Glucose and insulin response of aged horses grazing alfalfa, perennial cool-season grass, and teff during the spring and late-fall

Spring and late-fall grazing can lead to metabolic problems in horses (Equus caballus L.) as a result of elevated nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) in pastures. Therefore, the objectives were to determine the impact of different forage species on blood glucose and insulin concentrations of horses during the spring and late-fall. Research was conducted in May (spring) and October (late-fall) in St. Paul, MN. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and mixed perennial cool-season grasses (CSG) were grazed in spring, and CSG and teff (Eragrostis tef [Zucc.] Trotter) were grazed in late-fall by six adult horses randomly assigned to a forage in a cross-over design.
Source: Journal of Equine Veterinary Science - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Tags: Short Communication Source Type: research