EMS & Ryegrass Hay

[Myotto]

Hi

Has anyone had any problems with feeding ryegrass hay to horses with EMS?

My horse tested as borderline for EMS can be quite symptomatic, e.g. can get cresty neck, puffy pads either side of tail etc.

He is usually on meadow hay but circumstance means he has been on Ryegrass hay for a few weeks now. He's now starting to show some EMS type signs again and is not his normal relaxed and reliable self. He is quite spooky at times when he is usually doesn't look at anything. He's started dunking the ryegrass and drinking loads of water.

I've asked for him to go back on meadow grass so will see how that goes.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

In small quantities I’ve never found it an issue but it’s not something I would want to feed all the time. If you are concerned you can soak the hay which will help to reduce the sugars, not a bad thing to do even with meadow hay if you know your horse is susceptible. The other good way of reducing a high count and the associated swelling above the eyes and sheath is fast exercise as it kick starts the lymphatic system into working more efficiently. Rye grass hay has never caused mine to be reactive, however spring grass and clover in particular turns my normally sane one into a quivering sweating mass within 24hours. It could be a combination of the rye and new grass affecting your horse.

 

[criso]

It's not as simple as ryegrass v meadow. Some meadow hay can be incredibly high in sugar and some ryegrass low.

If its a big issue for you and supply is consistent, you may want to get your hay tested for sugars (esc and wsc) and starch.

 

[holeymoley]

I wouldn't feed ryegrass hay to my ems. I do feed a meadow hay which has a little ryegrass in it. You should ideally be feeding a mix, not just one type or another, however you'll never truely know how much sugar it has in it unless you test.

 

[blitznbobs]

Isnt rye lower in sugar and higher in protein though?

 

[scats]

Rye is the devil for EMS and lami prone types. There was a study done that found it was something like 600 times higher in sugar than meadow grass.

 

[deicinmerlyn]

I personally wouldn’t feed Ryegrass to any horse, i was under the impression it’s for cattle not horses. But of course, happy to be proved incorrect.

 

[holeymoley]

Isnt rye lower in sugar and higher in protein though?

99% of the time it’s extremely high in sugar.

 

[Burnttoast]

Rye-grass is also home to various toxins and fungi that can cause photosensitivity/liver damage and staggers. In small quantities it's possible they could make a horse feel 'off' and reactive.

 

[PurBee]

Depends on the variety of ryegrass, perennial, diploid or tetraploid as to sugar levels.
The 2 latter varities were GM’d from perennial - making those varieties way higher in sugar, fructans and protein - ALSO the yield of ‘italian ryegrass’ (dip or tetra) is way higher per acre than indigenous perennial.

The cow industry bred it to fatten cows - its slithered its way into the equine market due to high hield per acre = more money per acre for hay makers.
Italian ryegrass easily grows to above 5 foot tall in a good year….one haymaker proudly showed me his pre-cutting hay-field height of ryegrass with him stood in it. It was over 6 foot tall that year, he got lost in it!
Italian ryegrass is an un-natural GM franken-grass and shouldnt be soley the only grass/forage fed to horses for a variety of reasons.

I wouldnt feed ryegrass ONLY hay. I did once, it was diploid - within 24hrs both horses very footy. (Had stock problems and it was a begrudging but only choice to cover 3 days purchase)

Ryegrass is photosensitising too - check out google images for cow herds with ryegrass induced ‘sunburn’ -absolutely shocking - many equine cases of PS in horses are on ex-cattle farm land and being fed ryegrass hays. This is the reason i wont ever feed JUST ryegrass on its own - whether haylage or hay.

Ryegrass haylage is much lower sugar than ryegrass hay, but im yet to confirm if the PS compounds in the haylage get fermented into simpler compounds more easily filtered by the liver. Until I find confirmation i exercise caution and mine get majority timothy haylage and mixed grazing, with 30% ryegrass haylage.

It doesnt surprise me to hear ryegrass hay has quickly altered your horses behaviour. As hay, i’d not want more than 10% in the diet ideally…as haylage due to the sugars being drastically reduced, i allow a higher %.

If you have no choice but to feed 100% ryegrass hay or (well-made fermented properly) haylage as a stop-gap emergency - pick haylage as the fermentation process reduces and converts the sugars/fructans at least.