Lots of owners (and vets) see a pattern in their horses that struggle with being overweight, sluggish, and lumpy-looking with chronically sore feet.
Equine Metabolic Syndrome is the term these horses get grouped into. Insulin Resistance (IR) is a specific metabolic dysfunction where the body’s cells have a reduced ability to respond to insulin.
So, all horses with EMS have IR.
High blood insulin is a primary characteristic, usually in association with insulin resistance. This type of horse doesn’t really tolerate carbohydrates well.
Horses with Insulin Resistance are not Sick!
Being unable to tolerate carbohydrates is just part of their metabolism. It’s genetic! It’s actually an incredible adaptation to surviving in harsh conditions with sparse forage.
These horses were survivors!
The problem is that today these incredibly efficient genes cause the same horses to convert calories into fat almost instantly.
The insulin resistant horse or pony is just intolerant of certain types of diet and management. The answer is to figure out your horse’s carb tolerance, look at underlying root causes like mineral deficiencies, and treat these.
(SIDE NOTE: Some horses have laminitis, insulin resistance, or metabolic issues to due toxicity, mineral deficiencies or stress. We see this in breeds that are not traditionally good-doers.)
How to Achieve Low Carb
The primary treatment for horses who have Equine Metabolic Symdrome, or are Insulin Resistant or even Cushing’s is a low-carb, low-fat and mineral-balanced diet.
Watch carbs and fat? What does that leave? Protein and FIBER! Low-carbohydrate hay or forage products (like hay pellets, coconut pellets, beet pulp etc.) should be fed.
All grain products (even “safe starch”) and pasture turnout should be eliminated until all signs of Equine Metabolic Syndrome are totally absent. (Yes, you can get there.)
Then, fresh forage can be reintroduced only with caution. Starting with very short grazing periods (15 minutes), using a grazing muzzle to slow intake and turning out when sugars in grasses are the lowest. This is between 3 am and 10 am.
Signs of Insulin Resistance & Equine Metabolic Syndrome
Abnormal fat deposits such as a cresty neck or lumpy fat patches that persist even if the horse loses weight; fatty sheath or udder.
History of laminitis commonly induced by grass. This can show up as “thin soles” or a horse who is “ouchy on gravel”. Not normal.
Puffiness in the hollows above the eyes.
More advanced signs are increased thirst and urination, loss of body condition and muscle wasting and low energy levels. (Think: Cushing’s Disease)
Above normal insulin with normal blood glucose. A vet can help you test for this.
Horses on a high carb diet may also have high glucose when tested.
How Do We Treat It?
Just like in people, weight loss in horses happens with exercise and a controlled diet.
If you have a metabolism that can’t handle lots of simple carbohydrates or fatty foods (McDonalds every day), then the best diet will be a low-carb, low-fat diet.
Building up and balancing minerals, feeding low-carb forage-based feeds, reducing stress and giving your horse a reason to move around all day long are simple things that make a big difference in the happiness of your genetically incredible horse.
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