Lecture 22: Feeding Horse Flashcards
horse
- non-ruminant herbivores
-hind-gut fermenters
the ingested fiber in the large intestine; a second chance to process energy from feed that has already passed through the small intestine
how much does the average horse eat per year?
5.0-5.5 tons of feed each year
why should nutrition for the horse be the best science & technology can provide?
- confinement
- fitting - yearling
- racing (2 year olds)
- stress
- uniqueness
what are some of the concerns for horse nutrition?
- owners spending millions of dollars for balanced/deficient rations
- artificial conditions=unsoundness
- limited progress = dietary improvements
- evolution of the horse has paralleled its feed types & availability
humans replaced nature as keepers of the horse - equine formulation is becoming more complex
feed intake usually expressed as…
- % of BW
- Lbs feed/100lbs of BW
- free choice
forages - maximize in the ration provide…
- fiber & energy
minimal 1% of BW (DM basis)
what is one organ that horses do not have?
gull bladder
concentrates provide…
energy
maximum: 1 1/2% of BW
supplements provide…
energy, minerals, & vitamins
common feedstuffs for horses; forage materials
- alfalfa
- timothy
- prairie grasses
- legume-grass mixture
- silage
energy feeds
- oats
- corn
- braley
- milo
- bran
protein feeds
- soybean meal
- linseed meal
- dried whey
mineral feeds
a.Salt
b.Limestone
c.Dicalcium phosphate
d.Deflourinated rock phosphate
e.Monsodium phosphate
f. Trace mineral mix
other feeds
a.Molasses
b.Dehydrated alfalfa meal
c.Vegetable oil
d.Vitamin supplement
e.Amino acid supplement
what do we look at when feeding for maintanence?
- environment
- size (BW)
- individual differences
- dry matter intake; 1.5% of BW
*MOST- energy requirements are met with FORAGE ALONE
feeding breeding herd: foal
decrease intake and supply bulky diet
feeding breeding herd: 3 year old female
- Flush 30-45 days before breeding and until bred
- gestation:
First 1/2 - 2/3: pregnant, idle mares maintained on good pasture
Approx. 4 months before foaling: ½ - ¾ lb grain mix + 1½ lb hay / 100 lb bw - Gradually bring back to full feed by 7-10 days postfoaling:
▪ 1 – 1¼ lb of each grain mix and hay/100 lb bw
feeding breeding herd: stallion
1-2 lb / 100 lb BW as hay or pasture
equivalent
feeding foal
Colostrum within 2 hrs.
➢ The foal will begin nibbling by 10 days to 3 wks
of age
▪ Provide creep feed
➢ At 4-5 wks of age: ½ lb grain mix / 100 lb BW +
hay or pasture equivalent
➢ Worm foal by 2-3 months of age, and approx.
every 2 months or as needed
➢ Wean at 5-6 months (approx. 500lbs)
feeding yearling
➢ Rely on hay or pasture and reduce gain mix
depending on the growth level desired
➢ Approx. 800 lb BW by one year of age
feeding 2 & 3 year old horses
➢ Same feeding program as yearlings
depending on individual performance
hay requirement for performance horses
▪ Feed at least 50% of total ration
as forage (pasture &/or hay)
▪ Preferably high-quality grass hay
or alfalfa/grass mix
feeding guidelines for performance horses
➢ Exercising horses do not need
high levels of protein
▪ More important – quality of
protein
➢ Horses should be fed to meet
their immediate needs
▪ Cut grain on rest days
➢ hay requirement
hawaii’s horses
➢Diets are frequently pasture and cubes.
➢Pasture provides not only feed but an area
for exercise.
➢Large variation in pasture nutrient
availability
➢Grasses change in maturity and nutrient
composition very rapidly in tropical regions.
➢Feed costs in Hawaii high – lots of $$$
feeding concerns in hawaii
➢Nutritional standards for tropical grass feeding
➢ Due to high levels of oxalates, tropical grass
grazing can be detrimental to healthy calcium
levels of horses
➢ Many of these tropical grasses = “hazardous grasses”
➢ Primary pasture grass in Hawaii is Kikuyu.
hawaii feeding practices
➢ Tropical grasses often low in nutrition values
➢ Nutritious grains and hays being imported
➢ High humidity and hot weather needs to be
addressed
