As a proud owner of your horse, you probably already understand the importance of a balanced diet for your horse’s health and performance.
One of the aspects of horse nutrition that you need to pay attention to is fructans.
In this blog, we take a closer look at what fructans are, how they can affect your horse and how to manage them responsibly.
Fructans are complex carbohydrates found in certain grasses, grains and plants.
Plants make fructans for namely as a stress response.
This may be during cold temperatures at night, drought or nutrient deficiency.
Fructans serve as energy stores and antifreeze during night frosts for these plants.
For horses, however, fructans are very poorly digestible.
Because fructans are complex carbohydrates, they are not broken down or absorbed in the stomach or small intestine.
They then end up in the colon, where they are fermented by the bacteria in the colon and disrupt the healthy intestinal flora.
During this fermentation process of carbohydrates, lactic acid and gas are produced.
The lactic acid attacks the intestinal wall, which can lead to an inflammatory reaction.
The gas can accumulate and cause gas colic.
Some horses are more resistant to the negative effects of fructans than others, but for a single horse, high levels of fructans are healthy.
If your horse gets on grass, you can limit your horse’s intake of fructans in a number of ways.
Through a few simple changes in your management, you can help your horse’s health tremendously:
Limit your horse’s grazing, especially in early spring and late fall when grass is often rich in fructans.
Due to relatively cold nights, and strong growth in the spring, grass contains more fructans during this period.
Let your horse graze at times when the fructan content in the grass is lower, starting in the late morning.
At night the grass converts sugars into fructans, During the day when the sun shines and at higher temperatures, the fructan in the grass is converted back into sugars.
If you hay yourself, ask the farmer/contractor to cut the grass in the afternoon so the grass is “fructan poor.
The less fructan in the grass, the less in fructan in the hay.
Let your horse gradually get used to grazing on rich grass by building up grazing gradually.
This will allow your horse’s digestive system to gradually get used to the grass and prevent problems.
A horse’s digestive system takes 6 to 8 weeks to get used to new food, the same is true when horses return to grass.
Make sure the hay you give your horse is good quality and low in fructan.
By good quality hay, we mean: free of mold and dust, low in sugars, adequate fiber and sufficient protein.
Where unpackaged hay is preferred.
Feed your horse a mixed forage before it goes out to pasture.
The roughage then acts as a buffer, which ensures a calm digestion and supports intestinal flora.
When a horse’s digestive system is well-stocked, digestion proceeds more peacefully and better and the horse will be less bothered by any fructans in the grass.
By being aware of the amount of fructans in your horse’s diet and taking appropriate action, you can contribute to the overall health and well-being of your beloved quadruped.
Do you still have questions about fructans or about putting together a health ration?
Feel free to contact us, we would be happy to help you!
