Equine metabolic syndrome is an increasingly recognized condition linked to obesity and lifestyle, causing painful laminitis and requiring significant management changes.
EMS represents a largely preventable welfare crisis in companion equines, driven by management practices that reflect human preferences (turning horses out on lush pasture) over species-appropriate needs. The trajectory from EMS to laminitis involves progression through insulin dysregulation, vascular compromise, and ultimately lamellar disruption in the hoof - a process accompanied by increasing pain that, in severe cases, becomes unmanageable. Prevention through appropriate body condition management, restricted spring pasture access, and diet formulation is far more effective than treating established disease. Owner education about recognizing early signs and the relationship between diet and metabolic health is the primary welfare intervention needed.