Module 4 Flashcards
Is the fermentation vat
Hindgut (cecum and colon)
Is major site od digestion and absorption of many nutrients
Small intestine
Horse do not digest low quality of forages (cellulose) so they need to eat immature, high quality hay or pasture
The nutrients demands of the horse will depend on such factors as:
Bodyweight
Condition
Work level
appetite
Age
health
Reproductive status
Environment
Management
Several methods of determining bodyweight :
Weight bridge
Tape measure and calculator
Weigh-tape
Table of weights
Several rules to ensure good feeding practice:
- Ensure clean fresh water
- Feed Little but often
- Make any changes gradually
- Feed only good-quality dust-free Feed
- Feed plenty of plant
Factors should be taken into account when deciding o a ration
- Cost
- Individual nutrient requirement of the horse
- Nutrients content of feed
- Availability
- Quality
Feeds for horse fall in two main categories:
- Forage: grass, hay, haulage,alfalfa, hydroponic grass
- Concentrates: sraight , compound feeds
Two groups of carbohydrates:
Soluble carbohydrates - starch, sugar (grass, creal)
Insoluble carbohydrates -cellulose and hemicellulos
The main energy source for living diets
Fats converted to GLUCOSE
Provide energy needed for all cell processes and basic functions such as breathing and the beating of the heart
Carbohydrates
Refers to the amount of energy in the feed, which is actually digested for uses by the horse
Digestible energy
Is an important structural component of all animal tissues.
Protein
Protein vary widely in composition, but there structure is made up of simple units called
Amino acid
The horse can make some amino acids within its body and these are therefore known as
Not required in the diet
Non-essential
Other which cannot have be made in the body and need to be supplied in the diet, are known as ‘
Essential amino acid
Most important essential amino acids
Lysine
Methionine
Tryptophan
Are group of chemical compounds that are vital for life.
Vitamins
Vitamins divided into one of two groups:
Fat-soluble (A,D,E,K)
Water-soluble (C and B-complex)
Can be stored in the body, particularly the liver.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Can be made by the microorganism in the horses gut. Excess in the horses body are broken down and excreted and for that reason toxicity symtoms are unlikely to occurs.
Water-soluble vitamins
Are inorganic substances found throughout the horses body and are essential for health and development .
Mineral
Some mineral are required in larger amounts and are known as
Macro-minerals
Major minerals
Those recquire in concentration below 50mg/kg are known
Trace elements
Trace mineral
Approximately 70% of the horses bodyweight is water
Water function :
•Temperature regulation
•medium
•solvent in substance
•gives cells their shape
•excretion in the form of urine
•milk
Horses are also fed for production:
- Growth
- Lactation of brood mare
- Growth of embryo within its mother
- Body repair , regrowth after major injury or disease
- Fattening
- Work
- Build up muscle for performance
The main criterion is the size of the animal
Feed for maintenance
The main criterion is the amount of production required.
To feed for production
8 tips involved int the RULES OF RATIONING
Step 1: Estimation of body weight
Step 2: the Horse’s appetite
Step 3: calculating the energy for maintenence
Step 4: calculating the energy for work
Step 5: The forage-to-concentrate ratio
Step 6: making the ration
Step 7: checking the protein level
Step 8: check and adjust the ration
Rule of feeding
Several rule have been developed to ensure good feeding practice:
- Ensure clean fresh water is always available
- Feed little and often
- Make any changes gradually
- Feed according to work done
- Feed plenty of plant fiber/forage
- Keep Feed utensils clean
- Maintain regular feeding times.
- Feed only good-quality dust-free feed
Factors should be taken into account when deciding on a ration:
1.cost
2. Individual nutrients requiremnt
3. Nutrient content on feed
4. Availability
5. Quality
6. Forage ( grass, hay,haulage,alfalfa , hydroponic grass)
7. Concentrates (straight & compound feeds)
Is the leaves, stems and stalks of plants.
Forage
Good pasture contain all of the nutrients required in a balanced form for horses, including carbohydrates( starch and sugar) protein and vitamins
Grass
The quality and nutrient content of hay depends on several factors including:
- Grass species
- Stage of cutting - maturity
- Weather conditions
- Storage
- Fertilization
Is not often fed to horses duw to practical problems associated with it. It is made in silos clamps or big bales
Silage
This fits between hay and silage. Haylage is cut at a later growing stage than silage , but earlier or at the same time as hay.
Haylage
This is a legume and is rich in protein, fiber a calcium. It can fed as hay or short claff.
Alfalfa
Concentrates splits into two groups:
- Straight or cereal grains
- Compound feeds - manufacture
Refers to the cereal grains such as oats,barley,maize and wheat.
The most common straight fed to horse are oats and barley.
Straights
Straights undergo various types of processing aimed at increasing the digestibility of starch:
- Extrusion
- Micronization
- Rolling
- Stem cooking and flaking
Involves cooking at great pressure, similar to popcorn. Breaks up the starch molecules and therefore the resulting feed is more digestible.
Extrusion
Invloves flaking and toasting in machinery similar to microwaves. The cooking process again makes the starch more digestible.
Micronization
Involves crushing the grain, they are not cooked and once open to air, the grain will start to deteriorate and it will lose its feed value after approximately 2 weeks.
Rolling
Imvloves passing the grain through heated rollers that cook and splits it.
Steam cooking and flaking
The traditional concentrate feed for horses. They are relatively high in fiber and have a lower energy content than barley.
Oats
Is higher in energy that oats and lower in fiber. It is often processed to make the starch more available, by streaming, micronization or extrusion
Barley
This is high energy,low fiber and is most often fed steamed or micronized.
Maize
Is not used as a straight due to its high cost. It’s contain gluten that can form a gluten mass in the gut
Wheat
Is technically in between a forage and concentrate. Look similar to a turnip. Is taken to a factory where most of the sugar is removed.
Sugar beet pulp
Compound feeds divided into three groups:
- Complete cubes or coarse mixes
- Concentrates cubes or coarse
- Balancers - cubes
These are fed alone without forage and are designed to replace all the hay and concentrates in the ration.
Complete cubes
These provides a balanced diet for all types of horses and are designed to fed with forage and water.
Concentrates cubes
These are higher in protein and designed to balance a straight such as oats.
Balancer cubes
Are substances added to the horse’s diet in order to balance it or correct a perceived deficiency.
Supplement
Is a substance that is added to an already balanced ration.
Additives
Common additives:
Enzymes
Herbs
Cod liver
Prebiotics
Yeast
Biological catalyst aimed to improved digestion by various means
Enzymes
A natural alternative to supplements, but nutrients specification under debate
Herbs
Source of Vitamins A,D and E but may make feed unpalatable
Cod live oil
Live bacteria to help recolonize the horse’s gut after stress or antibiotics
Prebiotics
Improves the number of fiber digesting bacteria in the hind gut
Yeasts
Common supplements includes:
Vitamins supplements- biotin
Mineral supplements - calcium, selenium
Broad-spectrum
Body salt - sodium chloride,potassium, calcium
Is often used for horses who have I’ll,who are in very poor condition, recovering from surgery or who have been ‘overtrained’
Vitamins B supplements
Are essential for performance horses and are often neglected. They should be given whenever the horse has been Sweating after work.
Body salts
Are quite fashionable at the moment and there is a large selection available.
Herbs
Feeding tips
- Maintain feeding regularity
- Never feed large amounts of grains at once
- Never overfeed
- Gradually change from one feed to another
- Keep Feed boxes and tubs clean
- Limits pasture of horse
- Make sure the horse has plenty of fresh water, salt and exercise
The sick horse’s diet must have several special characteristics:
• Palatability
• Good-quality protein
• Fiber
• minerals and vitamis
