SHOULD I FEED MY HORSES LUSH PASTURE GRASS?
We have seen debates on many online platforms about the dangers of feeding horses on lush pasture grass and lucerne hays. People blame all sorts of symptoms, from tying-up to colic and laminitis, on high levels of potassium in the forage.
But like we said earlier, there is no scientific evidence that supports these claims. And while there is high potassium in these feeds, horses can easily rid their bodies of the excess without any health risk.
Interestingly, no veterinary experts specializing in HYPP advise against feeding horses on lush grass or lucerne hay. This, in part, may be due to the fact that lush pasture grass has up to 80% water. This means that the rate at which your horse takes in the potassium in the grass is greatly reduced.
WHAT IF MY HORSE’S SERUM POTASSIUM LEVEL IS HIGH?
While we wouldn’t want to discount the importance of testing your horse’s serum potassium level for any reason, we must mention that many serum potassium level results are not a true reflection of the horse’s potassium levels.
We have had the privilege of working in a pathology laboratory and we can attest to the fact that serum potassium levels can often be affected by blood sample collection and handling errors. Hemolysis, a condition where red blood cells break down, and the subsequent release of potassium into the sample can also affect serum measures.
In other words, a reading of your horse’s serum potassium level may not necessarily indicate their actual intake or excretion of potassium.
