Weekend Wrap-up from Kentucky Performance Products
Spring and fall pastures can be unsafe for at-risk horses. Learn how to keep colic and laminitis at bay.
From the Kentucky Performance Products Tips & Topics blog:
It is that time of the year again, when grass pastures can be unsafe for at-risk horses. Grazing management is the key to avoiding problems.
Temperature and sunlight affect the amount of fructans (a type of sugar) stored in fresh grass. In plants, a process known as photosynthesis produces fructan. Photosynthesis occurs only during daylight hours. The sunnier the day, the more fructan is produced in a plant. At night, fructan is available to the plant as an energy source.
Temperature dictates how plants utilize fructan during the nighttime hours. If the temperatures stay warm (40° F or higher), plants use fructan to fuel growth in leaves and stems. Unused fructan is then stored in the lower two inches of the stem just above the soil line. However, if the nighttime temperature drops below 40° F, the plant will not grow and fructan remains in the leaves in high concentrations. For sensitive horses, consuming this grass might lead to colic or laminitis.
Proper grazing management can help avoid a sugar overload. It is best to limit grazing time or stop it completely when daytime temperatures are warm and nights are below 40° F.
To learn more about how sugar and starch affect your horse, enter the word “sugar” in the search box.
Article written by KPP staff.
Copyright (C) 2013 Kentucky Performance Products, LLC. All rights reserved.
Article sponsored by Micro-Phase, which provides essential vitamins and trace minerals missing from forages and unfortified diets in an easy-to-digest form.
When health issues arise, always seek the advice of a licensed veterinarian who can help you choose the correct course of action for your horse. Supplements are intended to maintain healthy systems and support recovery and healing. They are not intended to treat or cure illness or injury.
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Since 1998, Kentucky Performance Products has simplified a horse owner’s search for research-proven nutritional horse supplements that meet the challenges facing modern horses. KPP horse supplements target specific nutritional needs and are formulated to complement today’s feeds, thus safeguarding against over-supplementation. Each product is scientifically formulated and made with high-quality ingredients at certified manufacturing facilities. Kentucky Performance Products is proud to offer a quality assurance promise backed by a money-back guarantee. Kentucky Performance Products brings you horse supplements you can count on because the horse that matters to you, matters to us.
