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Understanding Horse Nutrition: Why NSC matters

Understanding Horse Nutrition: Why NSC matters

Choosing the Right Feed: It Doesn't Have to Be Complicated 

 With so many horse feeds available in stores today, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, determining a horse’s nutritional needs is relatively straightforward. These needs can be calculated based on the horse’s body weight and activity level. The real complexity lies in selecting the right combination of feeds to match each individual’s requirements and providing them in a form that suits the horse's unique digestive system. Many feeding problems stem from a lack of understanding about the connection between digestive physiology and feed form. 

 You Are What You Eat and So Is Your Horse

It’s well established in human health that "you are what you eat." The rise of obesity in Western societies applies not just to people but to horses as well. Many horses are overfed, under-exercised, and consuming the equine equivalent of fast food—feeds high in sugars and starches. This dietary imbalance is often the root of numerous health and behavioural problems. 

 Measuring Energy in Horse Feed: What is NSC? 

 In human nutrition, the glycemic index (GI) is used to rank foods by their effect on blood sugar. In horses, the equivalent is the Non-Structural Carbohydrate (NSC) content is a measure of sugars and starches in the feed. 

 High NSC = High Risk 

 High NSC feeds are directly linked to equine metabolic issues, such as: 

  •  Insulin resistance (similar to Type II diabetes) 
  •  Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) 
  •  Laminitis 
  •  Obesity 
  • Fizzy and excitable behaviour 
 

How Horses Digest Feed: Different from Cattle 

Unlike cattle and sheep (ruminants), horses have a simple stomach and rely on hindgut fermentation. 

Ruminants chew, store, and regurgitate their food for thorough digestion. 

Horses, by contrast, are designed to: 

  •  Graze little and often, up to 18 hours per day 
  •  Absorb nutrients continuously via slow feeding 
  •  Digest fibre primarily in the cecum and colon 
This makes feeding style just as important as feeding content. 

 Why Slow Feeding Supports Equine Health 

 Slow feeding mirrors the horse’s natural grazing behaviour. 

It allows for: 

  •  A continuous, balanced nutrient flow 
  • Continuous flow of salivs
  • Reduced digestive stress 
  •  Stable blood glucose and energy levels 
  •  Better gut health and behaviour 
 Feeds like pasture and hay support this pattern. Unfortunately, human routines often lead to twice-daily concentrate feeding, which does not align with the horse’s digestive design. 

 Pulse Feeding: A Recipe for Metabolic Problems 

 Modern management often involves horses confined to yards or paddocks with limited grazing. To meet energy needs, horses are given hay and processed feeds, often in one or two large meals per day to suit or modern lifestyle. 

 This method known as pulse or shock feeding causes: 

  •  Glucose and insulin spikes 
  •  Overload of the small intestine 
  •  Risk of ulcers and hindgut acidosis 
  •  Long-term metabolic dysfunction 
 Fast Foods for Horses: What Are They? 

 “Fast food” feeds are typically high in NSC, providing quick bursts of energy. Common examples: 

  •  Corn: ~65% NSC 
  •  Barley: ~57% 
  •  Oats: ~46% 
  •  Sweetfeeds and performance mixes: Often >25% 
  •  Hay: As low as 7% 
  • Copra meal 11%
 High NSC feeds are suitable for horses in heavy work, but can cause serious issues in overweight, older, or laminitis-prone horses. Experts recommend keeping NSC under 12% (dry matter) for most horses and metabolically sensitive horses. 

 The Challenge with NSC Digestion in Horses 

 Horses must convert carbohydrates into glucose and fructose for absorption. 

This process depends on enzymes like amylase, which: Is 

  • absent from equine saliva
  •  Is produced in limited amounts by the pancreas 
 As a result, horses have limited capacity to digest starch in the small intestine. Excess starch spills into the hindgut, causing microbial imbalances and acid production leading to hindgut acidosis and laminitis. 

Leaky Gut (Dysbiosis) and Insulin Resistance in Horses 

The small intestine contains beneficial microbes. But when overloaded with starch: 

  •  Microbial populations surge (dysbiosis) 
  •  The intestinal lining becomes damaged (Leaky Gut Syndrome) 
  •  Microbes and toxins enter the bloodstream 
  •  Blood glucose and insulin levels rise 
 If glucose isn’t burned off through exercise, it triggers: 

  •  Insulin resistance 
  •  Fat storage and obesity 
  •  Increased cortisol, which contributes to: Laminitis Cushing’s disease EMS Tying-up DSLD (Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis) 

 Hindgut Acidosis: A Hidden Danger 

 When starch bypasses the small intestine and reaches the hindgut, rapid fermentation occurs. 

The result? 

  •  Acid production increases 
  •  pH levels drop (acidosis) 
  •  Microbial toxins leak into the bloodstream 
  •  Laminitis, fizzy behaviour, and inflammation develop 
 Research by Dr. Chris Pollitt, Universirt of Queensland confirms this connection in laminitis cases. 

Trial Evidence: NSC Level Impact on Insulin and  Glucose Spikes 


 In a pasture trial (Richards, 2010), horses were fed different feeds with: 

  • Pasture 7% NSC
  •  Sweetfeed (33% NSC) 
  •  Pelleted feed (25% NSC) 
  • Copra meal (11% NSC) 
 Only the low NSC copra meal failed to spike blood glucose and insulin when pulse-fed. This shows that some low NSC, high energy feeds (e.g. coconut meal) can be fed safely—even in larger meals. 

Feeding for Performance vs Feeding for Trouble 

Some low NSC feeds achieve that level by dilution with fillers, resulting in low digestible energy (DE)is unsuitable for performance horses. 

Instead, look for feeds such as copra meal that combine: 

  •  Low NSC 
  •  High DE 
  •  Digestible fibre and oils for energy 
 This approach supports energy demands without causing metabolic imbalance.  

 Feeding and Behaviour: “Feeling His Oats” 

 The phrase “feeling his oats” refers to horses that become hot or fizzy on high-NSC grain diets without adequate work. These behaviour changes are often driven by glucose spikes and insulin surges. Switching to cooler feeds, those higher in oils and fibre can help regulate energy and mood. 

 Final Thoughts: Match Feed to the Horse - Why Coolstance Copra 

Modern life makes slow feeding difficult. But understanding how horses digest and how feeds affect them allows owners to make better choices. 

 Key Recommendations: 

  •  Feed little and often when possible 
  •  Choose low NSC feeds such as Coolstance copra that are eaten slowly and that do not cause insulin spikes 
  • Use a balanced trace mineral vitamin such as Vitastance
  • Avoid grain based high NSC feeds
  •  Match feed energy to workload 
  •  Prioritise roughage and forage-based diets 
  •  Use NSC values to evaluate feed choices (even if labels don’t show it) 
 Educated owners can make smart decisions, many resources are available online such as TruGuide ..your trusted guide to supplement selection

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