Gestating and Mature Equine Flashcards
Do horses salivate?
only when chewing
Do horses have enzymes in their saliva?
no
trickle feeding
small meals/grazing throughout the day (10-15hours) rather than large meals at specific times
VFAs in horses
acetate, proprionate, butyrate
Are horses foregut or hindgut fermenters?
hindgut fermenters
Can horses digest starch?
very limited ability to digest starch [in the small intestine]
In what part of the intestine are minerals and trace minerals?
small intestine
stomach capacity
8-15L (relatively small)
fibrolytic
breaking down fiber [in the hindgut of the horse]
Most important nutrient?
water
Common cause of impaction colic?
not drinking enough water!
Factors that increase water needs?
high temperature, hard work, lactation
Approximately how much water should a horse drink a day?
5-15 gallons (2 quarts for each pound of hay)
Forage to BW Ratio
1lb forage : 100lbs body weight (MINIMUM)
Digestible fiber
needed for energy for the microorganisms in the cecum and large colon
Indigestible fiber
necessary for GI motility, pH, and function
4 Auscultation Compartments ofthe Horse GI
Upper Left = pelvic flexure
Lower Left = left ventral colon
Upper Right = base of cecum
Lower Right = body of cecum
borborygmi
gut sounds
What % of horse feed is for energy?
85%
3 Sources of Energy in the Diet
carbohydrates, fat, protein
Do horses use protein very well?
no
Function of Fat in the Horse Diet
increase energy density (at no more than 2-6% of ration)
Does alfalfa cause bloat?
no
2 Problems with Wet Forage
- Mold
- Combustion (aka fire)
Minimum dry matter (DM) percentage?
85%
Relationship between Maturity and Protein levels in Forages
more mature = lower protein content
Alfalfa hay bloom cut off
20% (anything harvested should be less)
Forage percent of body weight per day?
2% of BW/day
When can foals start eating hay?
2 months (this is when they can start digesting fiber)
Ways to increase digestible energy in cereal grains?
rolling, cracking
3 Types of Cereal Grains
corn, oats, barley
Why does corn cause a problem for horses?
high in protein, low in fiber, not very digestible in small intestine, cecum has to ferment and causes a lot of gas build-up = colic
Safest (and tastiest) cereal grain for horses
oats (but they’re also variable)
NFC
non-fiber carbohydrates
most important energy source in equine diet
What percent of an equine diet is protein?
8-10%
Do foals need more or less protein?
more (for development and exercising)
Most common ways for horses to get protein?
alfalfa and/or soybean meal
Problems with too much protein in equine diet?
unabsorbed AAs increase fecal odor, additional substrate for fermentation to produce some nasty stinky compounds
Most common fat supplements in the equine diet?
vegetable/corn oil, rice bran
Ca:P
2:1
Percent grain by body weight per feeding
0.5% BW/feeding
What’s more common in gestating mares - over or under feeding?
overfeeding
Problems with Overfeeding Gestating Mares
- Changes to Glucose/Insulin Metabolism
- Metabolic Syndrome Precursor
- Oxidative Stress
- Lower IgG in foal
What are low levels of IgG in the foal typically a result of?
overfeeding! (not passive transfer failure)
4 Supplements for the Gestating mare
- Selenium
- Vitamin E
- Copper
- Arginine
How often should a foal nurse?
every 20 minutes
or suckle 5-7 times per hour for about 2 minutes each time
What comes first - bone mineralization or bone growth?
bone growth
When is foal/weanling at greatest risk for developmental orthopedic disease (DOD)?
3-9 months
Secondary Nutritional Hyperparathyroidism
result of to much phosphorus, not enough calcium
enamel of the teeth is the last bone matrix to show osteoporosis
