28/04/2026
YOU ARE BEING LIED TO ABOUT GRASS LENGTH !!!
Long grass is not lower in sugar and fructan for horses and ponies than short grass in terms of WHAT THEY EAT.
An attention grabbing headline?
Yes! I am getting really frustrated with this persistent nutribaloney that short grass is bad for horses, not suitable for laminitics, not suitable for weight loss or healthy weight maintenance.
This is Simply Not True.
Worryingly, it's not just uneducated people I've heard saying this, or writing it.
Even if short, overgrazed grass IS higher in sugar and fructan and lower in fibre per kilo, it is the TOTAL AMOUNT that the horse eats and the RATE they eat it that matters, not what is in the forage per kilo.
Capitalised because this is the key and why so many horse owners and even vets get this wrong.
Well-or over-grazed, short grass will generally provide more suitable grazing for a good doer or EMS / laminitis prone horse or pony.
On this type of grazing they will get LESS nutrients (less sugar, less fructan, less calories) per hour of grazing compared to the longer, stemmier grass, simply because of how much they can eat.
I cannot tell you how many owners I've had come to me for advice, and reported in my Facebook comments that their horse or pony has piled on the pounds (gained body fat) and sadly in some cases succumbed to laminitis, when they have tried putting them on free choice longer grass.
Now, the horse on overgrazed, sprouting pasture will likely need more fibre e.g. from a strip of the longer stemmier grass and/or supplementary forage like soaked hay BUT! grazing very short grass is sometimes the only way to keep a good doer slim and healthy (if they don't wear a grazing muzzle).
The key is to monitor the individual horse or pony and adjust their grass access from their bodyweight and condition, and any signs of metabolic disturbances or laminitis.
Some take home tips:
> always monitor your individual horse or pony and adjust their grass access accordingly
> never assume that long meadow grass is safe for your horse or pony prone to weight gain and laminitis
> over-grazed pasture with supplementary forage (if out 24/7) is a method used successfully by thousands of owners of good doers and laminitis-prone horse and pony owners
> if you have no option but to graze bottle-height grass (about 3" or 10cm) for overweight horses or ponies, good doers or those prone to laminitis, I recommend using a grazing muzzle (and potentially strip grazing as well)
> always monitor your individual horse or pony and adjust their grass access accordingly (yes, I meant to repeat myself!) - you can monitor their weight and condition (body fat), any signs of laminitis, their gut comfort and their droppings
Feel free to share!
🐴🍏🌱
