FAQ

What exactly does NSC mean?

NSC stands for non-structural carbohydrates: the sugar, fructan and starch in grass that your horse can absorb quickly. These are precisely the carbohydrates that raise the risk of being overweight, insulin problems and laminitis. Structural carbohydrates — the fibres that make grass sturdy — don't count, because they don't carry this risk.

Is fructan the same as NSC?

Not quite. Fructan is the word most horse owners know, but it's one of three carbohydrates that count — alongside simple sugars and starch. Simple sugars and starch are actually the main direct trigger for a high blood sugar and insulin spike; fructan mainly plays a role via the hindgut, for example after cold nights. Fructan is also the main storage form of carbohydrates in many common grass species, which is why its concentration in grass can climb much higher than that of simple sugars — an important reason for its poor reputation. Because all three raise the risk, Grazey adds them together into NSC — a fuller picture than fructan alone.

How exactly does Grazey calculate the score?

Grazey calculates an hourly score based on how much sugar the grass produces versus how much it uses again to grow. During the day, in daylight, grass produces sugar through photosynthesis — the more sun and radiation, the more it produces. At the same time, the grass uses sugar to grow, especially when there's enough warmth and moisture. If more is produced than the grass can use, the sugar builds up, partly as fructan. Cold nights and frost slow growth more than sugar production, so the score rises. Prolonged drought mainly slows the grass's growth, not its sugar production — which also lets sugar accumulate. The season, grass type, sward length and fertilisation of your pasture shift the score further up or down. Together, these factors determine the hourly score, which Grazey summarises per day into a category: low, elevated, high or critical.

How accurate is the score?

Not everything is proven to the same degree, and we'd rather be upfront about that. Some effects in the calculation rest on well-researched plant physiology — that a cold night after a sunny day raises sugar levels is a classic, well-documented pattern. For other effects, such as drought, we know the direction from plant physiology (dry soil mainly slows growth, not sugar production, so sugar builds up), but exactly how strongly that effect weighs into the score is a careful estimate, not a value measured to the milligram. What the calculation also doesn't take into account is the unique situation of your own pasture — the soil, the exact grass mix, the microclimate. So treat the score as a reliable compass, not a lab value — always use it alongside your own observations.

Where do the colour thresholds come from?

The boundaries between low, elevated, high and critical aren't arbitrary. Grazey has run several years of historical weather data through the same calculation model and looked at how scores are distributed in practice. The boundaries sit at the percentiles of that distribution, so "critical" really stays the exceptional, heaviest days — not accidentally half of all days. Your sensitivity setting then shifts these boundaries, so a sensitive pony reaches a warning sooner than a level-headed warmblood.

Why does the weather play such a big role?

Grass produces sugars in daylight and uses them to grow. The risk arises as soon as more sugar is produced than used — and that depends on several weather factors. Plenty of sun and strong radiation drive up production. Cold, drought or poor soil slow growth, so the sugar isn't used up but accumulates, partly as fructan. The best-known example is a sunny day followed by a cold night, but it's broader than that: a cold, clear spell or grass stressed on dry soil can also raise sugar levels. That's why Grazey looks at the interplay of factors, not a single weather type.

Why can the score be high while the grass looks no different?

You can't see grass sugar. A pasture can look completely unchanged while its sugar content swings considerably with the weather. That's exactly why monitoring is useful: it makes visible what you'd miss with the naked eye.

What's the difference between BCS and CNS?

BCS (Body Condition Score) assesses fat coverage over the whole body. CNS (the neck score) looks specifically at the neck crest, which is often one of the first things to change with metabolic problems. Together they give a fuller picture than either alone.

What is the digital pulse check?

It's feeling the arteries near the hoof. A clearly noticeable, bounding pulse can be an early sign that something's going on in the hoof. Grazey doesn't log this as a graph, but reminds you about it regularly, because it's a check that's easy to forget.

Do I need to log something every day?

No. The NSC monitor runs automatically based on the weather; you don't need to do anything for that. You fill in the journal at your own pace — a weekly weight or BCS entry is already enough to see useful trends.

What does the sensitivity setting do?

It determines at which score the colours on your dashboard switch from green to red. A sensitive horse — for example a pony and/or a hardy breed with a history — gets warning colours sooner than a warmblood. You choose the sensitivity yourself when setting up.

Should I adjust the thresholds myself?

No. The default thresholds are a general starting point. You know your horse and your pasture; adjusting your thresholds based on what you observe makes the warnings more relevant. The longer you use Grazey, the better they'll fit.

How do I know when to shift a threshold?

The journal is a good tool for this. Do you see your horse gaining weight or its neck crest getting firmer during a period the monitor mostly rated green? Then your threshold is probably set too high and can come down. Does your horse show no reaction at all during orange or red? Then you can carefully raise it. So you adjust based on what you've recorded and observed yourself, not purely on a feeling.

Which horses is Grazey for?

For owners who want to stay ahead of being overweight and insulin problems in their horse or pony. Grazey is a preventive tool to help you keep a grip on grass-sugar risk — not a medical device for treating a horse that already has laminitis. If your horse has an active condition, talk to your vet.

Does Grazey replace my vet?

No. Grazey helps you spot signals and stay in control, but it doesn't make a diagnosis and doesn't replace veterinary advice. If you're concerned about your horse's health, your vet remains the first point of contact.

Does Grazey work everywhere?

Grazey uses the weather forecast for your pasture's location, so it works anywhere that forecast is available. The score is tuned to temperate climates such as the Dutch one.