Food For Thought Horse Series-All About Grass and Sugar:

Horses and Grass-What You Need To Know.

ARE YOU PLAYING GRASS ROULETTE WITH YOUR HORSE'S HEALTH?

There’s always a lot of chatter about the connections between grass, sugar, and horses, but what does it all truly mean?

I’ve been studying grass in all its glory for over twenty years, and I am still always astonished by how incredible it is that massive creatures like horses, buffalo, elephants, and rhinoceroses thrive on nothing but plant matter.

So how does grass fuel such big animals?

The answer lies in the carbohydrates, specifically the non-structural carbohydrates (NSC’s), which serve as the plant’s primary energy source.

• NSC’s are a form of energy

• They move through the sap of the plant like a liquid sugar system

• They can also be stored as fructans inside the plant when not used

• These build up in the stem and base of the plant

• This is what animals are actually living off

• This is why grazing short grass can be an issue, as horses are eating the most sugar-dense part of the plant

What is actually happening inside the grass?

During the day, plants are running what is essentially a chemical brew through a process called photosynthesis.

• Sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide are used to make sugars

• This sugar moves through the plant’s liquid centre

• Think of it like veins filled with syrup

A good way to picture it is this…

*Like maple syrup

*Like lots of tiny straws filled with treacle

That sugar fuels the plant

And feeds the animal eating it

Where it starts to go wrong

At certain times of the year, and even at certain times of the day, that sugar can build up faster than the plant can use it.

This is where problems begin for horses.

When grass is flourishing, especially in spring and autumn, feeding your horse on fresh pasture can be a bit like playing Russian roulette.

It only takes things tipping slightly out of balance, and suddenly you’re dealing with laminitis and other metabolic and digestive issues.

Put into human terms…

It’s like letting a five-year-old kid have

• Lollies for breakfast

• Chocolate for lunch

• Sugar for dinner

Every day!

You wouldn’t be surprised if that same kid developed diabetes.

And you definitely wouldn’t be surprised by the behaviour that followed.

All that energy going in… with nowhere to go.

That’s exactly what we see in horses.

• Elevated

• Reactive

• Unable to settle

• Over the top for no obvious reason

This is what can happen when a horse is taking in more sugar and energy than their system can cope with.

And when that energy has nowhere to go, it has to come out somewhere.

What can you do?

When the grass and pasture are in their growth phase, it’s important to manage intake.

• Balance your horse's diet with more hay and less grass

• Mixed Meadow Hay is generally lower in sugar

• Hay is more in line with what your horses has evolved to eat

• Breakfeeding can help

• Track grazing can help

Therefore, I would encourage all owners to find a way to reduce grass intake that fits their individual situation to protect your horse, pony or donkey from the dangers of a diet high in plant sugars.

Horse Help Consultations:

If you would like to understand horse feeds in more detail and talk through which approach may be better suited to your horse, I offer Feed & Forage Guidance Consultations here: https://www.naturalhorse.co.nz/product-page/natural-horse-feed-forage-consultation

Happy Horsing!