Equine metabolic syndrome

Summary

# Editorial Summary: Equine Metabolic Syndrome Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) represents an increasingly recognised disorder affecting overfed horses, characterised by regional adiposity, obesity, insulin resistance, and elevated fasting insulin concentrations that frequently culminate in recurrent laminitis if left unmanaged. Cristian, Dutulescu and Codreanu's 2024 review synthesises current understanding of this condition, highlighting the disconnect between professional guidance and owner compliance regarding appropriate caloric intake and body weight maintenance. The authors emphasise that middle-aged horses presenting with excessive weight gain, dyspnoea on mild exercise, and undue limb loading despite owner compliance with feeding protocols warrant investigation for underlying metabolic dysfunction rather than simple overfeeding. Given the relative novelty of EMS as a clinical entity, the review underscores the importance of veterinary and farrier vigilance in identifying at-risk individuals—particularly "easy keepers"—and implementing evidence-based dietary and exercise interventions to prevent laminitic episodes. For practitioners, recognising EMS as a systemic metabolic disorder rather than a purely nutritional problem has significant implications for diagnosis, client education, and long-term management strategies aimed at preserving athletic function and soundness in mature horses.

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Key Findings

• •Equine metabolic syndrome is characterized by regional fat deposits, obesity, insulin resistance, elevated fasting insulin, and recurrent laminitis episodes
• •Obese horses are now more common than lean horses in modern equine populations despite owner education efforts
• •Metabolic syndrome in mature horses impairs exercise tolerance and increases limb stress from excess weight

Conditions Studied