A Spring in the Step

Whilst we can’t wait for spring sunshine, longer days and the explosion of life and colour in our gardens and fields, spring does come with a health warning for some… In today’s article we examine the risk that this season can pose for horses in particular.

Grass starts to grow at 6 degrees and above and is often seen as the sign of this most precious of seasons arriving. However, Spring grass is richer in sugars which can act on horses like a fizzy drink does on children. With the rise in temperature, the horse is not burning so many calories to keep warm. At best, the horse will have energy to burn which can lead to exuberance related accidents in the field and/or under saddle. The health warning therefore extends to the rider too!

The seasonal change to the nutritional value of grazing can have a metabolic and physiological impact on the horse. Issues to look out for include colic (stomach ache of varying degrees of severity), laminitis (which can damage the laminae in the feet leading to rotation of the pedal bone in the foot) and obesity.

Colic can be triggered by many things, but sudden changes to diet like increased grass quality, is one that can occur in spring. Colic can range from mild discomfort from trapped gas or faeces to twists in the intestines which can require surgery and are life threatening.

Laminitis is understood to be linked to sugar intake and can lead to severe lameness, and in the worst cases, may require euthanasia if the pedal bone in the foot rotates to the point it penetrates through the sole of the foot.

Obesity is the modern disease of the domesticated horse. Over-feeding is to be avoided in any form. The horse is a trickle feeder (little and often) and their digestive system falters and fails if over-faced with feasts.

This increase in feeding can not only cause pain and discomfort to the horse but to their owner as well, Spring pain and cost saving tips include:

• Turn out at night when the sugar release in grass is lower.
• Muzzle the horse so he has to work harder to get the grass into his mouth – thus reducing ingestion.
• Strip graze – using electric fencing to create walk strips which reduces the access to grass and requires the horse to move more frequently to graze.

On behalf of all at the VCMS we hope that this can assist you, for further information and any questions relating to your horse’s health, we advise you to speak to your specialist vet.