Feeding a Cushings Horse
Since a Cushing horse is predisposed to laminitis it is very important to limit his NSC (non-structural carbohydrates) to 10-20% of his total diet. Hay and other fibrous feedstuffs should make up the majority of the horse's diet. The typical horse eats between 1% to 2% of his body weight in forage. So, the average 1,000-pound horse should be fed 15 to 20 pounds of hay per day. If your horse needs more energy to maintain a good body condition you should feed high-fat feeds or beet pulp. Avoid grains and feeds with molasses, which are high in NSC.
Choosing the Best Hay for Your Cushings Horse
When considering hay for your horse, it is important to recognize that some hays may contain high levels of NSC, depending on the species of grass and when and how it was harvested. In general, young plants are higher in sugar, whereas mid-bloom to mature grasses tend to be lower in sugar. Very mature plants typically have large amounts of indigestible fiber which can be hard for older horses with dentition problems to chew. Grass hays average between 7 and 18% NSC. Warm-season grasses, such as teff hay or Bermuda grass, tend to be lower in NSC. While cool-season grasses, such as orchard grass or timothy, are typically higher in NSC. Alfalfa averages 10-15% NSC, and oat hay is very high, averaging 22%. Alfalfa can be a good option for a horse with Cushings if they are a hard time holding their weight because it is more calorie-dense than grass hay. However, if your horse with Cushings is on the heavier side, it is best to steer away from alfalfa hay because of the excess protein can be converted into sugar in the liver.
If your Horse Needs More Calories than Just Hay
Some Cushings horses are more prone to being overweight, while others have a hard time holding a good body condition. If more calories are needed to maintain body condition, add feeds that are high in fat, such as flaxseed oil or extruded soybeans. Fat is very energy-dense while providing little easily digestible starch which raises insulin levels in a Cushings horse.
If your Horse Needs More Calories than Just HayProviding Supplements to Optimize Immune Function
Cushings horses have suppressed immune systems and therefore are prone to reoccurring infections. So, it is very important to supplement them with a complete vitamin-mineral supplement that provides them with antioxidants. Antioxidants, such as selenium, vitamins E, C and A help combat attacks on the body. Feeding a supplement like Horse Guard, which is only fed at 2 ounces a day provides the body the needed vitamins and minerals while adding very little to the overall NSC levels of the diet. For the horse with Cushings that has a hard time maintaining weight consider supplementing with Super Weight Gain. Super Weight Gain contains a full dose of Horse Guard to help combat disease, a great prebiotic and probiotic package that helps your horse to get more out of his feed, and the base of cool energy from extruded soybeans to provide your horse energy from protein and fat. Supplementing with 100% flaxseed oil, such as FLOW, can also help your Cushings horse by reducing the insulin spikes in the bloodstream. By lowering these spikes, it helps reduce the chances of laminitis developing. Flaxseed oil also helps to reduce unwanted inflammation.
Shelia Munsey
March 24, 2023
I have a gilding with Cushings. He is eating a small amount of low starch feed. I soak his hay. He get one flake a day.and he is taking medicine for it. One tiny pills a day. Can he be let out to pick grass for about an hour and get exercise?
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Horse Guard replied:
It depends on the condition of the grass, the temperature, and the time of day. Growing pasture in the spring, or irrigated pastures that grow continuously throughout the summer, have higher sugar levels and raise the most concern to horses with metabolic issues. Dry pastures are typically lower in sugars since the grass is not actively growing. Keep in mind sugar builds up in grass with more exposure to sunlight and can take several hours for sugar levels to drop after the sun goes down. As long as the temperature didn’t reach 40 or below the night prior turn out from 3am to 10:00 am is safest. If you have really lush pastures, you could always try a grazing muzzle to try to lower grass intake for the hour.
Keep in mind every horse is different, some sugar sensitive horses may tolerate grazing better than others. It may be a good idea to gradually allow turn out up to an hour starting with 10-20 min the first few times and build up to one hour.
If you have any other questions feel free to reach out directly at horsenutrition@horseguar.com<mailto:horsenutrition@horseguar.com>
Sincerely,
Kelsey Johnson Nonella, Ph.D., PAS
Equine Nutritionist, Horse Guard, Inc.<http://www.horseguard.com/>