Nutrition Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, ... connection between obesity and insulin resistance and EMS in many laminitic cases. The number of insulin resistant horses is on the rise. It is difficult to give you a definite answer on what type of hay is best because the amount of sugar in the hay can vary even within types. Two leading researchers explain insulin's effects on the body and how to manage the insulin-resistant horse. Restrict the amount of concentrates as much as possible and give, if possible, only a complete vitamin and mineral supplement, such … My personal preference is to give the occasional carrot, or to feed a low-sugar treat/cookie now and then. She urges owners to give horses free choice, low-carb hay, so horses eat constantly and slowly, as they were intended to eat. When cells ignore insulin, the body could be experiencing insulin resistance. It is best to give a horse with insulin resistance feed with the lowest possible levels of sugar, starch or molasses. The following questions should help you get started. Just click on the appropriate responses below to find which feeds will work best for you. The best hay for an insulin-resistant horse is one with a lower nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC < 12%), or more specifically, lower sugar content. Insulin is a hormone that helps the body and its cells convert glucose into energy. Dry lots are recommended for insulin resistant horses. In wild equines, high levels of blood glucose, whether obtained from the diet or because of insulin resistant … The causes and effects of insulin resistance, as well as its diagnosis and treatment, as well as some tips on feeding the insulin resistant horse will be provided. Getty says we’ve created the insulin resistant horse by doing all the wrong things in the name of helping. If you become your horse’s personal “pez dispenser”, a treat stops being a treat and becomes a part of the horse’s overall diet. Insulin resistance is a problem that has recently been documented in horses, ponies and donkeys. As in, horses should never be without hay. Ideal values for the insulin resistant horse. Insulin resistance was not part of my vocabulary, so it didn’t occur to me that a time would come when I would be looking for ways to feed sugar-free treats to horses! Horse Insulin has many jobs and many targets. A low non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) pellet feed will provide vitamins/micro nutrients and a high amount of protein. 2) ESC + Starch: This represents the simple sugars plus starch. To determine whether a forage is safe to feed free-choice to an insulin resistant horse, pay attention to three key indicators: 1) NSC: Ideally, the NSC value of your forage should be less than 12% on an as-sampled basis. Otherwise I’ll simply give a horse a little handful of hay pellets as a reward. *Note: For horses with Insulin Resistance or Cushings Syndrome that are overweight, we recommend Empower Topline Balance as the proper nutritional solution. The best remedy if to feed horses multiple meals, with no more than 8 hours between each meal. If you hear that the solution to laminitis in an insulin resistant horse is to keep it on a dirt lot and feed it only hay, you are getting inadequate and incorrect information. Insulin has direct action on all cells in the body (except the brain), and helps in carbohydrate, protein, and fat breakdown products entering the cells. Insulin Resistant Horses And Alfalfa Intake. Dr. Reilly is the “Ask the Vet” expert on Equine Insulin Resistance for the AAEP. Horse feed without sugar. It may partly be due to genetics and breeding, but the way we manage our horses and ponies is also a culprit. All the wrong things in the name of helping obesity and insulin.. 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