8/ MAY 2023 THE RIDER Safely Introducing Your Horse to Spring Pasture


An Equine Nutrition Series by Madeline Boast,


MSc. Equine Nutrition


This means that they have a population of microbes in their hindgut that play a key role in digestion. This microbial population becomes accustomed to the forage that the horse has been consum- ing all winter. Pasture has a different nu- trient profile than dry hay, therefore the microbes must be given time to adapt to


pastures on the way, ensuring you are taking the necessary steps to introduce your horse to pasture safely is important. Most horse owners know that introduc- tion to pasture should be slow, but it can be difficult to determine an ideal sched- ule. This article is going to cover the rea- sons why a slow introduction is crucial, and how to ensure your horse is being put on a cautious schedule for pasture introduction. Why introduce slowly? Horses are hindgut fermenters.


With spring weather here and lush


when introducing horses to pasture is the non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) con- tent of the lush spring pasture. NSCs are a group of carbohydrates found in both forages and grains that are easily di- gested by horses. They include starches, fructans and simple sugars such as glu- cose. When horses consume a large amount of NSCs it disrupts the micro- bial ecosystem and can lead to health is- sues such as laminitis or colic. Therefore, when introducing your horse to spring pasture, ensuring it is done slowly to prevent an overload of NSC intake will reduce the risk of health con- cerns often associated with lush spring pasture. Here are a few key considerations


ture while it is still in the very early stages of growth, it can reduce that plant’s ability to regenerate. Addition- ally, the NSC content in young plants tends to be higher. As the plant matures, the amount of indigestible fibre will in- crease, thus decreasing the starches and sugars that are rapidly fermented. For


for introducing your horse to pasture: 1) Ensure that the pasture stand is long enough. When horses are introduced to pas-


feed) occurs too quickly, there can be a plethora of problems that arise. Sudden changes will disrupt the ecosystem in the gastro-intestinal tract (GIT), and when large amounts of starch and sugar reach the hindgut, fermentation will be rapid resulting in an increased produc- tion of gas. There is also an increase in the production of lactic acid, which can make the environment in the GIT more acidic. This increases the risk of diarrhea and colic. Therefore, it is important to introduce your horse to new forage sources slowly to avoid these various health concerns. One of the most prevalent concerns


this change. To avoid shocking the mi- crobial population, the forage changes must be made slowly. When changes in forage (or any


available, how you can rotate pastures, any cutting management as well as fer- tilizer or weed management. When the pasture is managed properly, and the plants are not under excessive stress you can increase yield and in turn increase the usability of that pasture.


new spring pasture allowing the horse to start grazing at about 6 inches of height is recommended. 2)


over a couple of weeks. Begin with 15-30 minute sessions


Introduce your horse to pasture


of grazing for your horse. This can be in- creased by ~ 20 minutes every couple of days until the horse reaches about 4-6 hours of grazing time. The process to reach 4-6 hours of grazing time should take multiple weeks. From that point, you can increase the length of the inter- val to a couple of hours at a time until your desired grazing time is reached. Please note that for metabolically sensi- tive horses, or horses at risk of laminitis, having many hours consuming pasture may not be feasible. 3) Have a plan for pasture manage- ment.


plants are under stress and sugar content increases. At the beginning of the sea- son, I encourage you to put together a plan. Think about how much pasture is


When pasture is over-grazed the


bolic issues, it is best to consult your qualified equine nutritionist or your vet- erinarian on the amount of grazing that is safe for your at-risk horse. Often, I recommend these horses graze outside of daylight hours. It is known that the non-structural carbohydrate content of grass is the highest in the afternoon and decreases overnight with the lowest val- ues occurring late at night or early in the morning. This is due to a reduction in the metabolic activity of the plant at those times. Another tactic that can be used is to have the horse wear a grazing muzzle to reduce their rate of intake. If your horse is over-conditioned


plan for introducing your horse to pas- ture, and then managing that pasture is the gold standard. Remember that if you have an at-risk or metabolically chal- lenged horse exercise extreme caution with pasture. If you have any questions, please contact me at: balancedbaynutri- tion@gmail.com


but does not have metabolic health con- cerns, I recommend re-evaluating their diet to reduce digestible energy if they are going to be consuming pasture. When a horse is overweight or obese, their risk of developing insulin dysreg- ulation and laminitis increases. To conclude, putting together a


What about sensitive horses? If you have a horse that has meta-


By: Madeline Boast, MSc. Equine Nu- trition About the author: Madeline Boast completed her master’s in Equine Nutri- tion at the University of Guelph and started an independent nutrition com- pany known as Balanced Bay. She has


worked with a variety of equids – from miniature ponies to competing thor- oughbreds. Through Balanced Bay she designs customized balanced nutrition plans that prioritize equine well-being. This includes diets for optimal perform- ance as well as solving complex nutri- tional issues and everything in between. For additional information see www.bal- ancedbay.ca References: Longland, A. C., & Byrd, B. M. (2006). Pasture nonstructural carbohydrates and equine laminitis. The Journal of nutri- tion, 136(7), 2099S-2102S. Molle, G., Cannas, A., & Gregorini, P. (2022). A review on the effects of part- time grazing herbaceous pastures on feeding behaviour and intake of cattle, sheep and horses. Livestock Science, 104982. Watts, K. A. (2004). Forage and pasture management for laminitic horses. Clini- cal techniques in equine practice, 3(1), 88-95.


Beyond the Wither Tracing


A Saddle-Fitting Series by Holly Barnett, REMT, CSF Is Your Horse Fit to Ride?


A concerning pattern


I’ve observed over the past two decades is the number of riders missing the evi- dence that their horse is in a state of biomechanical dys- function. To be clear, I don’t blame the riders. This is an industry wide pattern though all disciplines, lev- els, breeds, and professions. Riding is the most complex sport on the planet and with the demands we place on our horses it’s our duty to ensure they’re physically capable of what we ask of them.


Posture... Posture is


both static as dynamic and should be assessed as such. Horses in negative posture are infinitely more difficult to fit because saddles aren’t (nor should they be) de- signed to fit inverted topline


shapes. Every fitting appoint-


ment has included a posture, gait, and musculoskeletal ‘Fit to Ride’ Assessment. When the horse is invited to adopt a more neutral pos- ture, fitting becomes expo- nentially


simpler.


Sometimes we’re able to work with the horse’s cur- rent posture while other times the best advice is for the horse to be put on a short rehab program of ground- work/ bodywork. It’s sel- dom what the rider wants to hear yet imperative for get- ting a horse’s body back to the level of integrity re- quired to carry a rider. Horses will continue


to jump courses and win rib- bons despite being in physi- cal dysfunction - which is one of the reasons I believe


harm to the horse. If you suspect your horse may have postural issues and you’re noticing performance and/or behaviour issues, be sure to investigate the pos- ture and fit relationship. Ad- dressing posture prior to saddle-fit has transformed thousands of horses and every rider who has gone through the process only wishes they had done it sooner. For the love of the horse, Holly


the issue is so prevalent. Many times, another profes- sional has cleared the horse to ride, and I have shown up to fit the saddle only to point out compromised areas. There’s a general knowl- edge gap (most equestrians have far more practical than theory behind them!) that needs to be addressed. Thankfully recent studies back this and the awareness is growing daily. Equitopia has some excellent low-cost quality information and courses online and some web searches will reveal ac-


cess to blogs and other free resources available to you. (I’m also working on a few online resources that will be available in the coming months around posture, bio- mechanics, and saddle fit) My recent class of Saddle Assessment 4 Equine Body- workers (SA4EB) have ex- celled in their training and will be able to pass on this knowledge to their clientele in person so lots more help on the way! Have a look at these


examples – in my profes- sional opinion all three


Holly Barnett is a profes- sional saddle fitter and equine therapist for over 20 years. She’s worked with horses of all breeds and rid- ers of all levels and disci- plines throughout North America. Founder of August Equine, located in Campbellville ON, Holly now focuses on high level consulting, education, advo- cacy and is the creator of Saddle Assessment 4 Equine Bodyworkers


(SA4EB)


horses required a short rehab program prior to fit- ting a saddle. Only one rider was open to the idea willing to spend 3-4 weeks doing in-hand (no local body-


worker to call) and made ex- cellent progress. The after photo of that horse is the only back ready to receive a saddle and carry a rider without causing physical


Holly works with a small team of saddle-fitters serv- icing clients across Canada. For upcoming clinics and educational events www.augustequine.com.


see


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