instance, B vitamins (brewer’s yeast), minerals, and antioxidants help maintain the body’s insulin sensitivity and reduce, among other things, the risk of diseases associated with a starch- and sugar-rich diet. CdG’s new product Anti-lami has been designed to support the horse’s metabolism during dietary changes and while being introduced to grazing.
Source: Hevostietokeskus
