#22 Insulin Resistance in Horses – The Overlooked Metabolic Crisis

Insulin resistance has become one of the most common metabolic disorders in modern horses – yet it often goes unnoticed until a serious problem such as laminitis occurs. Many horse owners automatically associate insulin resistance with obesity or Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), but the reality is far more complex.

In this episode of the Sanoanimal Podcast, Dr. Christina Fritz explains what insulin resistance really is, why it should not be confused with EMS, and why even slim horses can be affected.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✔️ Why insulin resistance and EMS are not the same condition
✔️ How even slim or underweight horses can develop insulin resistance
✔️ The connection between insulin resistance and PPID (Cushing’s disease)
✔️ How sugar, starch, and lack of exercise affect insulin receptors
✔️ Why today’s hay and pasture often contain far more sugar than horses are designed to handle
✔️ Why laminitis is often the first visible warning sign of insulin resistance
✔️ Why crash diets and severe feed restriction can actually make the problem worse
✔️ What an effective long-term management strategy really looks like – including appropriate nutrition and targeted exercise

Insulin resistance is not an inevitable part of aging, nor is it a condition that horse owners simply have to accept. The earlier it is identified, the better the chances of restoring a healthy metabolic balance.

🎧 Tune in now and discover why the solution is often simpler than many people think: less sugar, more movement, and a better understanding of how your horse’s metabolism is designed to work.


Listen now on Spotify and dive deeper into the topic.

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