Extreme sensitivity to sugar in grass. Anyone else experienced it? How did you manage

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Trot_On_Dressage

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Hi all.

Has anyone else ever experienced extreme behavioural changes with their horses at different points of the year? I suspect my horse is extremely sensitive the sugar in grass and I'm looking for ways to manage it next year.

I bought my youngster this time last year, although he is a smart looking TB he was a complete dope on a rope type, really laid back and not fazed by much. How ever this changed once spring came round and his behaviour deteriorated through out the summer months. He couldn't concentrate, was really highly strung, looked wired and nervous all the time and I was at my wits end with him!

How ever, now he has gone back to being his old self and totally dopey!

His routine didn't change throughout the spring/summer, he was coming in at night and he was on a low energy diet.

I really don't want to go through that again so any ideas/tips would be appreciated!
 
This is worth a read: http://www.greenpet.com.au/pages/Grass-Tetany-&-Hyperkalemia-in-Horses.html

In regards to the article I personally I think only in extreme cases should horses be completly taken off grass, there are options for managing it covered in the article ie. magnesium (as needed not everyday), salt, high fibre, balanced supplement, lower calories, reduce potassium containing feeds.
 
We have had similar problems with our mare this year and finally came to the conclusion that it was down to the clover in the field. I got lots of information from Jenny at Calm, healthy horses which is a New Zealand site and she sent me her grass ezy supplant FOC which, with also adding salt and magnesium to her diet, has transformed her!
 
You're not the only one. My TB is also a completely different horse on spring grass! I dread it!

I found that limiting the grazing hours and keeping him busy in his stable with things to do (as well as being worked) helped to take the edge off.

Another idea if you have the option is to turn the horse out at night and keep them in during he day. Supposedly the sugar content of the grass is lower at night.

I will also say that magnesium supplements made zero difference in my boy.
 
Magnesium only works if the horse is deficient, it makes me cringe when I hear people are feeding it everyday as you are causing other inbalances, I have heard of horses having arrhythmias due to over supplementation.
 
Thanks everyone, some great tips there.

It's amazing how different he has been these last 2 weeks, it's like he is finally breathing again and actually listening to me rather than being sky high!

His behaviour lasted the entire spring/summer but I suppose as we have had so much grass this year with all the wet weather the levels never really died. Also he did have a huge patch of clover in his field!

It's nice to know I'm not the only one and I'm finally enjoying my horse again after hating him all summer long!
 
Trot_On_Dressage said:
Thanks everyone, some great tips there.

It's amazing how different he has been these last 2 weeks, it's like he is finally breathing again and actually listening to me rather than being sky high!

His behaviour lasted the entire spring/summer but I suppose as we have had so much grass this year with all the wet weather the levels never really died. Also he did have a huge patch of clover in his field!

It's nice to know I'm not the only one and I'm finally enjoying my horse again after hating him all summer long!
Click to expand...

Clover is extremely high in potassium and a no no for horses. Could you address getting rid of the clover? Take a look at this website - it talks about effects of high potassium and it also recommends giving a tablespoon of salt a day as a supplement.

http://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/grass.htm


Edited to say - sorry I just reread the thread and see that this is what Ali27 said!!!
 
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sorry you've had problems , i thought it was just me this year but my 13 year old cob has been a nightmare this summer
stressy , chomping on his bit , unsetteled , wild look in his eye , spin/bolt and leap/buck at a couple of comps
ive owned him since he was 5 and although he has never been a straightforward horse he has never behaved as bad as this summer
then 2 weeks ago totally back to his normal self , calm in the field , lovely to hack out , no wild eye
i put it down to the 'spring' like grass we've had all summer , i did give him a instant calmer at the last couple of comps i did , he was better on it and i would use them again
if we have another summer of grass next year we'll have to set up a support group :)
 
Thanks for that.

Unfortunatley I'm at a DIY yard with a less than helpful YO, I can't imagine she would do anything about the clover.

Is there anything I could give him to counter it? He was just on 500g of Spillers Lite balancer over the summer as he is a good doer, he's still on it now.
 
Trot_On_Dressage said:
Thanks for that.

Unfortunatley I'm at a DIY yard with a less than helpful YO, I can't imagine she would do anything about the clover.

Is there anything I could give him to counter it? He was just on 500g of Spillers Lite balancer over the summer as he is a good doer, he's still on it now.
Click to expand...

I would try adding a tablespoon of salt to the balancer.
 
Yes! My boy has been on a high sugar/calorie diet due to his grass sickness - as he recovered and his gut function returned the sugar got to his head and it sent him crazy! He then lost weight due to the fretting! He is now on pink powder - which helped immensely! Hard feed wise he is on barley rings,fast fibre and an unmollased chop. If he is out 24/7 you should supplement the grass with soaked hay or similar.
 
Adding salt will help lower potassium levels and using graze ezy supplement from Calm, Healthy horses will also help. After the results that we had with our mare this summer with clover, she is thinking about finding a distributor for her products in the UK!
 
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