The horses and most of their owners can hardly wait – at many stables the grazing season traditionally starts on May 1st.
But going out to pasture requires careful preparation. In addition to the often increased opportunities for exercise for the horses, spending time on the pasture means a change in feed compared to the winter months. Fresh grass contains more moisture than dry hay, but the high fructan content in spring also represents a challenge for the digestive tract and metabolism.
What is fructan?
Fructans are long-chain, water-soluble sugar molecules that serve as short-term energy storage for plants.[1], [2] Excess energy is stored in the stem especially when the energy obtained through photosynthesis cannot be used directly for growth (for example, when it is too cold or too dry).[3]
What does that mean in plain language? - Fructan content in pasture grass
Fructan content increases with:
- Cold temperatures / frost
- Hot temperatures / lots of sun
- long drought
- short grass
- nutrient-poor soils
Fructan content decreases with:
- Cloudy weather
- Warmer temperatures
- Sufficient water / rain
- tall grass
- nutrient-rich soils
How do I start grazing?
In order to get the digestive tract used to the change brought about by the pasture grass, the amount of time spent grazing should be increased gradually. We recommend starting with 15 minutes and gradually increasing the time (e.g. by 10 minutes every 2 days). Once you have reached around 2 hours of grazing, the amount of time spent grazing can be increased by half an hour at a time. Experience has shown that once you have reached around 4-6 hours, the horses can also go out to pasture all day. Of course, the individual needs and problems of each horse must always be taken into account and the grazing plan adapted accordingly.
Attention with metabolic candidates!
Caution is particularly important for horses with previous illnesses such as laminitis, EMS or Cushing. Such horses often suffer from what is known as insulin resistance, which can lead to the sugar in the cells not being broken down as well. A bout of laminitis can sometimes be the result. For horses with metabolic illnesses, we recommend increasing the grazing time even more carefully. In addition, it can be useful for sensitive horses to postpone the start of grazing until the weather is warmer and the grass has grown higher. In addition, it is often necessary to limit the grazing time for such horses. All-day grazing or even 24/7 grazing is generally not suitable for these horses. In the case of an acute bout of laminitis, we advise against grazing altogether, as the risk is too great in this case.[4]
[1] Sladky, P. (2020) Fructan: Myths and facts about the bogeyman, Pferderevue online
[2] https://www.hipposport.de/magazin/pferdefuetterung/fruktan-die-fähr-die-im-gras-lauert/
[3] https://www.horseanalytics.com/2020/10/26/fruktan-im-gras-was-hat-es-damit-auf-sich/
