Coconut at Cushing & Co

Against civilization diseases in horses

Metabolic disorders, such as Equine Cushing Disease (ECD), Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), laminitis, or polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM), are among the typical welfare or lifestyle diseases of modern domestic horses. The feeding of these animals should therefore, according to their clinical picture, take place with a low content of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). These are easily digested carbohydrates like simple sugars, fructan and starch. Because the NSC portion of a feed influences the blood sugar and insulin levels after feeding - so the current result of an Australian study, reported on the magazine "Animal Feed Science and Technology".

The scientists have investigated the effect of different NSC levels in feed on the blood sugar and insulin levels of horses. The choices were pasture grass with a calculated NSC content of seven percent, coconut at eleven percent, and a pelleted horse feed and a cereal with the rather high NSC levels of 25.3 percent and 33.7 percent, respectively. The test horses between the ages of 14 and 20 and a comparable body condition score were randomly assigned to each feed for four days. Grazing horses were supplemented with a vitamin and mineral supplement. The daily ration of nativity food for the other horses was fed half each morning and evening.

At the end of each test series, the blood sugar and insulin levels of the animals were measured over a period of six hours. The results were more than clear: both the blood sugar and insulin levels of the coco-fed feed were comparable to those of the grazing animals. In contrast, the quadrupeds treated with muesli or pellets show a significant increase in insulin levels after feeding. It was noticeable that the insulin level increased immediately (in a time window between 15 and 60 minutes) after the administration of the coconut ration, after this phase, however, no more relevant differences were detectable.

The conclusion of the scientists is especially relevant for owners of metabolic and / or endangered horses. The changes in insulin levels after a coconut ration are considered physiologically insignificant and coconut is thus an option for the design of a feed ration with a low NSC content.
(Anke Klabunde, aid)