Equine metabolic syndrome is a common endocrine disorder in horses and ponies that causes laminitis and requires sustained dietary management for welfare protection.
EMS welfare is primarily a laminitis prevention challenge. Laminitis causes severe, chronic foot pain that severely impairs quality of life — affected horses show reluctance to move, bounding digital pulses, and characteristic laminitic stance. Dietary management is highly effective when implemented consistently — restricting grazing access using strip grazing or muzzles during high-risk periods, testing hay for non-structural carbohydrate content, and avoiding high-sugar feeds prevents the insulin spikes that trigger laminitis. Owner understanding of the seasonal risk pattern is essential for proactive rather than reactive welfare management.