What Is Considered Low Sugar In Horse Feed?

10% is the guideline for EMS horses. There are some conditions that may require a stricter regime, but on the whole, 10% is the number to remember.

What is considered high sugar in horse feed?

In broad terms, whilst pigs, poultry and humans can have diets with levels in the order of 60% sugar/starch, horses should never have more than 20%, 10% if they are laminitics. Further recommendations suggest that single meals should contain no more than 1g of sugar/starch per 1kg of bodyweight.

What is considered low sugar hay?

2022 Hay Sample Analysis Download. We have 23 out of 23 hay test results for this year that come out as Low Sugar (LS). The good news is…it is in 5 different types of hay! Anything less than 12% is considered ‘very good’ NSC results.

What is considered low starch horse feed?

Low Starch Feeds
SafeChoice® Special Care is considered a low-starch feed with a maximum starch level of 13%. To truly provide a low starch and sugar diet, it is important to take into consideration the starch and sugar levels of the forage in the diet.

Is senior horse feed high in sugar?

Low sugar.
Legends Senior contains high levels of fiber and low amounts of sugar and starch, which improves glucose and insulin metabolism and reduces the risk of laminitis in horses with insulin resistance and Cushing’s disease.

Which hay is highest in sugar?

Oat hay tends to be higher in nitrates and also high in sugar (NSC), so this hay is not an option for insulin resistant horses. Here’s a comparison chart so you can see the differences between alfalfa hay, timothy (grass) hay and oat hay.

What is the maximum percentage of sugar in low sugar hay?

Currently, it is thought that a safe sugar content for sensitive horses is 10% or less. Testing is a good starting point for determining sugar content in hay, but caution should be used to ensure that a representative sample is taken.

What hay is best for Laminitic horses?

Hay – The Core Feed For A Laminitis Diet
Safer-type forages include Timothy, Teff, and Rhodes grass hays. Avoid hays containing high amounts of fructan such as ryegrass, oaten, wheaten, or barley hays. If you are unsure of the NSC level of the hay or chaff, you will need to soak it in water to leach the sugars out.

Does soaking hay get rid of sugar?

Soaking hay before feeding is one way to lower the sugar levels, but it reduces more than sugar. Soaking hay is one way to reduce the amount of sugar in the hay, but it should only be used as a stopgap method until a more appropriate hay can be found.

Is alfalfa lower in sugar than grass hay?

I found this to be very puzzling since alfalfa is low in sugar and starch, even lower than most grass hays. Its high protein content, however, makes it more caloric, which can be a problem for IR horses that need to lose weight.

Are carrots low sugar for horses?

Carrots – as they are fed to the horse, in a fresh state – are NOT high in sugar or NSC (non-structural carbohydrates). Fresh carrots are – by official human food definition – a low sugar food at less than 5% sugar. Carrots are around 80% water, so any sugar in them is diluted i.e. they are mostly water.

Is Triple Crown senior low in sugar?

Triple Crown Senior features a beet pulp-based formula with a higher nutrient and fat content to provide the digestive assistance and calories older horses require to maintain good body condition. It is ideal for horses of any age needing additional fiber and lower starch and sugar levels.

What is the healthiest diet for a horse?

Horses are naturally grazers, they eat little and often. Their natural diet is mainly grass, which has high roughage content. Horses should be provided with a predominantly fibre-based diet, either grass, hay, haylage or a hay replacement in order to mimic their natural feeding pattern as closely as possible.

Can senior feed cause laminitis?

Horses can founder even though they are on a senior feed diet. A simple grass hay diet is recommended for horses at risk of foundering. Senior feeds are made with ingredients that are typically high quality and easy to eat; however, horses susceptible to founder may continue to have problems.

What is the best feed for insulin resistant horses?

Select hay with a low level of soluble carbohydrates for the IR horse. Small grain hays such as oat and ryegrass have much greater sugar content than other grass hays like timothy and orchard grass.

What happens when a horse has too much sugar?

The sugars in horse feed are known as water-soluble carbohydrate (WSC) and too much can lead to diet-related metabolic disorders. As well as weight gain, too much sugar can lead to more serious health implications for horses such as Laminitis, Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance.

What is the best grass for Laminitic horses?

Try to graze paddocks that are sown with grasses that are naturally lower in sugar such as Timothy. Some grass types such as ryegrass are much higher in sugar and are commonly found in former dairy pasture.

Can too much hay cause laminitis?

What causes laminitis continues to be an area of huge research. It has become evident in recent years that although the over consumption of grass or feed high in starch or sugar is still commonly associated with horses developing laminitis, up to 90% of cases have an underlying hormonal cause.

Is alfalfa high in sugar?

Alfalfa Has Low Starch and Sugar Content
The alfalfa plant has a very low content of both starch and water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) such as sugars and fructan. When oil is added as a coating to alfalfa, sugar levels are typically less than 5%.

What months is grass highest in sugar?

Studies show that horses eat faster in the Spring. They will eat more per day in pounds of grass than in the summer. Sugar levels of Spring grasses are higher than in any time of the year EXCEPT in early Fall “frost grass”, which tastes better due to its sweetness.

Does alfalfa have more sugar than Timothy?

Alfalfa has more sugar and starch than most grass hays which is a problem for horses at risk of laminitis; so if your horse falls in this category, make sure you talk to your vet before starting them on Alfalfa.