SUGAR- AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT IN THE EQUINE DIET.

Quotes from Dr Joe Pagan Ph.D. Kentucky Equine Research

Sugar, Together with protein, ranks as the most misunderstood component of the horse’s diet. In reality, sugars (or more correctly carbohydrates) are not only a normal part of the horse’s ration – they are essential.

Sugars are small molecules belonging to a large group of compounds known as carbohydrates.

The digestion of many complex carbohydrates yields glucose (a sugar) as the end product. Glucose is the form of carbohydrate that circulates in the blood.

Once in the blood stream these glucose units can be
1) oxidised directly to produce energy for growth or for work.
2) used to make muscle glycogen, liver glycogen or fat.

Muscle glycogen is an important fuel for energy generation during exercise. In addition glycogen is stored in the liver where it is available for the production and release of glucose into the blood during exercise.

Maintaining blood glucose levels during exercise is of prime importance, since glucose is the only fuel available to the central nervous system.

Lactose is the sugar of milk. As horses age, their ability to digest lactose decreases, so large intakes of lactose may lead to diarrhoea in the adult horse.