Why Grass Is Hurting Our Horses: A Call to Rethink Equine Nutrition and Pasture Management

For thousands of years, horses thrived on grasses. Grazing was not only their instinct—it was their lifeline. But in today’s world, an alarming number of horses are suffering, and even dying, from what should be their most natural food source. So what changed?

Let’s explore the reasons behind this modern crisis and what we can do about it.

1. Modern Grasses Are Too Sugary

The pastures many horses graze today are nothing like those of the past. Most were seeded with high-sugar grasses like improved ryegrass, orchardgrass, or tall fescue—varieties bred for dairy cattle to maximize energy content and milk production. Horses grazing these pastures consume large amounts of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), which includes sugars and starches.

For horses with metabolic issues like insulin resistance or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), this sugar overload is dangerous. Their bodies can't process these sugars properly, resulting in hormone spikes, inflammation, and often devastating consequences like laminitis or founder.

2. Overgrazing Creates Sugar Traps

Short grass is stressed grass. And stressed grass ramps up sugar production as a survival strategy. Horses that graze down to the root are unknowingly creating and consuming a dangerous situation.

Grass under 6 inches tall has some of the highest sugar concentrations, especially in the early morning or after a frost. Yet this is the stage horses are often forced to graze in overused pastures.

3. Mineral Deficiencies Are Sabotaging Equine Health

Modern soil is depleted. Decades of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and poor management have stripped the land of essential minerals. When grasses grow in depleted soil, they pass on that deficiency to the horses.

Common imbalances include:

• Low magnesium, zinc, and copper

• High iron and potassium

These imbalances interfere with insulin regulation, hoof integrity, and liver detox pathways. The result? Horses are unable to buffer or process sugars effectively.

4. Chemical Exposure Is Disrupting Hormonal Balance

Horses today are exposed to a wide range of chemicals:

• Pesticides and herbicides (especially glyphosate)

• Dewormers, NSAIDs, and preservatives in feed

• Artificial vitamins and mineral fortifications

These toxins disrupt the gut microbiome, impair liver function, and interfere with the endocrine system. This makes it nearly impossible for horses to maintain normal metabolic balance.

5. Breeding and Lifestyle Are Mismatched

Many horses—especially ponies, mustangs, and draft breeds—are genetically designed to survive on sparse, fibrous forage. These "thrifty" breeds are now confined to stalls, fed high-starch commercial feeds, and given limited turnout.

The result? Too many calories, not enough movement, and a genetic mismatch that leads to metabolic overload.

The Takeaway: It’s Not the Horses That Are Broken—It’s the System

Our horses aren’t failing because they can’t handle grass. They’re failing because the entire ecosystem that supports healthy grazing has been disrupted.

We must rethink what it means to feed a horse. That means:

• Seeding pastures with low-NSC, diverse forage blends

• Managing soil health with minerals, compost, and biological support

• Avoiding overgrazing and allowing plants to mature

• Supporting detox pathways and endocrine function

• Offering clean, chemical-free water and forage

Your horse wasn’t meant to survive on sugar-laced, chemically treated grass. But they can thrive again—with informed, regenerative management.

Let’s restore the pasture and the horse, together.