Question

I have a four-year-old Warmblood gelding with PSSM that is exercise intolerant, lethargic, and grumpy. I want to switch to a low-starch feed from his current balancer pellet (1 lb or 0.45 kg/day) to see if that helps. I also question what type of hay he needs. Should I switch to alfalfa? I would call him a 6 on the body condition scorecard, and I am happy with his weight as a Warmblood performance horse. However, he has fat deposits on his crest and tailhead, and becomes bloated at times. He is out at night on short grass and spends time in a small pasture during the day with a little grass hay. His current diet also includes 0.5 lb (0.23 kg) of rice bran, a flax supplement, and acetyl l-carnitine. Should I increase fat in the diet?

Answer

Based on the information you provided, it appears his energy and nutrient requirements are adequately met. However, it sounds like his performance and overall attitude could be improved, which is a good reason to try some diet changes.

I suggest continuing with a ration balancer pellet for now simply because he doesn’t need the calories from a performance feed. Although a low-starch, high-fat feed is recommended as an energy source for some PSSM horses, it would not be appropriate for your gelding because of the amount of feed necessary to satisfy vitamins and mineral requirements. For instance, most performance feeds have a minimum daily intake of 5 lb (2.3 kg) per day for a 1,100-lb (500-kg) horse. Feeding just 1 lb (0.45 kg) of low-starch feed would leave him deficient in several vitamins and minerals. The best option is to keep him on a balancer pellet that offers a concentrated source of vitamins and minerals, low starch levels, and fewer calories.

One thing you could change with the balancer is the amount fed per day. I suggest increasing it just a bit to 1.5-2.0 lb (0.7-0.9 kg) daily. Be sure to weigh what your scoop holds. One pound is still in the acceptable range of nutrient intake, but it could be improved with a slight increase. This increase shouldn’t be too much of a problem calorically since it is such a small amount.

Your gelding might have hindgut acidosis, as the symptoms you mention are indicative of this problem. I think it would be worth trying to target hindgut health for six to eight weeks to see if you notice a difference.

Kentucky Equine Research has focused a lot of research on hindgut, and this research led to the development of a unique supplement called EquiShure, which is a time-released buffer encapsulated in fat that allows it to bypass foregut digestion and reach the hindgut. EquiShure stabilizes the hindgut pH to improve an overly acidic hindgut environment that can hinder digestion and microbial health. Horses with excess gas or irritable behavior have often shown improvement with EquiShure supplementation.

I suggest starting with one scoop twice a day for the first week or two and then potentially increasing to two scoops twice a day. Adding EquiShure will most likely require some additional feed for the powder to stick to his meal. A small amount of soaked beet pulp is one option, but I understand that can be a hassle for such a small amount. Another alternative is adding few handfuls of soaked hay pellets or cubes to create more of a low-calorie meal to accompany the supplements.