May 27, 2010
Kentucky Equine Research (KER) has launched a new equine nutrition e-newsletter, available weekly to those who sign up. Topics such as horse supplements, colic, senior horses, and hay will be covered.

In the current issue, there is a fascinating article on managing horses on high fructan pastures — what most of us refer to as spring grass. Warm days and cold nights lead to the storage of certain sugars in the lower two inches of the grass stems that, when passed into the hind gut, produce lactic acid, one of the most direct causes of colic and laminitis. Questions as to the best time of day for grazing, why heavily grazed pasture might not lessen the danger, and which types of horses and ponies are more or less susceptible to the problem are discussed. Hind gut buffer products which help horses neutralize lactic acid are also mentioned.

KER, located in Versailles, Kentucky, is an international equine nutrition, research, and consultation company serving the horse owner and the feed industry.