1. EQUINE NUTRITION

2. Horse Industry Feeding Problems
Age of horses is increasing
Diversity of horses increasing
Economy increases demand/value?
Willingness to experiment
Increase use of supplements
Minerals/Vitamins/Lubricants
Fats

3. Factors affecting requirements
Size, body type and weight
Age
Work: production stage
Breed: temperament
Fat insulation
Environment: climatic conditions
External & internal parasites
Vices
Mouth

4. Mouth Initial breakdown of feeds
Salivary secretions from Parotid gland
Secrete saliva only during eating, ~10 gal/day

5. Anatomy of Digestive Tract
Esophagus
Can’t vomit, strong cardiac sphincter muscle in stomach prevents
Digestive upset = Colic
Choke
Obstruction within esophagus
Fast eaters

6. Digestive Tract
Stomach - small, frequent, meals; initiates digestion, like non-ruminant
10% of tract
Limited digestion
Gastric ulcers

7. Digestive Tract Digestion of Fast rate of passage No gall bladder
Small Intestine - 30% of tract
Digestion of
Starch 65-75%
Protein, AA’s 60-70%
Fat 90%
Ca absorption 95-99%
Phosphorous 20-25%
Fast rate of passage
No gall bladder

9. Large Intestine Cecum - primary site of water absorption
Rate of passage slower than in other portions of digestive tract
36-48 hours

10. Digestive Tract Large Colon Absorbs H20 VFA’s AA Phosphorus, 50% NaCl
Small Colon
Absorption of H20
Fecal ball formation

11. Comparisons of digestion
Human
Ruminant
Equine
Stomach
30%
70%
9-10%
Sm. Intestine
33%
19%
Cecum 7% 3%
16%
Lg. Intestine
45%

12. Water Essential for all body functions Temperature regulation
Feed digestion
Amount of water intake
Level of exercise
Ambient temperature
Quality of feeds in ration
Proportion of diet that is forage
Minimum 1 gallon/100 lbs BW/day

13. GI Tract Health
Forage
Concentrate – Grain
Supplements

14. Digestible Carbohydrate
Digestion of Feed
Stomach
Small Intestine
Large Intestine
Fermentable Fiber
Fat
Digestible Carbohydrate
Fatty Acids
Volatile
Fatty Acids
Glucose
Fat
Glycogen

15. Digestive Categories of Horses
Maintenance - basic requirements of life
Growth - youngest has highest requirements
Gestation - last three months
Lactation - first three months
Work - depends on activity
light, moderate, intense
Geriatric

16. Maintenance Size: body weight Environment
Individual digestive & metabolic efficiency
Dry matter intake: 1.5% of the BW
Most - energy requirements are met with forage alone

17. GERIATRIC HORSES Fiber digestion decreases
Ability to manufacture or absorb certain vitamins decrease
B vitamins
Vitamin C
Decreased kidney function
Calcium stones may build up
Decreased liver function
Jaundice, weight loss, lethargy, loss of appetite, intolerance for fat and protein in diet
B vitamins and Vit C are generally produced by the microbes in the hind gut. In aged horses they have shown a decreased ability to manufacture these vitamins.

18. THE GERIATRIC HORSE Confinement? No! Turnout with a friend.
Weight loss reasons: Poor dentition
Reduction in digestion - parasites, microbial constituents, B Vits
Selection of Feed
Highly palatable
Easy to chew & swallow
Clean & dust free
Highly digestible pellets or extruded feeds
Contain enough high quality fiber to aid digestion. High quality hay – no alfalfa.
Chopped hay, hay cubes or pellets
Soaked feeds or mashes

19. Levels of Performance/Work
Light - western and English pleasure, trail riding, equitation, hacking
Moderate - dressage, ranch work, roping, cutting, barrel racing, jumping
Intense - race training, polo, cutting,

20. Required Energy Activity Examples DE (Mcal/d) Maintenance Pasture 16
Light work
Pleasure riding 20
Moderate work
Reining, jumping 24
Intense work
Racing, endurance 32
Note that for intense work the amount of energy per day goes up 100% above maintenance requirements.

21. General Guidelines For Feeding Working Horses
Hay requirement
Feed at least 50% of total ration as forage (pasture &/or hay)
Preferably high quality grass hay or alfalfa/grass mix
Exercising horses do not need high levels of protein
More important – quality of protein
Horses should be fed to meet their immediate needs
I.e. cut grain on rest days
If stalled, overfeeding can  stocking up or colic

22. The Growing Horse Goals Nutrient balance is important
Maximize genetic potential for growth
Sound musculoskeletal system
Nutrient balance is important
Requires higher quality feeds
Growth rate & age determines requirements
Growing till reach 30 months

23. Weanlings Minimize stress Minimize post-weanling slump.
lbs grain/100 lbs body wt
lb hay/100 lb body wt
Ca > P
Monitor feed & water intake

24. As foals get older, the ration should be increased by adding more good quality hay, leaving the grain mix relatively constant.

25. Feeding Yearlings Turnout Forage Forage balancer Sales/show
High quality
lb/100 lb body wt.
Concentrate
Formulated for growth
lb/100 lb body wt.
Turnout
Forage
High to moderate quality
2-2.5 lbs./100 lbs. body wt.
Forage balancer

26. Monitoring The Growth Process
Daily Intakes
Body Weight
Average daily gain
Signs of Skeletal Abnormalities
Physitis
Joint effusion
Lameness

27. Nutrition of The Broodmare
Lactation
0-3 months
4+ months
Months 0-8
Months 9-11
Gestation

28. Gestation: Nutritional Concerns
Provision of nutrients for:
Fetal growth & development
Other products of conception
Last 3 month of gestation: 60 % foals’ weight
Mare needs to gain 0.3 – 0.8 lb/d

29. Average daily milk production in mares

30. Feed Consumption (% BW)
Mare status
Forage
Concentrate
Total
Early pregnancy
0-0.5
Late pregnancy
Early lactation
Late lactation
Adding concentrate to late pregnancy mares accounts for limited energy & acclimates microbes
Allow 1 wk to 10 d for mares to adjust to intake changes
Heavy milkers may require as much as % of BW in concentrate feed/day

31. Nutrition of the Breeding Stallion
Primary Concern
Maintenance of Body Condition
Non-breeding
Forage + vitamin/mineral supplement
Breeding
0.5% concentrate
1.75-2% hay

32. Body Condition Score Maximum Reproductive Efficiency
Moderately fleshy to fat mares can be expected to
Cycle earlier in the year
Have fewer cycles per conception
Have a higher pregnancy rate
Maintain pregnancy more easily
Mare prior to breeding should have a BCS of 6 or greater and fed to maintain weight.
BCS of 5.0 is marginal especially for lactating mare.

33. FEEDING MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Feed By Class
Feed According to Body Weight

34. FEEDING MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Feed to Condition Scores
1-3 Poor-Thin
4 Can see ribs, vertebra ridge evident
5 Back flat, can’t see ribs, but can feel them
6 Crease down back, fat deposits
7-9 Fleshy - Extremely fat

35. Time & Additional Grain Required To Improve BCS by 1 level
Improving 1 Condition Score
Days Needed
Daily Gain
Additional Grain Needed 60
0.75 lbs/day
4.5 lbs/day 90
0.50 lbs/day
3.0 lbs/day
120
0.40 lbs/day
2.3 lbs/day

36. FEEDING MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Feed Adequate Long-Stemmed Roughage
Feed Hay From Well-Designed Mangers

37. FEEDING MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Recognize Feeding-Related Behavior Problems
Group Feeding Should Account for Dominance Hierarchies
Encourage Aggressive Horses To Eat Slowly
Protect Trees From Bark-Chewing Horses

38. FEEDING MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Never Feed More Than 0.75% of BW (concentrate) at any One Feeding
Multiple Feedings
Set Feeding Times

39. FEEDING MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
Check for Refusals
Change type and amount of feed gradually d period
Provide Salt