Equine metabolic syndrome predisposes horses to severe laminitis. Dietary management is the cornerstone of prevention, requiring strict control of non-structural carbohydrate intake.
EMS causes chronic welfare harm through repeated or persistent laminitis, a painful and potentially severe condition affecting the foot. Horses with poorly managed EMS experience frequent painful episodes that progressively damage hoof structures. The welfare tragedy is that EMS is largely manageable through dietary control — restricting access to high-sugar grass and hay — but owners often underestimate the degree of restriction required or face practical difficulties implementing it consistently. Equines evolved on sparse, fibrous vegetation; modern pastures and hard feeds provide dramatically excess carbohydrates to which EMS horses are particularly intolerant. Strict dietary management is one of the highest-impact welfare interventions for affected animals.