Horse_Illustrated_-_October_2019

[ 32 horseillustrated.com|october 2019 ]

Anacidicenvironmentalsocaninjurethe

intestinallining,leadingto“leakygutsyn-

drome.”Thisis wheretoxinsandbacteriafrom

thegutabsorbintothebloodstreamthrough

theintestinallining.

Thisleadstosystem-wideinflammationand

a numberofpotentialhealthproblems,such

aslaminitis,colicand/orcolitis.

WhatIncreasesFructanLeveLs?

Fructanlevelsinpastureriseduringrapid

growthinspringtimeandonrainydaysin

springandautumnthatencouragegrowthof

theplants.Themostfructanis producedwhen

daysarewarmandsunny.

Cool-seasongrassesthatarestressedaremore

likelytoincreasetheirfructancontent.Grass

triestocompensateforenvironmentalstressby

producingmoresugarstohelpwithgrowth.Pas-

turestresshappensundera varietyofconditions:

4 Drought

4 Temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit

4 Frost is reported to triple fructan content

in just a few hours

4 Over-grazing

4 Highsoilsalinity

4 Under-fertilizedpasturethatis lacking

innutrients

WInterIs comIng

It’snotuncommonforhorsestofoundereven

onwinterpasture.It helpstoknowwhatto

lookfor:Wetorsnowyconditionsontopof

pasturecanstimulateplantgrowthonwarm-

ingdays,evenduringthewintermonths.

It’sa goodideatowalkthepastureandlook

forgreenshootspoppingup,asthesearelikely

tobehighinfructans.Eventhoughthegrass

overtheseshootsis brownanddead,thereis

stilla riskoffructanintakefromthesprouting

grasshiddenbelowtheupperdeadgrasses.

Armedwiththisknowledge,youcansuc-

cessfullymanageyourhorse’sdietaryneeds

aspasturequalitydiminisheswiththeonset

ofcoldertemperatures.Soundpastureman-

agementgoesa longwaytowardkeepingyour

horseintheperfectbodyconditionwithout

negativelyaffectinghismetabolismorgut

health.nHI

NANCYS. LOVING,DVM,is a performancehorseveter-

inarianbasedin Boulder,Colo.,andis theauthorofAll

HorseSystemsGo.

Frost can
triple fructan
content
rapidly in
grass.

kovop58/shutterstock

smart pasture MANAGeMeNt

4 DO mow your pasture between
4 and 8 inches tall so photo-
synthesis by the plant will be
directed into leaf growth rather
than sugar storage. It’s best not
to over-mow.

6 DON’T turn horses out on
pasture that is only 3 to 4 inches
high—most of the fructan is
stored in this lower portion of
the plant.

4 DO mow if the grass is flow-
ering, since it will be accumulat-
ing sugars.

4 DO turn horses out with a
grazing muzzle to slow intake
of pasture grass. this not only

helps the health of the pasture,

but it also curtails how much

grass a horse consumes. this

is especially important for easy

keepers or those that tend to be

insulin resistant. (Most insulin

resistant horses shouldn’t be

turned out on pasture at all, so

check with your veterinarian.)

4 DO turn horses out to graze

during nighttime or early morning

hours, particularly following cool

nights that are above 40 degrees

Fahrenheit. Ideal grazing hours

are between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.

6 DON’T turn horses out in late

afternoon or early evening when

the fructan levels are at their

highest, or when temperatures

fall below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

4 DO turn horses out for just

a few hours and then allow the

pasture to rest.

4 DO fertilize and water pas-

tures to help to stimulate plant

growth so the fructans are used

up during the night by the plants

to support growth. however,

this strategy doesn’t work in

the cooler fall months, because

plant growth slows as winter

approaches. In cool autumn

weather, fructan isn’t used at

night by the plants, resulting

in higher concentrations in the

morning hours.

4 DO supplement with hay as

pasture quality diminishes and

nighttime temperatures drop.

4 DO soak hay for 30 to 60 min-

utes to lessen Nscs (and pour off

the liquid). this reduces fructan

levels by 20-30 percent. similarly,

rain on pasture helps to leach out

some of the sugars.

GsphotoGraphy/shutterstock