My Horse, My Partner, My Trusted FRiend.

Spring Grass & Your Horse: What You Need to Know

Lush spring grass is tempting for both horse and owner but should be approached with caution. Spring grass, which holds a high level of sugar in its early growth after a few weeks of sunny warm weather, can be particularly devastating for laminitis-prone horses. High sugar content grass is not limited to the spring. Sunny weather during the winter can result in spring-like sugar rich grass.

If your horse is prone to laminitis or has any kind of metabolic disorder (Cushing’s (PPID), Equine Metabolic Syndrome) you may not be able to allow him access to grass. Always check with your veterinarian first.

  1. Restrict grazing time and start slowly. When introducing your horse to spring pasture, hand-graze or turnout should be limited to only 10 – 15 minutes on the first day, then increase the time by another 5 – 10 minutes per day. Keep in mind that this transition is not for only a few days, but over several weeks, which gives his intestinal flora time to adjust to the new spring grass.
  2. Safest times of the day to graze your horse. Early morning before the sun shines on the grass. At this time pasture plants have used up a lot of their accumulated sugar stored during the day.
  3. Feed hay prior to turnout. Offer your horse his normal hay ration before turning him out – he’ll be less likely to overindulge on grass.
  4. Keep an eye on your horse as the grass gets richer. If they are fat or have gained a lot of weight recently, it’s time to restrict their grazing. Check for laminitis or founder symptoms (heat in hooves, bounding digital pulses, walking on eggshells, and/or standing in a “park” position).
  5. Consider using a grazing muzzle to slow down your horse’s grass intake.