Easy does it
by Juliet M. Getty, PhD

Metabolic consequences
Too much fat leads to insulin resistance, a hormonal disorder also called metabolic syndrome. It’s like Type II diabetes in people, and equally serious. An insulin resistant horse is a strong candidate for laminitis. Elevated insulin levels also can cause hyperlipemia, a damaging liver condition. Ponies, miniature horses, donkeys and mules are particularly prone to it, but no horse is immune.

Watch for fat accumulation above your horse’s eyes, on his rump, along his neck (“cresty neck”) or in a fatty spinal crease down his back. All overweight horses have some degree of insulin resistance, so feed the easy keeper on that assumption to be on the safe side.

Rules of proper weight management The first step in any weight management program is to have your horse thoroughly examined by your veterinarian, including a complete blood count and chemistry panel tests, to rule out any underlying medical disorders. Then take a hard look at your horse’s feeding and exercise regimens.

Rule #1:
Avoid weight loss products and drastic diets. Reducing calories is fine, but taking away forage is not the way to help your horse lose weight. In fact, it does just the contrary .
For the contrary in most part, healthy horses become obese because they are given concentrated feeds – this includes products promoted for weight loss (which, in fact, add calories). Concentrates are no substitute for forage. Use them only as carriers for supplements, or to provide a small meal to satisfy your horse while others are eating.

Rule #2:
Avoid feeding cereal grains and sugary treats. “Grain” is commonly used to describe any concentrated feed, but it really means cereal grains such as oats, corn, barley, wheat or pelleted feeds that contain cereal grains. Stay away from these. Fortunately, there are many safe lowstarch feeds made from other ingredients (alfalfa, soybean meal, flax and beet pulp).

The high sugar in carrots and apples increases blood insulin levels. Avoid them, as well as any commercial treats made from cereal grains and molasses. [  I disagree with this — if a horse is getting enough VARIATION of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, he’ll be able to utilize the sugars in the fruits to build healthy, weight-perfect bodies.  The variation of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds will meet his total nutrient and dietary needs in addition to free choice, good quality, grass/alfalfa hay. If you horse leans towards IR or Metabolic Syndrome then feed those ‘salads’ that are focused on helping to stimulate glucose tolerance and proper insulin functioning.]

Rule #3:
Consider an all-forage diet. Depending on your horse’s age, workload and condition, an all-forage diet can be very healthful. You may /[should] not need to feed him any concentrate at all. But have your hay tested for sugar, fructan and starch levels. Strive for a non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) level of less than 12%. [Just for the record, Alfalfa is known to be low in NSC’s as fructans grow in the STEMS of grasses when the nights fall in temps below 40*F and the sun comes out during the days and heats the air. ]

Be careful when feeding high-calorie hay such as grain hays (oat, crested wheatgrass, rye) and grass/legume combinations (Timothy/alfalfa mixes). Alfalfa is a wonderful feed, but it’s higher in calories than grass, so limit it to no more than 20% of the total forage ration.[A good quality MIXED HAY = Timothy, Grass, Alfalfa]

Alfalfa boosts the protein quality in the forage mix. High quality protein maintains immune function, protects the vital organs, keeps bones, muscles and joints strong, and builds healthy hooves, skin and hair. Low quality protein is unusable and can be stored as fat.

Rule #4:
Feed free-choice. All horses, regardless of their weight condition, should have forage at all times. Yes, 24/7. Your horse’s digestive tract is designed to have forage moving through it consistently throughout the day. Horses on pasture self-regulate their intake.

Sure, your stabled horse “inhales” every speck of available hay now – he is storing up until his next feeding. So give him all he wants. The free-choice adjustment takes about a week, during which the horse may initially overeat, but he will soon trust the hay to be there, and will moderate his consumption. At that point, you can measure his regular intake to make other feed calculations. And look for a bonus: fed free-choice, horses generally become calmer and more tractable.

Rule #5:
Choose safe grazing times. [Horses do have a sense of timetable and I’ve found that when horses are out 24/7 and allowed to graze, they usually rest when the sun is high and graze more in the ‘safe’ times; early AM and later in the afternoon/evening.]Grass has the lowest sugar, fructan and starch levels in the early morning. As it is exposed to sunlight, it produces more NSC, making the late afternoon the most hazardous time for the easy keeper. Grass is also more dangerous in the early spring and late fall when the thermometer dips below 40°F overnight; this also raises the NSC levels.

A grazing muzzle may seem ideal, but it can be counterproductive by causing stress and slowing the metabolic rate. So watch your horse; if a muzzle is frustrating him, it’s not helping.

Rule # 6:
Offer a balance of vitamin/mineral supplements. Live grass offers an abundant supply of vitamins and minerals, but the nutrient content in hay diminishes over time. Minerals remain, but vitamins are very fragile, so hay only diets require supplementation. Offer these in a small non-starchy carrier meal. Avoid supplements with a molasses base. [When a varied fresh vegetable, fruit, nut and seed meal is given once daily then most nutrient needs are met. In addition to the vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds add a clean Kelp, Dandelion herb, Celtic Salt, Ground Flax and Black Oil Sunflower mix. Also, add cold-pressed olive oil infused with garlic, organic raw Apple Cider vinegar and coconut. Those will add the missing ingredients from any lacking in the salads. This means there is no need for any processed supplements.]

Most comprehensive products contain a balanced mixture of vitamins and minerals. If your horse’s diet contains more than 8 pounds of alfalfa, choose a supplement designed for alfalfa-based diets; it will be lower in calcium. A caution about iron: too much may increase insulin resistance as well as depress immune function. In any case, forage is iron rich, making supplementation unnecessary. Three nutrients are commonly undersupplied: vitamin E, omega-3 fatty acids and magnesium.

• Magnesium helps lower circulating insulin levels, allowing your horse to burn fat rather than store it. Add enough magnesium to provide 5,000 mg per 250 pounds of body weight. If possible, have your hay analyzed first to see how much your horse is getting and then supplement the difference.

• Aim for 1 IU of vitamin E per pound of body weight at maintenance; more if exercised. Vitamin E and selenium work together. However, selenium can be toxic at relatively low levels, so be sure to evaluate the selenium content of the total diet before supplementing. It should be no more than 1 to 3 mg total (maximum 5 mg, if in heavy training).

• Omega 3 fatty acids are necessary for proper immune function, joint health, and hoof and hair condition, and they also regulate blood insulin levels. Although high in fat calories, flaxseed meal in small quantities provides unparalleled support for your horse’s health. [Again, also offer Black Oil Sunflower seed as this provides the balance of the Omegas. Flax = 3; BOSS = 6 & 9  Also, if you feed vegetables that are rich in these minerals and extras then you’ll pretty much be adding what the horse needs in terms of nutrients.  Instead of Olive Oil for Vitamin E, choose Safflower Oil which is a very strong, natural source of high Vitamin E.]

Rule # 7:
Add or increase exercise. Exercise reduces insulin resistance, [this cannot be stressed enough!] builds muscle mass and burns more calories. And since muscle is more metabolically active than fat, more muscle means more calories burned.

Excess weight hinders the easy keeper’s quality of life. With just a little extra attention, you can help your horse achieve and maintain ideal weight, and with it, optimal wellbeing – and that is a gift sweeter than sugar.