Just as there was a misguided abhorrence of protein in the seventies and eighties so sugar is now being held up as the font of all evil for horses and recently there have been several incidences where electrolytes have been withdrawn from needy horses on account of glucose content.
Much of this truly false picture can be traced to some feeds which are prominently declared as ‘low sugar’ and made to sound a desirable option whilst at the same time horses are turned out to happily graze grass that has a high content of water soluble carbohydrate (Sugars). The answer is of course sugars range from simple (Glucose) to complex and through to starches each taking longer to be broken down into glucose (the fate of all sugars). It is the complex sugars that are being referred to as low; these escape some degradation in the early part of the intestinal tract and can then fuel the wrong microbial fermentation in the later part of the gut which can cause upset. Certainly not glucose.
It is difficult to blame the horse owner, not versed in such matters, for getting confused, especially when they also see the promotion of ‘slow release’ feeds given prominence. Slow release, on the whole, means less digestible, Straw is slow release. No one wants to say that their feed is less digestible so other names are thought up for what is ostensibly fibrous material. Indeed if it is sugars they are referring to as slow release that is a No-No.
Feed plenty of Electros or Ten-Four-G after activity or sweating especially when the weather is hot as it is at the moment in the UK.
Close Window