Frosty Grass

[Troggy]

Just a few ponders really!
Is frozen grass higher in sugar? Is this just newly growing short grass or would it affect longer old grass as well?
Is it bad for horses to eat on an empty stomach or is it a myth?
Just a few thoughts as I turned out the beasties this morning!

 

[miamibear]

My opinions/knowledge is:-

Frosty grass of all types (new and old) is higher in sugars.

I wouldnt turn my horses out on an empty tummy on frosty grass as i believe it can cause colic.

I made sure mine had their brekkies and some hay before i turned them out

xx

 

[H's mum]

Yes you're right in thinking that frosty grass is higher in fructose - I liken it to frozen peas - if you have a normal pea and then have a frozen pea - the frozen pea will taste sweeter!

It's best if you can wait til the morning frost has softened (or gone) before turning out - and try to turn out with some hay/haylage in their tummies - although trying to stop the horses gorging on the sweet shoots is another thing!!

Kate x

 

[Troggy]

Thanks for both your replies.
Unfortunatly I can't wait until forst has gone before turning out because of work, they are both aout between 6.30-7am.
Will it be a laminitis risk?
Worried now!

Although still frosty now....

 

[miamibear]

This is the problem Troggy, in places the grass is still frosty now - like you i have no option but to turn out in the morning some mornings.

I dont know the laminitis risk but i would have thought more sugar means more risk.

xx

 

[icemaiden113]

At this time of year the higher sugar cantent isn't really too much of a prob as there is little goodness in the grass anyway, the biggest prob with eating frozen grass is colic!

 

[Sooty]

The frozen pea will taste sweeter, but does it actually have a higher sugar content? I didn't think freezing could actually alter the chemical compound of a substance...

 

[Tempi]

im sure you are right sooty - i didnt think it could either

 

[miamibear]

Isnt it that the sugard in the bottom part of the grass are attracted to the frost part - just a guess LOL!!

xx

 

[Sooty]

Looks like I'm wrong:

Feeding myths

Sciencey thing

 

[sojeph]

The sort of food that causes laminitis is rich young spring grass with high levels of fructans. However rich grass can cause the problem at any time of year and even frosty grass in the winter can damage the digestion in the gut so much that the wrong sort of bacteria start to multiply and release toxins.

 

[Sooty]

Rather worryingly, it says in this article that stressed grass and hay made from it can be damaging. How do you know if your hay us made from stressed grass? Does it stay stressed once it's thawed? I need to lie down...

 

[threeponies]

Frosty grass gives one of my ponies horrendous diarrhoea, he's needed veterinary treatment for it before so I'd avoid if possible.

 

[evsj]

My old yard were fine with us putting horses out on frosty grass with several piles of hay which they chose to eat first.

Went to turn my girl out at new yard on Monday a.m. (7 a.m.) put three piles of hay out (two horses share) and got told off when I got to the yard that evening by YO. Aparantly if I start doing it everyone will want to. AND??

Anyway, if I was allowed to do so I would turn horse out as usual with some hay (only cos she doesn't have brekkie at the mo)-then no empty stomach to worry about.

 

[Chex]

I've always turned out on frosty grass, if its really cold the frost doesn't thaw for weeks. I used to put hay out, but they wouldn't eat it! They'd rather have the frosty grass I presume.

 

[miller]

My old yard wouldn't allow hay in the fields as it makes a mess

 

[evsj]

[ QUOTE ]
My old yard wouldn't allow hay in the fields as it makes a mess

[/ QUOTE ]

My horse makes sure she hoovers EVERYTHING up!!

 

[Happytohack]

[ QUOTE ]
The sort of food that causes laminitis is rich young spring grass with high levels of fructans.

[/ QUOTE ]

True - but frosty grass is a very high cause of laminitis and horses & ponies prone to it should never be turned out on frosty grass because of the high sugar content. I echo what someone else has said - give non- laminitc horses feed & hay before turning out on frosty grass and put some hay out in the field.

 

[skye123]

we arent allowed to put hay out in the fields either for some reason

 

[ru-fi-do]

A friend of ine had a pony a few years ago that had frost induced laminitis, she was fine on the spring grass, although they still restricted it, but couldn't walk after being on frozen grass once and they had the vet and they said it was from the frozen grass as this had happened a couple of times.

 

[merlinsquest]

My theory about no hay in field is that if you dont put it out it dont cost the yard owner any money..... we are told we arent allowed as the horses will fight!!! more piles than horses has always sorted that one out for me in the past.... they fight more when there is nought to eat and they are BORED!!!

So money money money seems to be the problem!!!

 

[piebaldsparkle]

I know of two horses who have had laminitis triggered by frosted grass, both were PTS.

Now I always ensure mine has hay (easy as she has ab lib hay over night whilst stabled anyway) and a feed (even if only chaff) before she is turned out if it is frosty. If it is a hard frost i.e. still white when I need to turnout, I also put hay in the field, she won't always eat the hay, but at least it is offered.

 

[natz]

My girl goes out at about 6.45am, as I have to be at work early - she has breakfast before she goes out, and several mountains of hay - always scoffs that first, and hopefully the grass will have thawed a bit before she gets to it!

 

[H's mum]

Sorry to have confused you - I liken it to a frozen pea so that people can understand the concept - Except the grass is still growing and it's all related to the synthesis of it growing and how it stores the fructose - Eg - shorter grass is richer as it hasn't used it's energy to "grow" - whereas the longer grasses have used their energy-banks up for their growing - When the grass is frozen the fructose levels alter - and become richer - similar to during sunny periods...
Kate x

 

[brighteyes]

It's the sun's effect on frozen grass, I believe. The grass photosynthesizes in the sunlight but doesn't use the sugars produced to grow as grass doesn't below something like 3 deg C (could be a tad higher) so stores the sugars. Or fructans! And probably stressed by the cold temps, so yet more of the damn stuff. I wouldn't turn out unless they had a good belly full of something. If you put hay/haylage out with them would they eat that, too? Just a thought.