How equine metabolic syndrome and insulin dysregulation affect horse welfare and how to manage them.
Equine metabolic syndrome is a welfare crisis of significant proportions that is largely preventable through appropriate management. The progression from obesity to insulin dysregulation to laminitis represents an escalating welfare catastrophe, with laminitis causing severe, chronic pain that is often undertreated. The connection between pasture management, diet, and laminitis risk is well understood, yet obesity in horses remains extremely common. Owners who understand and act on EMS risk through year-round body condition management, appropriate grazing restriction, and regular metabolic testing protect their horses from one of the most painful preventable conditions in equine medicine.