On one of your visits to the Zoo this spring, you may have noticed the Asian wild horses and draft horses were not out in their grassy exhibits. Don’t worry, the horses were fine! The reason they weren’t on exhibit actually had more to do with the grass itself.

Every spring, people and animals get excited about the snow melting, the grass and flowers growing, and summer being right around the corner. However, as excited to see that fresh green grass as we (and the horses) are, it’s not yet healthy for the herd to enjoy.

The rapidly growing grass is full of sugars. Consuming too much grass this time of year puts more sugar into the horses system than they can burn off. This leads to the sugar converting into energy reserves, or fat.

What’s so bad about a horse with a few extra pounds? The extra weight puts more pressure on the hooves of the horse. Too much weight and the animals are susceptible to a disease known as laminitis. Laminitis is a painful condition where the tissues around the horses hoof become inflamed. It is also a very difficult disease to treat, so prevention is the key.

How does the zoo prevent laminitis? There are many ways we prevent our animals from developing laminitis. One way is to monitor their weight and diet. All our horses are on a strict diet consisting of grass hay and grain. We also limit the amount of treats (apple, carrot, or commercial horse treats) they are given. Along with a strict diet, our horses are kept active on various substrates. Giving our animals room to exercise keeps them healthy and strong. Another way is to regulate the amount of exhibit, or pasture, grass they are allowed to eat in the spring. When the grass on their exhibits starts to grow we allow the animals to go out for short amounts of time. This starts around the beginning of April. On the first day the herd goes out for 15 minutes, 15 additional minutes are added each day after, until the animals are out for 5 hours. The entire process takes a couple of weeks. During that time the horses receive extra space in holding as well as extra enrichment to keep them active.

Sometimes when you visit the Zoo not all the animals are in their public habitats, and we thank you for understanding that at the Minnesota Zoo, the animal’s health and well-being always come first. Be sure to follow us on our social media channels for behind-the-scene peeks of our animals and those that care for them!