EMS horses have the following characteristics:

• Insulin dysregulation (ID);

• Increased adiposity (i.e. excess fat deposits, often appearing on the neck crest and as fat pads at the base of tail); and

• An increased risk for developing laminitis.

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EMS can occur at ANY age in ANY breed of horse. However, certain breeds are more prone to developing EMS including:

• Pony breeds;

• Domesticated Spanish mustangs;

• Peruvian Pasos;

• Paso Finos;

• Andalusians;

• European Warmbloods;

• American Saddlebreds;

• Morgans; and

• American Quarter Horses.

Diagnosing EMS: 

• The current recommended method for diagnosing EMS is measuring insulin responses to an oral sugar test.

• Testing only basal, fasting insulin levels can also be helpful, especially for monitoring.

• During diagnosis, it is important to determine whether the horse also has PPID.

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Treating EMS includes: 

• Dietary modification (i.e. reducing caloric intake and avoiding diets high in starch and non-structural carbohydrates);

• Exercise, if possible;

• Veterinarian-prescribed medications, including Thyro-L or Metformin; and

• Regularly monitoring the horse's weight, body condition and cresty neck score, and insulin levels.

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​Our goals, through our research, are to:

• Better understand the effects of obesity and EMS/ID on the horse's inflammatory response and how these inflammatory processes may contribute to laminitis;

• Identify novel diagnostics and treatments to monitor and prevent endocrinopathy-associated laminitis; and

• Learn how to better manage the EMS/ID horse through nutrition.