1 Month Grain Free Challenge

Learnings and Observations

We’re officially past the month marker and heading into week 5 of the “grain-free” challenge. Every day I’m learning a bit more, by either responding to and understanding my horse’s physical (and mental) changes or from researching everyone’s comments and questions. A subject I’ve found particularly important in discussing and addressing, is this: Are low carb diets ACTUALLY good for horses?? It’s easy for us to throw around the diet terminology of being “low-carb” or “keto” and blaming carbohydrates for every bit of inflammation and discomfort, both in our bodies and in our horses. However, we also know that carbs are one of the building blocks in the macro nutrient pyramid that fuels bodybuilders, weightlifters, triathletes and likely the majority of fit human beings on the planet. So what gives? With so much conflicting information out there concerning carbs, sometimes it can be difficult to see the forest through the trees.

First and foremost, one such blanket statement cannot, or rather should not, be made “Horses (and humans) are healthier on a low-carb diet”. It’s a bit more complicated than that, with a high number of variables muddling the facts for both horse and human. Let’s address this statement by talking about the carb structures found in two foods, a piece of sweet potato versus a cookie. We know that both food items are high in carbs, but at the same time, we also know which one is obviously the healthier choice for us to consume. Carbs can be classified into two categories; nonstructural and structural. Nonstructural carbs (the cookie) are comprised of sugar and starches that are digested by enzymes in the foregut. Structural carbohydrates (the sweet potato) are comprised of fiber types, and are digested by microorganisms throughout the hind gut. While both carb types can provide energy for horses (and humans) the difference comes from the speed in which the gut breaks them down and how quickly the molecules are then converted into energy. We all get a little rush from drinking that sugary soda, but not so much from chowing down on a big bowl of quinoa (in fact, it can be quite the opposite!). Therefore, we know nonstructural carbs give a rapid burst of energy (as they are digested quickly in the foregut) while structural carbs give a slow release of energy as they’re slowly broken down throughout the miles of a horse’s hind gut.

So, simple sugars give you energy. Woohoo! What could be wrong with that? Let’s reference back to my first blog post, which speaks to the damage that comes from volatile spikes in blood sugar and glucose as a result of eating a high nonstructural carbohydrate meal. The rapid breakdown inflames the gut, leading to a host of inflammatory problems that can occur in the horses body, e.g., laminitis, founder, arthritis, gastric ulcers, etc.. So, allow me to edit the aforementioned statement, “Horses (and humans) are healthier on a low, nonstructural carbohydrate diet”. So now we’re all totally confused and you’re probably thinking “well screw your grain-free challenge!”. Allow me to digress..

We’ve established that a NSC (nonstructural carbohydrate) diet is likely healthier for horses as it lowers overall inflammation in the body. So when I say “grain-free”, let’s also establish that grains by themselves are not necessarily bad, and can serve as a source for a horse’s required carb intake (when fed in moderation).

However, most commercial grain-based products contain within them not just synthetic nutrients, but also preservatives, dyes, sweeteners, and other chemicals and carcinogens. Putting the two together, carbohydrates and added ‘junk’, equates to inflammatory problems for most horses. The reality is, while feeding grains can give performance horses that rapid burst of energy, there is a dark side that often comes in the form of poor hoof health, laminitis, founder, injured tendons, gastric ulcers, and a host of metabolic problems. These problems are usually seen as isolated events, not dietary related, and are treated as such. Then, there is often recurrence, failure to heal properly, and in many cases, a donated horse that no longer competes, or even worse, the loss of life from developed metabolic diseases.

Schell, Tom. “What? No Grain for My Horse?” Nouvelle Research Official Website, 3 Mar. 2021, nouvelleresearch.com/index.php/articles/17441-what-no-grain-for-my-horse.

Grain versus “Grain”

Ok, back to grain. Grains are naturally occurring seeds that are harvested from plants such as wheat, oats, rice, and corn. They are structural carbohydrates in nature, and are grazed upon by wild horses with no issue, supplying the required carb intake and providing energy. When fed in moderation over a long period of time, there’s really no issue, and any resulting inflammation is likely negated from the high fiber content consumed from the constant grazing of forage. So looking at most barns, the average horse is being fed a whopping 4-5 pounds of commercial feed, twice a day, for a total of around 10 pounds of grain daily. Not to mention the molasses, preservatives, chemicals, and ‘junk’ found in that seemingly healthy scoop, but a single serving of grain skyrockets past the recommended carb intake for most horses, and the inflammatory responses kick in thereafter. So for horses, it’s not so much the consumption of carbs that is bad, but rather the delivery and quantity in which it has been accustomed to feed. If you fed your horse a handful of raw grain, every hour for 16 hours, it would equate to about two average scoops. Now instead, how about if we just dump both scoops of grain into a bucket all at once and give our horse free choice to consume it all? Over time, the resulting gut inflammation between the two horses would become most obvious. One horse would maintain steady blood glucose levels, while the other would rage from sudden spikes in glucose to hours of lull with no activity. Want to take a guess as to which horse would eventually develop gastric ulcers? While most of us can’t afford to spend 16 hours a day hand feeding our horses, that’s where high quality hay, grass and forage comes into play, as horses are forced to slow their eating. For those hungry hippos who can destroy a few flakes of alfalfa, consider a slow feed hay net to help the process.

It’s an unfortunate and industry wide misconception that performance horses NEED high-performance grain. As I am learning more about this venture, I’m coming to realize that there is a whole community of grain-free advocates who ride in demanding sports, with their horses thriving on purely forage based diets. Their horses energy requirements are met through high quality hay and grass, rather than relying on touted “performance feeds” from big manufactures. So long story short, carbs are just about everywhere, lurking in cool season grass and all hay types, and by ensuring that our horses are eating around 1.5% of their body weight per day in forage, then they will meet their maintenance carb requirements. Going beyond that, and carbo-loading our horses, is both a selfless and selfish act. We all want to do what is best for our horses, but in most cases, I’m confident that getting back to basics is the best thing we can do for our 4-legged friends (and ourselves!). In conclusion, I will say this. No horse (or human) is identical, and factors such as genetics, activity level, and predispositions will effect the recommended macros for each individual. High performance horses may thrive on a slightly higher structural carb diet, while more sedentary “pasture ornaments” or pleasure horses might be better off a more restricted carb diet. So while I think the removal of most commercial grains will benefit the majority of horses, please always consult your veterinarian in determining the best overall diet and nutritional needs for your horse.

So I’ll finish by giving a recap on my horse’s 5-week progress report. He has flourished, and while I don’t necessarily give all the credit to just eliminating grain, his diet is near perfection as he grazes on the beautiful new spring grass out in his pasture. He is out for probably 16+ hours a day, and only comes in to take a nap, munch on his gourmet alfalfa and get ridden. His once discolored spots of missing hair and dermatitis are slowly being replaced by a shiny and lustful summer coat, and if I do say so myself, I think a few faint dapples are making an appearance on his shoulders. While we have struggled through a few lessons with what I call his “alfalfa brain” I have started him on a natural magnesium supplement, which does seem to help in keeping him more relaxed and allowing him to focus during our work. I may play with getting a load of timothy or maybe timothy/alfalfa next, but as for now, I’m just happy to see my awesome warmblood starting to look and feel his best.

Deutschmark – 1 Month “Grain Free”

Lastly, I do owe a considerable amount of credit for the success of this challenge to my mother who is a retired nurse, food nutritionist, health junkie, and sometimes, a know-it-all. I’m beyond fortunate to have her as a riding buddy at my barn and wanted to share a picture of her 6 YO Percheron/Thoroughbred mare who has been “grain free” for about 3 years now. I’m still convinced that anything “drafty” can live off of air, but she looks pretty darn good! So I do owe my Mom some credit in taking the challenge, and once my big gelding popped out a few dapples, I heard her scoffing “I told you so!”.

Such A Duchess – 3 Years “Grain Free”

1 Month – Grain Free ChallengeRead More

Week 2 – Grain Free Challenge

Learnings and Observations 

To my horse’s dismay, his once sugar-laden meals have now completely vanished! For several reasons, I took the first week to slowly transition him off from his grain to his now purely forage based pellets. First and foremost, a horse’s gut is very finicky, and what they eat on a day-to-day basis determines the type of gut bacteria that thrives in their digestive track. If you switch a horse’s normal feed too quickly, their carefully catered gut microbes can struggle to breakdown the new food, due to differences in the protein, fiber, carb and fat structures. Therefore, to avoid diarrhea, or even worse, a potential colic, it’s crucial to slowly introduce new foods and give their sensitive tummy’s time to “retrain” their gut microbes. For the second reason, my horse was a sugar addict. He’s been on some form of sticky sweet feed for some time now. I knew if I offered him a scoop full of purely alfalfa pellets, he’d rather just go hungry (insert dramatic effect). So, by reducing his grain by ¼ scoop every few days, and bumping up his forage pellets, he’s slowly coming to terms that maybe his new food isn’t so bad after all.

*For anyone who’s also making this transition with a picky eater, I highly recommend soaking your forage pellets in warm/hot water. This made all the difference in my horse eating his new breakfast/dinner. Plus, compressed forage pellets will expand when soaked, so allowing them to expand prior to feeding reduces any chance of expanding in the gut and causing blockages. More water in the gut = always a good thing! 

Since starting the challenge, and sharing with others, I’ve had a number of people ask me “aren’t you worried about weight loss??”, seemingly to imply that I was in some way shape or form “starving” my horse. To that end, I started to do some research on the effects of grain in the digestive track as it pertains to weight. Obviously when we eat, our food moves along our digestive track, starting in our mouth as we salivate and chew, then passing through our stomach and then onto the small and large intestines. At each stage of digestion, our bodies are breaking down our food into smaller and smaller components, preparing the final microscopic molecules to be absorbed into our intestinal lining, where we later convert and use those absorbed molecules as energy within the body. Interestingly, our gut lining serves as a strict gate keeper, allowing only certain molecules to enter into our bodies, and some with more ease than others. For example:

• Molecules broken down from certain foods (such as water, fruits and vegetables), pass with ease, causing no irritation or inflammation in the gut as they are readily absorbed.
• Certain bacteria and toxins are NOT permitted through the intestinal walls, and are then expedited through the digestive track (hello diarrhea).
• Lastly, molecules from foods (such as sugar and complex carb/starches), are very difficult to pass through the intestinal walls, and require a great deal of energy to absorb. This energy expenditure causes inflammation and irritation in the gut lining. The energy expenditure is due partly because our gut lining (the gate keeper) is trying to keep the molecules out. So while some molecules are absorbed (with great difficulty), others pass through completely. We’ve all seen the undigested pieces of oats in our horse’s manure, so really, what was the point of feeding it in the first place?

My point? Take an old horse who cannot put on weight, regardless of how much grain you feed, or the OTTB whose ribs and hips protrude, even though the horse is on 4 scoops of a feed per day. The case, more often than not, is that the horse’s gut is severely inflamed, leading to ulcers, discomfort and weight loss (Tucker). So overall, the energy expenditure of trying to absorb the starchy molecules can often outweigh any caloric benefits, regardless of how calorie dense the food source might be. So just as food for thought (no pun intended) for anyone with a ‘hard keeper”, perhaps take a look at your horse’s gut health to determine why they are having difficulty gaining weight. In many cases, we over feed, supplement and medicate our horses (and even ourselves) but often, getting back to basics can make all the difference in facilitating the natural functions of a horse’s gut ecosystem.

This should come as no surprise, but horses are meant to thrive on grass and water alone. Do they need additional salt, minerals and vitamins? Sure do. In nature, salt and respective minerals exists in loose form, accumulating on rock surfaces and sediments near water sources. So, while our pastured friends might not have a surplus of naturally occurring salt and minerals, it is important that we are adding them back to our domesticated horses diet, via salt licks and vitamin/mineral balancers. However, be wary of commercial-grade salt blocks, as many of them contain artificial dyes and even sweeteners to encourage horses to literally EAT their salt blocks (which causes good, caring horse owners to go buy more salt blocks and put more money in the big feed companies pockets). A reliable, additive-free salt block I can recommend is the 100% Himalayan rock salt lick (I get mine on a rope and hang it in my horse’s stall).

OK, so now onto the 2-week status report. Other than myself being noticeably poorer (JK), I am excited to report an improvement in my horse’s overall attitude and way of going during exercise and lessons. Perhaps there is a bit of a placebo effect in my mind, but my horse (as my trainer has told me) is like a body builder. He is strong and super muscled, and can pull off all the Prix St. George dressage tricks. However, dressage goes far beyond the ability to pirouette and pop out tempi changes, as there is the whole element of “swing” and “elasticity” that comes from the propulsion created from a stretchy backend and topline. Long story short, my horse needed yoga, and for months prior to his grain-free challenge, I’ve had difficulty to get him to REALLY stretch, slow down, take a breath and relax through his body. Again, maybe it’s just in my head, but since eliminating grain and giving him 24/7 access to premium hay and spring grass, he’s been less fussy and notably more willing. Yesterday, his extended trot gave me chills (and almost popped me out of the saddle!).

I take it back. It’s not a placebo effect. I can say with some level of confidence that the overall level of inflammation in my horse’s body has decreased since waning him off from sweet feed and that he’s feeling more comfortable, properly energized, and even though it may sound silly to some, I think he is happier. His once breakfast/dinner sugar-surges have stopped, and he’s spending more time continually grazing, allowing his alkaline saliva to buffer his intestinal lining against excess stomach acid. I’m feeling more confident as I continue to read others success stories and learning about the right products and the “do’s and don’ts” in providing a long-term, healthy diet. So although I am still relatively new to this experiment, here are my starter tips for embarking on the grain free challenge:

1. Transition Feed Slowly – Slowly reduce your horse’s normal amount of grain over several days. It is helpful to transition them to a forage based pellet so they “think” they’re still getting breakfast/dinner. This will prevent temper tantrums at feeding times and will keep your horse on his normal schedule (thereby avoiding unnecessary stress for your horse).
2. Soak Forage Pellets – Your horse’s new forage pellets are more than likely compressed hay types or beet pulp. This not only makes it difficult and quite dry for them to chew, but can lead to expansion in the gut and potentially cause blockages. Soak your horse’s forage pellets in warm water to allow them to expand and become more palatable for your horse to chew and swallow.
3. Free Choice Hay/Grass – This is important. Your horse needs to be eating for around 18 hours a day, so make sure they have access to good quality hay or grass at all times. If your turnout doesn’t offer grass, consider placing a round bale feeder out in their pasture. While stalled, provide a slow feed hay net.
4. Provide a Salt Block – Processed grains usually include salt, vitamins and minerals. So if you’re removing grain from your horse’s diet, make sure to add them back in the form of a good quality salt block OR by adding a ration balancer to your horse’s diet.

So here’s Deutschmark’s 2 week conformation shot. He is slowly shedding his clipped, rough winter coat and is growing his spring coat (although it has made his weird areas of recovering bumps and baldness quite dark and noticeable!). He’s still got a ways to go, but I see improvements and I’m excited to continue his progress towards becoming the healthiest and happiest horse he can be!

*Excuse the muddy barn! We had a heck of a storm come through (with tornados not too far off) and our poor barn completely flooded. Crazy spring weather here in North GA. 

*** As always, we recommend to always consult your veterinarian on any dietary or supplementation needs your horse may require! 

Hear it from the experts! Many topics discussed in this post are originating from DVM Geoff Tucker, who is a “grain free” advocate and founder of the 2 Week No Grain Challenge. Follow along on the Horse’s Advocate Facebook Page by visiting:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheHorsesAdvocate

Tucker, Geoff. “Why Horses Should Not Be Fed Grain.” The Horses Advocate, 15 July 2017, www.thehorsesadvocate.com/why-horses-should-not-be-fed-grain/.

Week 2 – Grain Free ChallengeRead More