Equine Metabolic Syndrome
Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) is a term which describes a collection of clinical signs which will predispose a horse or pony to laminitis.
Physical characteristics of EMS include general obesity or fat collections at particular sites of the body. The presence of a ‘cresty’ neck is the most common site of fat deposition in EMS. You may also see excessive fat deposited at the tail head, in the sheath and above the eyes.
These animals will often be described by their owner’s as ‘good doers’ as they maintain their body condition even on reduced feed rations.
Horses or ponies suffering from EMS will be ‘insulin resistant’. This means that after eating the body releases a normal amount of insulin (which will signal the body to store sugars in the blood as fat) but the body’s tissues ignore these signals so sugar levels in the blood stream remain high. This insulin resistance puts the horse or pony at a far greater risk of developing laminitis.
If we suspect a horse or pony has EMS we can confirm it by testing glucose and insulin levels in the blood.
At present there is no cure for EMS but certain treatments and management regimes can help reduce the risk of laminitis.
Obese animals can be fed on a simple diet of hay with a vitamin/mineral supplement. If the horse or pony is not suffering from laminitis at the time then daily exercise is recommended.
Once the horse or pony has achieved a normal body weight turnout into a field for short periods is permitted. Lush grass or feeds with a high sugar and starch content should be avoided indefinitely.
In cases where the horse or pony is suffering form an episode of laminitis and exercise is not possible, or weight loss is not happening a desired rate, certain treatments may be started to assist with the weight loss, but these must be used in combination with diet.