Author: Natascha Bos, Blue Stallion
Date: March 2024
Do you have a horse that is a bit on the heavy side, or perhaps even struggling with insulin resistance (IR)? Then you know better than anyone how crucial the transition to the pasture season is. With spring approaching, I will not only share tips to help your horse optimally enter the pasture season, but also how you can reduce the chance of a silent slide into laminitis. With insulin resistance, various cell processes no longer work as they should, which means that the capacity to handle sugars from fresh grass is much reduced. Everything is under more tension. By applying these tips, looking small and delving into what helps your horse, we will ensure that your horse stays healthy together.
1. Roughage analysis
Roughage is the basis of a healthy horse. Healthy nutrition therefore starts with having the roughage that I give my horses analysed. This analysis gives me insight into the various values. Such as the sugar values, which allows me to better steer a diet that minimises insulin peaks. But the protein value is also an important pillar. This ensures that they enter the spring healthy and in fact start the spring a little too lean.
2. Pasture in tall grass!
I always build up the grazing slowly and quietly. The pasture where I put them first has relatively high grass. This is not the pasture that went into the winter completely bare! The reason I do this has everything to do with the “stress” of grass and the fructan and sugar content in the grass.
3. Timing of pasture grazing
During the day, fructan and sugar are produced in the stem and leaf of grass. Fructan and sugar in the plant are used up again during growth (metabolism). During the night, the grass uses up the stored fructans and sugars, which means that the values are lower in the morning. In the morning, I often put them out to pasture early. You have to be careful not to leave them out for too long, because you want to prevent them from getting a peak in fructan and sugars during the first build-up. Grazing after 8 p.m. is therefore relatively safe, because no fructan and sugars are produced at night, only used up.
Please note: the metabolism of grass stagnates when the temperature has been cold at night (below 10 degrees). Then the present fructan and sugar are not used by the plant. Then the values are high in the morning. With a cold night I only leave them in the grass at the end of the afternoon or early evening.
5. Prevent overgrazing
Not only the weather (temperature and sun) and day/night rhythm play a role in determining the fructan and sugar levels in the grass. Factors such as drought and a lack of essential nutrients, an incorrect pH or insufficient fertilization can be detrimental to the growth of the grass, resulting in increased fructan and sugar levels. In addition, the stems usually contain more fructan and sugar than the leaves. For this reason, it is crucial to prevent overgrazing, so that the horses are not forced to eat these short (low to the ground) stems.
6. Never go out to pasture on an empty stomach
I never put them in the pasture hungry and with an empty stomach. Moreover, I don't give them the whole pasture at once. I fence off a piece where they can stand so that I can steer. And it is easier to get them out again (while they of course prefer to stay in the grass).
7. Not too long in the pasture and building up the pasture time
How long I put them out on the pasture depends on a number of factors: the weather, the humidity, the grass. I start really short, around 10 minutes; I often do that by hand. Almost a kind of snacking that I slowly build up to 20 minutes. This way I control the amount of grass they eat and I see what happens right away.
I build up the pasture in steps. First a few days 10 minutes. If this goes well a few days 15, and then a few days 20 minutes. When we are at 30 minutes then I will make some bigger steps. Or I go to 2 x daily 30 minutes. Whether this is possible depends of course on your management and time.
8. Risks of wet grass
I never let them get used to and build up in wet grass. If at all possible, I want dry grass during the first weeks of the build-up phase. Rain ensures more growth and has an effect on fructan and sugar levels. In addition, the high percentage of moisture that a horse ingests together with the grass is often the cause of thin manure and flatulence.
9. Use of grazing muzzles
For some horses, a grazing muzzle can be helpful during the build-up. This allows horses to gradually get used to more grass without health risks, and they remain happy and healthy.
10. Pay attention to small signals
During the acclimatization and build-up I keep a close eye on the manure. I also pay attention to flatulence, pulled-up belly, tension in the belly etc. If none of this is the case then I calmly continue with my schedule. Otherwise I adjust it. Also pay attention to the tension and filling of the neck, in horses that are sensitive to laminitis increased tension is a very important signal. The horse decides.
11. Preventive use of fennel seed
In the build-up phase to the grazing season, I make sure I have ground fennel seed at home. I do this because fennel seed contains substances that support digestion. These substances reduce inflammation and make it easier for horses to digest their food and absorb nutrients. Particularly because of the carminative and relaxing effect on the intestines. In case of intestinal unrest, such as flatulence and tension, I immediately give 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of ground fennel seed a few times a day.
What else can you do
For horses with insulin resistance and overweight, you can do much more. In many cases, there are specific deficiencies that make it harder for insulin receptors to do their job. This creates a cascade of complaints; think of being skittish, stumbling more, turning inward.
Make sure your horse can eat stress-free. In practice, this may mean that the holes in your slow feeder are too small. That seems like a contradictory tip! But in the Theme Day I will explain how this works on a cellular level for horses with metabolic problems.
My vision
To keep your horse healthy and to know what is really going on, it is always good to gain knowledge. The research and new information never stops. These tips are already a good basis, but there is much more. For example, how does insulin work at a cellular level in combination with all the factors that influence it and how can you support your specific horse in this as best as possible.
The horse does not exist! Has been my starting point for 20 years in all treatments, courses and training. Every horse is different and has a different structure. There is no miracle cure to let your horse go through the pasture season 100% free of problems. What you can do is delve deeper and optimize the circumstances for your horse according to its needs so that you can start the pasture season as well as possible.
If you are inspired after reading these tips and want to do even more to optimally support your horse this pasture season, come to our theme day insulin resistance . During this day I will clearly explain how the processes of insulin resistance are responsible for many complaints and how you can tackle this.
Is there no live day planned for now? Then watch the theme day at your own pace in our study stable.
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Natascha Bos is the owner of De Blauwe Hengst, a training and treatment center for horses
About the The Blue Stallion :
Our specializations are Manual Lymph Drainage and natural nutrition according to the Clinical Psycho Neuro Endocrino Immunology. We treat horses and develop kPNI therapy concepts.
kPNI is a scientifically based naturopathic specialization. It looks at psychological, neurological, endocrinological or immunological disturbances. Each disturbance has an influence on certain biochemical processes in a horse.
If you have any doubts about the health of your horse and whether it is safe for your horse to go out to pasture, always consult your vet or ask a telephone grazing mask consultation then Karlijn from PaardEerlijk will help you further with this issue.
