After a winter of muddy fields and limited turnout, getting your horses back out on the spring grass is a great feeling. It’s a wonderful sight to see fields of lush, green grass and your horses happily grazing away enjoying the spring weather.

However, whilst most horses would happily graze on the spring grass for hours on end, the phrase “too much of a good thing” comes to mind. Too much spring grass can cause a number of health concerns, like rapid weight gain and laminitis, for example. Native ponies are particularly susceptible to laminitis, and access to spring grass should be monitored and controlled for their wellbeing.

Managing turnout on spring grass to prevent laminitis in horses and ponies is the best way for your horse to enjoy some time in the field, without compromising their health (or waistline!). Here are a few tips to manage turning out on the spring grass this year.

How does spring grass cause laminitis

Spring grass is high in simple sugars, such as sucrose and fructan. During springtime sugars are at their peak, with the warm sunny days driving photosynthesis (which creates the sugars), followed by cold nights where the sugars are stored instead of used for growth. This causes a build-up of sugars in the grass which rise to the tip of the blade before the grass has a chance to utilise them. When horses are grazing, they are getting a high concentration of sugar in the top of the grass.

Grazing for an extended period of time on lush spring grass can lead to a rapid increase in weight. Grass at this time of year can amass more than 35% of sucrose and fructan, which leads to a calorie dense feast for horses eating it. The percentages of sugars available is equivalent to a specialised, high-calorie competition feed which, for horses not in a heavy workload or prone to weight gain, is over doing it.

But spring grass doesn’t just come with a waistline warning label. Consuming too much spring grass with a high sugar content can lead to a flare up of laminitis. Whilst native ponies, “good doers”, and overweight horses are most at risk, laminitis can affect any horse, so it’s important to understand why managing spring grass to prevent laminitis is so important.

Laminitis signs to look out for

Laminitis is a condition affecting the ‘laminae’, a tissue attaching the pedal bone to the hoof wall. High levels of sugar in spring grass causes it to ferment in a horse’s gastrointestinal tract, affecting bacteria levels and triggering laminitis.

It is a very painful condition and presents noticeably in a horse’s movement. Laminitis is often a chronic condition, so once a horse has had it once, a flare up is likely to be a recurring problem. Here are some warning signs to look out for:

·         Lameness or ‘footy-ness’

·         Shifting weight in front

·         Reluctance to walk, turn, or pick their feet up

·         Weight shifted backwards to alleviate pressure in front, often called a ‘rocking horse stance’

How to manage spring grass to prevent weight gain and laminitis

When the time comes to start getting your horses out on fresh grass, particularly if it is a field that has been rested over winter, it’s important to gradually introduce grazing over a period of time. Too much sugar intake too quickly can lead to a spike in insulin levels and disrupt their digestive system leading to laminitis, grass sickness, or colic. Slowly introduce turnout on spring grass, starting with a short amount of time and increasing it so their system has time to acclimatise.

For horse’s prone to piling on the pounds, or those at higher risk from laminitis, a grazing muzzle is a good tool to reduce the amount of grass ingested. The less grass eaten, the less sugar in their system. You can also strip graze them in smaller areas, moving the paddock fencing slightly when all the grass has been grazed down. This allows you to control where and how much grass they are grazing on. A track system is also a good initiative to control grass consumption and promote movement throughout the day/ night.

Be mindful of when you’re turning out. Sunny and warm days after a frost typically have the highest sugar contents, as sugar has been stored and frozen in the grass during the night. Late afternoons are also prime sugar content time, as photosynthesis throughout the day will have generated more sugar, before it has been used for growth.

When horses are stabled or off the spring grass, ensuring they have access to forage like hay to maintain their usual diet and keep up fibre levels to aid digestion. For horses prone to laminitis, soaked hay is a good way to keep unnecessary sugars out of their diet. The PolyJumps Hay Ball is a great boredom buster for to keep horses occupied whilst they are off the spring grass. Holding approximately 2kg of hay, it is a great asset to maintain forage levels while keeping them entertained for hours!

Regular farrier visits are a good way to keep on top of foot health, as well as picking up any laminitis warning signs. Catching it early can prevent a flare up and prolong the life of your horses’ feet. A good farrier will know the signs to look out for and be able to support their feet with appropriate trimming and shoeing.

That’s our two cents on laminitis prevention in horses this springtime. Managing spring grass and being smart about turning out is the best way to keep on top of your horse or ponies’ weight and avoiding laminitis so you don’t have to upend any plans you had for the spring and summer!