Are Sugars, Starches and Grains “Evil” in Horse Diet? It seems like the pendulum of opinion swings constantly in nutrition. In equine nutrition, however, that sugar and starch pendulum seems to be hung up way off to the side. Many horse owners worry that these ingredients are inherently bad, but the reality is more complex.
Before we talk about the “evil” nature of sugars and starches, we need to talk about carbohydrates. Horses need carbohydrates for energy. Sugars and starches are nonstructural carbohydrates or NSC. While too much can be problematic, they play a vital role in your horse’s health. Glucose is very important for the horse to function properly, as it is the only fuel that can be used by the brain. Without it, performance suffers.
However, certain situations require careful management of NSC levels:
- Laminitis: For laminitic horses feeding less NSC may be helpful in reducing the chance of a recurrence.
- Cushing’s Syndrome: Horses with this condition may be “insulin resistant” and it may be beneficial to feed less NSC.
- Equine Metabolic Syndrome: In many cases if the horses are put on low calorie diets and lose weight, their glucose and insulin values return to normal.
Once again, are nonstructural carbohydrates “evil”? In my opinion, the answer is a firm “NO”. For most typical horses, the amount of NSC in a standard diet of grass or hay and concentrate feed will cause no problems.
Katie Young, Ph.D., Consulting Equine Nutritionist