Horse Care Through the Seasons

nutritional gaps. A high performance horse is more likely to need dietary supplements to support his athletic efforts than a backyard horse with a less demanding workload.
Discuss spring grazing protocols with your vet. A horse that is susceptible to laminitis or equine metabolic syndrome EMS could be at risk. Laminitis is the second biggest killer of horses after colic which is considered the top medical cause of death in horses. The basis of EMS management is to prevent high circulating levels of insulin by avoiding the feeds that cause them and this means an EMS horse should never be grazed. 
Your feeding plan will tie in with your riding goals for the year as you start your spring conditioning and training program. Any feeding changes should be made gradually to allow time for the bacteria populations in the horses digestive tract to adapt.