“What people also do not understand is that horses do not become metabolic from starch, but from feeds that are high in glycemic index- how fast the blood sugar spikes.”
That is a quote from someone last year when discussing a particular brand of horse feed that is organic and whole. There was quite the debate about the WHOLE OATS and dried fruits, etc. that are in this feed.
I would reply, “What people also do not understand is that the glycemic index does NOT tell how fast the blood sugar spikes but how much sugar is in the feed.
The GLYCEMIC LOAD tells how fast the food rises the blood sugar.
“A food with a high GI raises blood sugar more than a food with a medium to low GI. But the glycemic index does not take into account the amount of carbohydrate in a food. So glycemic load is a better indicator of how a carbohydrate food will affect blood sugar.“
It seems even the ‘experts’ are not aware of this.
For example, an apple has a Glycemic INDEX of 67!
Whoa — way higher than we’ve been told any metabolic horse should eat, right?
Well, the Glycemic LOAD is just ……. are you ready for this?
5
That’s right. 5. In fact, apples are known to HELP REGULATE BLOOD SUGAR!
One CARROT has a glycemic index of 71!!! BUT …
the GLYCEMIC LOAD is just —
6!!!
Carrots and Apples are actually HEALING for horses when incorporated into a RAW FORAGE DIET!
Check out more articles on GLYCEMIC INDEX VS. GLYCEMIC LOAD HERE.
What is a RAW FORAGE DIET?
Well, simple … basically a salad! RAW greens, fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables … ORGANIC, these days, are best.
A tailored ‘salad’ is best for horses that need nutritional and dietary help. There are specific ingredients that can help, specifically, with specific conditions like EMS, Cushings, IR, Arthritis, Heaves, Laminitis and more.
Please contact me if you’d like to learn more or are interested in how you can help YOUR HORSE get healthy again!