Eleanor M. Kellon, VMD
Whether it’s preventing gastric ulcers or “resetting” the metabolism of a horse with metabolic syndrome, free choice feeding is not the answer.
As many as 70.9% of horses with 24/7 pasture access have gastric ulcers (le Jeune, et al. 2009). Obviously there’s a lot more going on than constant food.
Correctly caring for a horse with insulin resistance (IR) takes some major lifestyle changes. It is up to the caretaker to implement those changes. This can be a major advantage for the horse, who doesn’t have to rely on his own will power, or it can throw any number of obstacles in his path.
We hear things like ‘The horse can’t possibly be happy without pasture’, despite the fact that millions of horses around the world are, many of which do not even have pasture as an option. Another is that they can’t possibly be healthy on a diet restricted in amounts or types of food, when in truth it is the human imposing their own emotional reaction to that possibility on the horse.
Most dangerous are objections that sound like they are based in science when they are not. One is that not permitting an IR horse 24/7 access to food will cause stress and a cortisol increase that will actually make him worse. This has a ring of truth to it, but it’s wrong.
Sticker, et al. 1995, fed mares either 100% of requirements or restricted calories by 50%. The restricted mares had a drop in cortisol levels.
DePew, et al. 1994, fasted mares and stallions for 19 hours then fed a pellet and hay meal. Cortisol rose after feeding, and did not change in response to fasting for 19 hours.
Glunk, et al. 2015, fed adult Quarter horses a restricted hay diet of 1% of their body weight either as loose hay, or from slow feeder nets, divided into two feedings, with 15 hours between the afternoon and morning meals. The floor fed horses finished their meals much quicker. There was no difference in cortisol levels between the two types of feeding. Cortisol dropped in both groups over the 28 day trial despite the markedly restricted feeding and weight loss. [Horses were sampled every 30 minutes after meals and hourly between feedings.]
Storer, et al. 2007, fed both normal and hyperleptinemic (IR) mares either constant pasture, free choice hay or hay and pellets only once daily. The mares fed only once daily had an expected exaggerated insulin and glucose peak after feeding, but their cortisol levels were lower than the mares with constant access to hay or pasture at all testing times.
Freestone, et al. 1991, did find small (but not statistically significant) rises in cortisol in ponies fasted 24 to 72 hours, consistent with the tendency of ponies, but not horses, to develop exaggerated release of fat into the bloodstream with fasting. The metabolism of ponies (and minis, donkeys) is distinctly different from horses.
What about the fact that feral horses spend 18 to 20 hours a day eating? This observation does not automatically mean horses have to spend this much time eating to be metabolically healthy. You have to remember that grass is over 70% water while hay is typically around 10% and a much more concentrated calorie source than pasture. They have to spend that much time eating native pasture to get enough calories.
By all means feed your insulin resistant horse (IR) with a slow feeding set up to avoid long gaps with no food that might lead to insulin peaks and also just to keep her busy, but don’t worry that going without food for even short periods will increase cortisol and make IR worse. Research has proven that’s simply not the case. In fact, in study after study a drop in cortisol has been found with fasting or restricted feeding of horses.
References
le Jeune SS, Nieto JE, Dechant JE, Snyder, JR. Prevalence of gastric ulcers in Thoroughbred broodmares in pasture: a preliminary report. Vet J 2009 Sep;181(3):251-5. doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2008.03.020. Epub 2008 Jun 3.
Sticker LS, Thompson DL, Fernandez JM, Bunting LD, DePew CL. Dietary protein and(or) energy restriction in mares: plasma growth hormone, IGF-I, prolactin, cortisol, and thyroid hormone responses to feeding, glucose, and epinephrine Journal of Animal Science, Volume 73, Issue 5, May 1995, Pages 1424-1432, https://doi.org/10.2527/1995.7351424x
Journal of animal science1994; 72(6); 1530-1539; doi: 10.2527/1994.7261530x
DePew CL, Thompson DL, Fernandez JM, Sticker LS, Burleigh DW. Changes in concentrations of hormones, metabolites, and amino acids in plasma of adult horses relative to overnight feed deprivation followed by a pellet-hay meal fed at noon. Journal of animal science 1994; 72(6); 1530-1539; doi: 10.2527/1994.7261530x
Glunk E, Hathaway MR, Grev AM, Lamprecht ED, Maher MC, Martinson KL. The effect of a limit-fed diet and slow-feed hay nets on morphometric measurements and postprandial metabolite and hormone patterns in adult horses. J Anim Sci 2015 Aug;93(8):4144-52. doi: 10.2527/jas.2015-9150.
Storer WA, Thompson DL, Waller CA, Cartmill JA. Hormonal patterns in normal and hyperleptinemic mares in response to three common feeding-housing regimens. Journal of Animal Science. 11-1-2007
Freestone JF, Wolfsheimer KJ, Ford RB, Church G, Bessin R. Triglyceride, insulin, and cortisol responses of ponies to fasting and dexamethasone administration. J Vet Intern Med 1991 Jan-Feb;5(1):15-22.
doi: 10.1111/j.1939-1676.1991.tb00925.x.
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