The digestive system of the horse is designed for frequent, light meals. Yet, today many owners — for their own convenience or to provide extra energy for show or performance horses — feed a large meal once or twice a day. These meals are usually grain-based concentrates, rich in starch and simple sugars.

This type of program sets up a feeding/fasting cycle that often triggers a domino effect of metabolic and hormonal changes. There are no short cuts to natural metabolic pathways.

Research suggests a link between concentrate feeding and a number of metabolic diseases. These problems and others have been termed by veterinarians as Equine Dietary Distress Syndrome, or DDS.

Dr. R. M. Hoffman, in a study of Carbohydrate Metabolism in Horses, says “…the common practice of feeding starch-rich cereal grains in two meals a day may promote insulin resistance in horses.” Insulin resistance has been associated with obesity, and laminitis. It has also been linked with colic, exertional rhadomyolysis and osteochondrosis.

Dr. John Reagor, of the Texas Medical Diagnostic Lab, says, “The number one cause of deaths from colic is starch oerload due to feeding mismanagement.”

A further concern of carbohydrate overload is Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD) in foals. Studies have linked high-energy intake as a risk factor that may increase DOD in foals. (The acronym DOD is used to cover all limb problems associated with bone growth and development in foals.)