Feeding horses Flashcards
What are some considerations when feeding horses
Hindgut fermentation
Produce most of their own vitamins
Minerals supplemented via mineral lick
how do you BCS a horse
Several systems
Hennekes nine point system has best data
1 too thin
4 to 7 ideal
9 too fat
What does a 1 look like in a horse
Extremely emaciated.
No fatty tissues can be felt.
Bone structure easily noticeable on neck, withers and shoulder. Ribs, spinous processes on back, tail head, pin bones and hook bones projecting prominently.
What does a 2 look like in a horse
VERY THIN
Emaciated. Bone structure faintly noticeable on neck, withers, shoulder. Ribs, spinous processes, tail head, pin bones and hook bones prominent.
Slight fat cover over base of spinous processes.
What does a 3 look like in a horse
: THIN
Neck, withers and shoulder emphasized.
Slight fat cover over ribs and halfway on spinous processes but easily palpable. Tail head prominent but individual vertebrae cannot be seen. Hook bones appear rounded.
Pin bones not distinguishable.
What does a 4 look like in a horse
MODERATELY THIN
Neck, withers and shoulder not obviously thin.
Faint outline of ribs can be seen.
Negative crease along back. Fat can be felt over tail head.
What does a 5 look like in a horse
MODERATE
Neck and shoulder blend smoothly into body.
Withers rounded over spinous processes. Ribs cannot be seen but easily felt. Back is level. Fat around tail head starting to feed spongy.
What does a 6 look like in a horse
MODERATELY FLESHY
Fat starting to be deposited along neck, shoulder and withers. Fat over ribs feels spongy. May have slight positive crease (groove) down back. Fat around tail head is soft.
What does a 7 look like in a horse
FLESHY
Fat deposited along neck, withers and behind shoulder. Noticeable fat filling between ribs. May have positive crease down back. Fat around tail head soft.
What does a 8 look like in a horse
FAT
Noticeable thickening of neck. Area along withers and behind shoulder filled with fat.
Positive crease down back. Fat around tail head very soft.
What does a 9 look like in a horse
EXTREMELY FAT
Bulging fat on neck, withers, behind shoulders and around tail head. Patchy fat over ribs.
Obvious crease down back.
Flank filled with fat.
What is important about equine ingestion
Selective grazers
Prehensile, sensitive lips
Grind food with molars
Grow continuously
Eat throughout the day
Small stomach
No gall bladder
Monogastric
Mammalian digestion in small intestine
Fermentation in cecum and large intestine
What to consider with water and equines
Must have access to fresh, clean water
Storage tanks, troughs or pails
Water levels kept high enough
Reluctant to place head in a trough or pail below eye level
Optimal temperature 20-60*C
What is the normal water amount for a horse
Average minimal water intake is 5L/100kg BW/day
Increases with work requirements and diet
If feed dry hay, requirements double
Lactation or sweat losses increase needs by 50-200%
What is the max dry matter intake for horses
The most food a horse consume in a day
It increases with need and the digestibility of the feed
1.5-2% of BW, maintenance
1000 lb horse = 20 lbs
3% of BW, peak lactation
Growth 3.5% (nursing/eanling) to 2%
What are the energy needs of a non working horse
30 kcal (0.03 mcal/kg BW)
What are the energy needs of a herd keeper horse
40 kcal (0.04 Mcal)/kg BW)
What can cause variations in energy needs of a horse
Cold weather
Lack adequate shelter outside
Growth
Rapid and slow growth periods
Pregnancy and lactation
Maintenance until last 90 days of gestation
Increase in energy needs bey 10-20%
Lactation may require 2-3x maintenance
Work
Type of work, condition and training of horse, environment, skill of driver or rider
What are the protein requirements for a horse
Some microbial and absorption of amino acids occurs in cecum and large intestine
Not sufficient to meet the amino acid needs
Requirements affected by
Growth 14-16% of total ration
Mature horses 8-10% of total ration
Aged (>20 yrs) 14-16% of total ration
Pregnancy 10-11% of total ration
Lactation 12-14% of total ration
What are the calcium and phosphorus considerations in a horse
Greater needs during growth, last third of pregnancy, lactation
Phosphorus needs of older horses may be higher
Maintain a ratio of >1:1
What are common nutritional problems at growth for horses
Developmental orthopedic disease
Flexural deformity
What causes developmental orthopaedic disease
Developmental orthopedic disease
This includes deformed limbs (angular limb deformities) and bone malformations that cause problems in later life
Nutrition can be predisposing factor
Too much grain (energy)
Improper amounts of minerals
Especially calcium, phosphorus, copper and zinc
Exercise strengthens bones
However in most cases inheritance is the most likely cause
What is flexural deformity in horses and how to treat
Inflammation of the growth plates (physitis)
Secondary to insulin dysregulation from rapid digestion of easily available carbohydrates
Physitis results in pain and lack of weight bearing
Unstretched tenders cause flexural deformities
Treatment and prevention
Restrict energy-heavy feed
No alfalfa
Timothy (low energy) hay
What should the pasture for horses be
Pastures should be
Permanent
A mixture of grasses and legumes
Legumes boost the protein (and energy) content
Over mature pasture (stems and flowers) is poor quality grazing for horses
What should grazing look like in a horse
Selective grazers
Graze the palatable areas of the ground
Leave the stemmy areas to overgrow
Will not graze near fecal pats
What is the ideal pasture rotation for a horse
Multiple pastures
Pasture rotation
Parasite control (no/few survive prairie winters)
Different types for different seasons
Grass for spring
Alfalfa for summer
How to utilize your pasture for a horse
Prevention of over or undergrazing
Grazing pasture close to the ground
Move
Prevents damage to plants
Excessive pasture growth?
Mow for hay
Overgrazed pastures contribute to increase parasite burdens and favour overgrowth of weeds
Ovoid large pastures
Under and overgrazed areas
Ensure appropriate size and access
1 acre per horse
Horses avoid feces (latrines)
Avoid forages with a lot of stem
Results in roughs and lawns (good areas)
Cows eat roughs
Cows graze near feces
How to manage a psture for horses
Chain harrow to spread manure
Hot dry periods
No horses
Clip or mow or spot 2,4-D (selective weed killer) application ro remove unpalatable weeds
Once a year
How can you tell if pasture is adequate for a horse
Condition of horses
Condition of pasture
Analysis of plants
Most horses can maintain body weight when fed good quality forage, water and a mineral block
What causes pasture associated laminitis
Non structural carbohydrates (NSC)
Excessive NSC in large intestine
How does nonstructural carrbs cause laminitsi
Non structural carbohydrates (NSC)
Sugars, fructans and starch
Rapid growth pastures ( spring, summer, fall after heavy rain) favour accumulation
Ideally digestion in small intestine
Up to half the starch and all the fructans can reach large intestine where it is rapidly fermented
How does excessive NSC in LI cause laminitis
Overgrowth of bacteria that can digest starch and fructans
Produce lactic acids, lower pH
Destruction and inflammation of gut wall, absorption of toxins
Colic
Diarrhea
Laminitis
Systemic inflammatory response that contribute to destruction of lamellar epithelium and matrix
What are risk factors for laminitis
Genetic predisposition
Equine metabolic syndrome
Obesity
Insulin resistance
Hyperinsuliemia
How to treat and prevent pasture associated laminitis
Restrict grazing
Especially in spring and early summer
Rapid growth
Pasture overnight throughout morning
Fructans increases throughout morning and reaches maximal values in afternoon
Grazing muzzle
Avoid stemmy, mature pastures
Contains more fructans
Avoid grazing in low temp
Decreases grass growth and increases fructans
Supplement with hay
Mature grasses or legume containing hay
Soak the hay
30-60 minutes
Hay steamers
Analyze grasses and hay for NSC and feed low NSC hay
<10%
Avoid obesity
Equids with previous laminitis episode especially at risk
What can tall fescue cause and waht is it
Endophytic Fungus
Poor growth
Prolonged gestation and agalactia in mares
Increased foal mortality
how do you feed to preserve rhouaghe for horses
Fed to satisfy maintenance requirements
At least 50% of diet
Higher concentrations increase risk of laminitis and obesity
Exception intense exercise
Feed smaller, frequent feedings of concentrates
No more than 0.5% BW per feeding
Good quality hay fed at 1.5% BW
Poor quality hay is about 2/3 the energy content
Adjust feeding amounts
Always allow up to 30% extra for waste
What are grass hays used for
Timothy, brome
Lower in calories and protein
Higher in fibre
Support hindgut fermentation
Best for:
Easy keepers
Stalled horses
To support GI health
What are legume hays used for
Alfalfa, clover
High in energy, protein and calcium
Lower in fibre
Not advised as sole diet
Can replace 10-20% of grass hay:
Heavy work or training
Lactating mares
Growing horses
To improve palatability
What are the advatanges of feeding hay in a hay net
Horses like to eat
Spreads out nutrient intake (continuous eating)
Prevents
Cribbing
Ulcers
What are some mehtods of feeding hay
Continuous access
Round bale feeder
Some put out mixture of good hay and straw bales to prevent obesity
Hay rack
Hay net
If group feeding there must be adequate space so that all horses can eat
What are common probelms with hay
Dust
Pelleted hay alternatives
Mould
Choke
Hay cubes
Soak cubes
Why is dust a problem with horses and how to prevent it
Equine asthma syndrome, heaves, recurrent airway obstruction, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Soak hay and feed close to the ground
How to feed straw and what is the problem with it
Unintentional
Eat bedding
Intentional
Part of diet
Fat horses
Low potassium diets
Oat straw vs wheat straw
Problems
Impactions
When do you feed concentrations to horses
Some horses require concentrate supplement
Lactating mares
Weanlings
Yearlings
Working horses
Fed ad lib or limit fed (better)
How to feed cocntrates to horses
If limit fed
Have N+1 bowls
Feed 2 or 3 times a day
Increase portion of concentrate
When grass is mature (flowering or flowered)
When grass is not growing
How to feed a growing horse
Maximum concentrate portion of diet 50% (weanlings)
Maintain weanlings in lean to moderate body condition (BCS 4)
Ribs barely visible
Cannot see bony structures of hips or lumbar vertebrae
Decrease risk of DOD/OCD
How to feed a working horse
Free choice good quality hay can support moderate work
Must feed concentrate (grain) to heavily exercising horses as cannot eat enough hay to meet needs
Often advantageous to feed all exercising horses some grain
At least half the diet should be roughage to stop GI problems
Reduces hay belly–extra weight the horse does not need to lug around while trying to work.
What are the types of concentrates and when are they used
Oats
-Most traditional
-Processing improves digestibility
-Hulled oats more energy dense
Barley
-Higher in energy than oats
-Causes lower glycemia response
-Good choice for insulin- resistant horses
Corn
-High-energy feed
-Hard working horses, horses in need of weight-gain
-Increased risk of laminitis or colic
Fat and performance horses considerations
Endurance horses burn fat
Endurance rides, 25 to 100 km over 1 or 2 days
Beneficial to acclimate to fat utilization by feeding fat
Feeing trials show benefits of adding fat to diet of endurance horses
Reduces risk of grain overload type problems as replaces some of the grain
Supplemnetal fats for horses
Typical diets are about 2.5-3% fat
Can add fat to up to 10% of diet
Must acclimate horses to higher levels of fat
High levels of fat will require careful balancing of protein and minerals in diet
May improve coat sheen
Reduces gastric acid secretion (helps prevent ulcers)
SOurces of supplemental fat in horses
Corn oil
Rice bran
Canola oil
peletting and pelet foods are procsed how and used when
Grinding ingredients → Mixing and compacting particles → Steam heating at high temperatures → Pushed through pellet die
Grinding increases feed’s overall digestibility
Low dust (good for respiratory patients)
Low moisture level (resistant to mold and freezing)
Extrusion and extruded feeds are processed how and good for
Grinding and mixing ingredients → Steam heat, pressure and extremely high temperatures → Mash sent through extruder → Die used to give shape
Good for pre-cecal digestibility of starches
Slow feed intake
What are some textured feed for horses
Aka sweet feeds
Historically, a mixture of oats, corn and molasses
Nutritionally incomplete
Now see addition of pellets
Contains minerals and vitamins
Molasses increases palatability
Moisture content increases risk of mold/freeze
What do startches do to horses and how to prevnt it
Too much delivery of starch to large intestine
Fermented
Diarrhea, colic and laminitis as for fructans
Prevent by:
Limiting a concentrate feeding to a maximum of 0.5% of BW
Feeding at least 50% hay
What is cribbing and what are the predisposing factors
Wind Sucking, Aerophagia
Stable Vice / Oral Stereotypy
Predisposing factors
Weaned in a stall rather than at pasture
Kept in a stall following weaning
Being fed concentrates
Lack of time at pasture
Lack of straw bedding in stall
More susceptible to colic
Gastric ulcers and horses
Most common in performance horses
60 to 80% of racehorses in training
Risk factors
Exercise
Increased time in a stall
Feeding in meals
Not having hay available ad lib
Feeding alfalfa is protective
Calcium buffers gastric pH?
Signs, colic, poor performance
Treat with antacids, H2 blocker (Gastrogard)
How to prevent gastric ulcers in horses
Diet
Fed alfalfa or pastures
Alfalfa buffers acid
Rhoughage continuously available
Avoid large grain meals
Avoid (450mL) to diet
How to feed bran for horses
Wheat bran and rice bran are grain by-products
Water, palatant, fat (calories)
High phosphorus content, limited feeding
How to feed pulp to horses
Beet pulp by-product of sugar beet industry
Source of calories and fibre
Must be soaked
Fats and oils for horses
Increase energy density
Corn, soy and other vegetable oils
What is molasses used fro in horses
Palatable
Reduces dusts of concentrate mixtures
What do you have to consider for geratric horses
Poor dentition
60% of horses > 20 years
Expired teeth (“cupping out”)
Continuously growing teeth, but reserve crown is finite
Enamel wears away, decreasing grinding ability
Chewing forage difficult
Reduced protein, phosphorus and fiber digestion
Many do well on grass or grass-alfalfa pasture or hay supplemented with oats
Plus dental care
Edible oil or rice bran can be added if need more calories
Thin horses BCS <4
Do better on specially formulated senior rations
Better quality / more protein
Calcium and phosphorus content adjusted for changes in digestibility in older horses
Pellets (ground) and extruded (improves digestibility)
Roughage/stem length to stimulate gut motility
Feed 2 to 4 times a day
Equine metabolic syndrome is and causes
Genetic predisposition
“Thrifty horses”
Increased adiposity, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia
Respond to high carb foods with exaggerated increase in insulin and high BG level with slow return to normal
Equine metabolic syndrome nutritional strategies
Restrict dietary carbohydrate levels
Restrict total calories to promote weight loss
Methods to reduce NSC
Promote optimal BCS
“Work” for their food
Pars pituitary media dysfunction in horses is
PPID, ie Equine Cushing’s
EMS may be predisposing factor, but both disorders can occur concurrently in middle-age to older horses
Metabolism of starch difficult
Medical Strategy: Pergolide
Nutritional strategies for pars pituitary media dysfunciton in horses
Nutritional Strategies:
Avoid overfeeding, but encourage proper BCS
High-fat senior diets provide energy without overwhelming carbohydrate levels
Hyperlipedmia in horses
Fasting ponies, donkeys and miniature horses
Poor quality/decreased feed during high-energy periods (pregnancy, systemic disease)
Liver dysfunction/failure
Negative Energy Balance → Mobilization of Fatty acids → Increased Hepatic Triglyceride Synthesis → Fatty Infiltration of Liver
How do ponies and horses differ
Small equids:
Ponies, miniature horses, donkeys
Different metabolism than horses
Greater fat release from adipose tissue in response to decrease insulin
Much more susceptible to hyperlipemia if fasted
Never starve a pony/donkey/mini
Nutritional support for horses
Reverses negative energy balance
Increases serum glucose concentrations
Promotes insulin release
Inhibits mobilization of peripheral adipose tissues
Enteral and/or parenteral nutritional support may be necessary
Starvation in horses causes
Body reserves of fat and protein used for energy
Electrolyte and mineral stores also decrease
Refed:
Insulin released in response to blood glucose
Stimulates protein synthesis and movement of electrolytes and glucose into cells
Low blood concentrations of electrolytes. Phosphorus needed for energy production in cells and delivery of O2 by RBCs
How to feed a starving horse
Start on poor to moderate quality grass or oat hay
Introduce at 50% of maintenance (based on ideal BW)
Gradually build up over 10 days to maintenance
Then gradually introduce concentrate
Monitor blood glucose to ensure euglycemic
Feeding carbohydrates before gut flora has time to adapt can also result in colic, diarrhea and laminitis
Reduce nutrient drains
Deworm
Blanket for warmth
Stable to reduce exercise
Males are no competition for food
What to do for an obese horse
Do not underfeed lactating animals or those in last trimester of pregnancy
Reduce weight by decreasing the quality or quantity of the diet
Cut out any grain
Feed lower quality hay, but ration must be balanced
Commercial “complete feed” type pellets based on alfalfa and straw for weight loss
Horses can still spend a lot of time eating
Reduced feed intake is handled much better than starvation, even if more prolonged.
Do not decrease feed intake below 50% of maintenance.
Increase exercise
Start slow
30 min walk/trot 2-3x weekly
Increase steadily
Increase feeding time
Why do you slowly decrease an obsese horses feed
Allows slow lipid mobilization
Less likely to exceed rate that it can be utilized by peripheral tissues
Residual diet provides minerals, carbohydrates and protein necessary for normal body function
How to change a obese horses feeding schedule
Small, frequent feedings
Slow-feed hay nets
Slow-feed grain feeders
Feed obstacles
Feeding order
Managing dietary changes for horses
Change diet over at least 10 days.
Do not increase concentrate by more than 0.5 kg (1lb) a day.
Problems from sudden dietary changes
Laminitis
Colic
Anti inflammatory diets for horses
Increasing ratio of omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is anti- inflammatory
Fish oil is a particularly good source because the fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), require less metabolism than plant source omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linoleic).
Limited conversion of alpha linolenic to EPA
Anti inflammatory diets for horses
Commercial supplements
Flaxseed oil (linseed oil)
Typically, add 30 mL (an ounce) once or twice a day
Anti-inflammatory
Improves coat sheen
Diets for lameness may be anti-inflammatory and/or contain nutrients found in, or precursors of, cartilage and synovial fluid
Glucosamine
Glycosaminoglycan supplements
Chondroitin sulfate
Key points with horse nutrition
Overfeeding typically more a problem than underfeeding
Most pleasure horses do not need supplementation with concentrate or pelleted ration
High performance horses require balanced, supplemented feed
