Sugar is naturally occurring in all forages but at Simple System we never add any sugar to our feeds.
There is considerable natural variation between forage types, but we are able to select from within a narrow range for each feed to ensure it meets our requirements and your horse’s needs. Typically our lucerne feeds are lower in sugar than our grass feeds, so they are a good starting point when seeking a feed for a metabolic or laminitis prone horse.
For each product the sugar levels are displayed on the Simple System website. These are displayed as a range, or 'less than' percentage. For example our low calorie Lucie Fibre Cubes are <5% sugar. Just one of the reasons that they are often a first choice as a low calorie feed for horses prone to laminitis.
Why do we avoid adding sugar for metabolic or laminitic horses? We do not use molasses or any syrups or sugary sweeteners. Added sugars such as these form a coating on the feed which dissolves in the horse’s saliva and is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream. This can be a problem for horses with Insulin Resistance (IR) as their insulin fails to remove the sugar and the horse ends up with both high sugar and high insulin levels in the blood, which increases the risk of laminitis.
Which forages have the highest and lowest sugar levels? Some forages have more sugar than others, and although this sugar is within the cells of the plant and will be released more slowly, it can still cause a problem. Grass tends to have more sugar than other plants and Ryegrass (which is not used in any Simple System feeds) often has more sugar than other grasses, especially the very productive Tetraploid Ryegrass which are favoured in agriculture. Some of these can yield sugar levels of 25 – 40 % and even more in certain conditions. At Simple System we avoid Ryegrass for this reason, because we feel horses, even those without any identified problem, are probably healthier if they do not consume too much sugar. We prefer naturally lower sugar grasses such as fescue, Timothy and mixed native grasses.
Our grass-based feeds usually have sugar levels in the range of 5-10% but to make sure it is appropriate for the product and intended user, these feeds must meet a strict specification. For instance, careful management of harvesting date and time has resulted in three distinct grass pellet options: the mature cut, high fibre HayCare typically used a hay replacement or low-calorie feed, the summer grazing equivalent Blue Bag Grass Pellets for those in light-medium work, and our most nutritious spring grazing equivalent Red Bag Grass Pellets made from fescue grass which are ideal for those in hard work or breeding. We post a specification range for these products on our website, but actual analysis is available on request by calling 01728 604 008.
In comparison, lucerne and particularly that grown in the UK and Europe as opposed to America (where they use the term alfalfa), has a reliably lower sugar levels, in the range of 3-7%. This makes lucerne an even more appropriate feed for horses with metabolic issues and is ideally used as part of a mixed forage diet, to increase forage variety and quality protein intake.
There is considerable natural variation, but we are able to select from within a narrow range for each feed to ensure it meets our requirements and your horse’s needs. We do our utmost to act responsibly towards the horses in our, and your, care and to deliver honest, wholesome feeds that do exactly what you need them to do.
If you are concerned about or wish to discuss sugar levels in your horses diet, please do not hesitate to contact the Feed Line on 01728 604 008. You can also request a free Feed Plan by completing our short form here.