Equine Health Insights with Dr. Amy M. Gill
Muzzle, stall
or dry lot?
Determining the Best Way to
Manage Metabolically
Challenged Horses on Pasture.
Dr. Amy M. Gill is
a leading equine
nutritionist specializing
in growth, metabolic,
immune, exercise related
disorders, and optimizing
nutrition for the elite equine athlete. She is the
consulting equine nutritionist for O.H. Kruse
Grain & Milling’s Equine Promise and Equine
Perfection family of feeds. You can contact her
at [email protected]
We all have had at least one or two horses that cannot be left to free range on pasture due
to risk of laminitis or colic, seem to gain weight while barely eating anything and are clearly
metabolically challenged and may have Cushing’s disease, impaired glucose metabolism
and/or insulin resistance. Trying to manage these horses on turn out can be a nightmare,
especially if you live in an area where pasture is rich and abundant. But with some
forethought and planning, a happy medium can be found for both you and your horse, so
that ever one can be happy and stress free!
Before discussing pasturing options, let’s take a quick look at the basic management
strategies that should be employed for our easy keepers:
• Feed low calorie hay that has been checked low in starches and sugars so that the horse
can have ample amounts to eat continuously.
• Use a Protein, Vitamin and Mineral supplement to supply these nutrients without adding
extra calories from grains an