06/15/2025
๐ฑ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ - ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ & ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ด
I have seen some images and posts circulating lately regarding the ideal grass height to reduce โsugarโ intake in horses. The common recommendation is that short grass will have the highest sugars compared to taller grasses. But is this really the case?
๐ ๐๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ:
In plants such as grasses, simple sugars (often grouped with starch and fructans and termed nonstructural carbohydrates or NSCs) are produced via photosynthesis. This class of carbohydrate is an important source of energy for the horse and they are digested and absorbed in the foregut, leading to an increase in blood glucose and insulin. As a result, high levels of NSCs in the diet can be an issue for horses with metabolic concerns, specifically related to insulin dysregulation which may be observed in horses diagnosed with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), Cushingโs (PPID), and laminitis/founder.
The belief that short grass has higher NSCs is due to the fact that grasses tend to store these sugars in the lower base of the stem. As a result, shorter grass is more concentrated in NSC. But is this actually the case โ what has the research shown us?
๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ก.
A study performed in New Jersey evaluated cool-season grass pastures and compared short, continuously grazed pasture (2.9 to 4.1 inches/7.3 to 10.5 cm) to a taller, rotationally grazed pasture (5 to 9.5 inches/12.4 to 24.1 cm). This study found that the โsugarsโ in the grass, as well as the glucose and insulin responses in grazing horses, were the same regardless of grass height. Rather, season and time of day were two important variables capable of altering these carbohydrate concentrations.
๐ Williams et al., 2019
A separate study in North Carolina evaluated horses grazing tall fescue pasture mowed down to 5.9 inches (15 cm) 11 days prior to grazing horses compared to taller grass (11.8 to 15.8 inches/30 to 40 cm). This study found that the shorter, mowed pasture resulted in less simple sugars and a subsequent decrease in the insulin response of grazing horses compared to taller grass.
๐ Siciliano et al., 2017
๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐?
๐ Short or overgrazed grass may lack sufficient leafy surface to produce and store sugars effectively.
๐ฑ Under stress, plants may move sugars into the rootsโwhere grazing horses can't reach them.
๐พ Shorter grass that is actively growing is more likely to utilize the NSC to contribute to growth whereas a taller, more mature grass will accumulate and store more NSCs.
๐ด Horses can consume more grass per bite when eating tall grass (Eduoard et al., 2009) which could result in greater sugar intake as well as an increased glucose and insulin response.
๐๐จ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ง?
These findings suggest that short grass may not be as concerning as we originally thought. With that said, there are a few things to keep in mind:
โ ๏ธ There will always be a risk when allowing sugar-sensitive horses to graze fresh forage due to regular fluctuations in the NSCs in pasture.
โ๏ธ Managing pastures is important, and while shorter grasses may be beneficial, it is important not to overgraze pastures (less than 4 inches).
๐งช The only way to truly know the NSCs in the forage is by sending a sample to a lab for analysis. While this is trickier to do with fresh forage (since it constantly changes), it can create a baseline to guide decisions.
๐บ๏ธ There are many factors that may influence these findings so it should not be applied broadly and should be considered within the context of your horses, location, species, and management style.
๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ
Grass height alone is not a reliable measure of pasture safety. For metabolically sensitive horses, effective management, not grass length, is what truly matters.
Cheers,
Dr. DeBoer
Siciliano PD, Gill JC, Bowman MA. Effect of sward height on pasture nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations and blood glucose/insulin profiles in grazing horses. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science. 2017 Oct 1;57:29-34.
Williams CA, Kenny LB, Burk AO. Effects of grazing system, season, and forage carbohydrates on glucose and insulin dynamics of the grazing horse. Journal of animal science. 2019 May 30;97(6):2541-54.
Edouard N, Fleurance G, Dumont B, Baumont R, Duncan P. Does sward height affect feeding patch choice and voluntary intake in horses?. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2009 Jul 1;119(3-4):219-28.
