Equine Nutrition and Feeding Practices

hindgut fermenters.

What type of herbivores are horses classified as?

Horses use microbial fermentation in the cecum to break down cellulose.

How do horses digest plant fiber?

What is the capacity of a horse's stomach?

Approximately 4 gallons (15 liters), but works best at 2 gallons.

Why are horses unable to vomit?

The esophagus enters the stomach at an acute angle, creating a one-way valve.

small intestine in horses?

It is the major digestive organ where 50-70% of nutrients are absorbed.

50 to 70 feet (15 to 21 meters).

What is the length of the small intestine in horses?

Cecum of horse

It ferments cellulose plant fiber for approximately 7 hours and produces vitamins and fatty acids.

4 feet (1.2 meters) long.

How long is the cecum in horses?

Large colon, small colon, and rectum.

What are the components of the large intestine in horses?

large colon

It absorbs carbohydrates broken down from cellulose and holds 20 gallons (76 liters) of semi-liquid matter.

small colon

It absorbs the majority of water and forms fecal balls.

rectum length

1 foot long.

It can upset the microorganisms in their intestines, leading to colic.

What is the risk associated with rapid changes in feed for horses?

colic in horses

A leading cause of death in horses, often caused by digestive issues.

Slowly, to allow microorganisms to adapt to new feedstuffs.

How should a horse's diet be changed?

esophagus

It transports food from the mouth to the stomach.

What happens to the stomach contents when it is 2/3 full?

The stomach empties, regardless of whether the food is fully processed.

What is the significance of the horse's prehensile lips?

They help the horse select and pick up forage.

What happens in the large colon that can lead to colic

Due to its twists and turns, it is a common site for impaction.

Vitamin K, B-complex vitamins, proteins, and fatty acids.

What nutrients are produced by the microorganisms in the cecum?

1.5-2.5% depending on age and level of work.

What percentage of its body weight in feed do horses require daily?

Forages such as grass or hay and concentrates such as grain or pelleted feeds.

What types of feed should be included in a horse's diet?

'Easy keepers' are prone to obesity, while 'hard keepers' require a great deal of food to maintain a slim build.

What is the difference between 'easy keepers' and 'hard keepers' in horses?

10-12 gallons per day.

What is the daily water requirement for an average horse?

Water, energy (fats and carbohydrates), proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

What are the five main classes of nutrients required by equines?

Water makes up between 62-68% of the horse's body weight.

What percentage of a horse's body weight is made up of water?

Their water requirement can be four times greater than normal.

How much more water do hard-working or lactating horses need compared to normal?

Fats and carbohydrates.

What are the nutritional sources of energy for horses?

The horse may become too high-spirited and difficult to handle.

What can happen if a horse consumes too much energy without enough exercise?

15-20% without developing diarrhea.

What is the maximum percentage of fat that can be included in a horse's diet?

Soluble carbohydrates (starches and sugars) and insoluble cellulose.

What are the two forms of carbohydrates found in horse feed?

protein

are critical building blocks for muscles and other tissues.

Adult horses require 8-10% protein in their diet.

What is the protein requirement for adult horses?

What vitamins are typically sufficient for horses not subjected to hard work?

Fresh, green, leafy forage provides adequate vitamins.

Calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), potassium (K), chlorine (Cl), and trace minerals like magnesium (Mg), selenium (Se), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iodine (I).

What minerals are essential for the maintenance and function of a horse's skeleton, nerves, and muscles?

1:1 or 2:1; foals require a ratio of 3:1 during their first 3-4 years.

What is the recommended calcium to phosphorus ratio for adult horses?

Hard work increases the need for minerals as sweating depletes sodium, potassium, and chlorine.

What happens to a horse's mineral needs during intense training?

They may require vitamin supplementation.

What can result from feeding low-quality feed to horses under stress?

It can cause indigestion, colic, fatal colitis, or laminitis.

What is the risk of feeding large amounts of starch or high sugar feeds to horses?

___ helps mix feeds to create a moist bolus that can be easily swallowed.

What is the importance of saliva in a horse's feeding process?

2-2.5% of their body weight, approximately 25 lbs (11 kgs).

What percentage of their body weight do adult horses eat in dry feed each day?

2-4% of their body weight.

How much of their body weight do foals under 6 months eat daily?

1. Forages (hay and grass), 2. Concentrates (grains and pelleted rations), 3. Supplements (prepared vitamins and mineral pellets).

What are the three categories of solid feeds for horses?

Forage.

What should comprise 50% of a horse's diet?

1% of the horse's body weight per day.

What is the minimum percentage of body weight that forage should never go below for horses?

Roughage.

What are forages commonly known as?

Maturity of grasses, fertilization, management, and environmental conditions.

What factors affect the nutrients in forage?

Name two types of grasses commonly used as forage for horses.

Timothy and brome.

What are legumes higher in compared to grasses?

Protein, calcium (Ca), and energy.

A dried mixture of grasses and legumes that is cut, dried, and baled for storage.

What is hay?

When cut before seed heads fully mature and stems become tough.

When is hay most nutritious?

Color, smell, and texture.

What are important indicators of hay quality?

Grass sealed in airtight plastic bags, also known as round bale silage.

What is haylage?

It can lead to mold and spoilage.

What happens if haylage is not completely sealed?

What is the nutritional value of straw or chaff?

Little nutritional value other than providing fiber.

Oats.

What is the most popular grain for horses?

They have low digestible energy (DE) and higher fiber content.

What is a characteristic of oats compared to other grains?

Corn (maize).

What is the second most palatable grain for horses?

It is poisonous to horses.

What is a risk of feeding moldy corn to horses?

To crack the seed hull and allow easier digestibility.

What is barley processed for?

As a concentrate.

What is wheat generally not used for in horse feeding?

As a supplemental nutrition in the form of bran mash.

What is wheat bran used for in a horse's diet?

Various grains and additional vitamins and mineral supplements, complete premix feed.

What are mixes and pellets in horse feed?

Pelleted form or grains in their original form are easier to chew and result in less wasted feed but are more expensive.

What is the advantage of pelleted horse feed?

Sweet feed (US) and coarse mix (UK) have molasses added as a binder to keep down dust and increase palatability.

What is sweet feed and how is it made?

A horse on good hay and pasture does not need supplements.

What type of horse does not need supplements?

Horses subjected to stress due to age, intensive athletic work, or reproduction may need extra fat and protein with vitamins and mineral supplements.

Under what conditions might a horse require additional nutrition?

Soybean meal, which contains 44% crude protein and has a high quality protein with the right ratio of essential amino acids.

What is a common protein supplement for horses?

Cottonseed meal, linseed meal, and peanut meal.

What are some less common protein supplements for horses?

Most horses need only quality forage, water, and a salt or mineral block; grains and other concentrates are not necessary.

What are the basic feeding needs for most horses?

Horse feed should be measured by weight, not by volume.

How should horse feed be measured?

Provide 3 small feedings per day instead of one or two large ones.

What is the recommended feeding frequency for horses?

What factors influence the actual amounts of feed for a horse?

The age of the horse, climate, and the work to which the animal is put.

are horses that thrive on small amounts of food but are prone to obesity and health problems if overfed.

What are easy keepers in horses?

are horses that are poor doers, prone to being thin, and require considerably more food to maintain a healthy weight.

What are hard keepers in horses?

Any ration should be at least 50% forage, with safe to feed ratios being 100% forage with water and salt.

What is the recommended forage feeding ratio for horses?

A minimum of ½ lb of forage for every 100 lbs (45 kgs) of body weight is needed to keep the digestive system functioning properly.

What is the minimum amount of forage required for a horse's digestive health?

Too high levels of NSC, like fructans, can cause laminitis or equine polysaccharide storage myopathy (EPSM).

What can excessive non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) lead to in horses?

Concentrates should not exceed 1% of the horse's body weight per day.

What is the maximum percentage of body weight in concentrates that should be fed to horses per day?

Bulky grains such as oats are recommended as they prevent impaction colic.

What type of grains are recommended if higher percentages of concentrates are needed?

Peptic ulcers are associated with high concentrations of grain in 90% of horses.

What is the relationship between grain concentration and peptic ulcers in horses?

Mature idle horses should have 0-10% of their ration as grain.

What is the recommended grain portion for mature idle horses?

should have 20-70% of their ration as grain.

What is the recommended grain portion for horses at work?

Do not feed horses 1 hour before or after heavy workouts to avoid serious health problems.

What should be done regarding feeding before and after heavy workouts?

not more than 4 hours.

What is the maximum time a horse can be kept away from water?

should be given a limited amount of water and allowed to cool off and walk for 30-90 minutes.

What should be done after a horse has a heavy workout regarding water?

can lead to impaction colic or weight loss due to inadequate saliva production.

What are the risks associated with dehydration in horses?

need less feed than full-sized horses, and are at high risk for colic and laminitis.

What special feeding considerations are there for ponies?

Carrots, sugar cubes, peppermint candies, and horse cookies are safe treats, but human food should be avoided.

What types of treats are safe for horses?

can lead to colic, choke, and behavioral issues, particularly if hand-fed.

What are the risks associated with feeding horses treats?

must be kept free of molds, rodent feces, and other contamination to prevent health risks.

What is the importance of feed storage?

Horses should be fed on a regular schedule as they become easily upset by changes in routine.

What feeding behavior should be observed for horses?

choke

is caused by horses not chewing food thoroughly, eating too quickly, or having dental problems.

What is laminitis and what causes it?

is a disease of the hoof lamina, commonly related to sugar or starch overload.

can lead to disorders like osteochondrosis and angular limb deformities.

What growth disorders can occur in young horses due to improper feeding/ improper calcium to phosphorus ratio?

airway obstruction, is caused by moldy or dusty feed and is characterized by wheezing and coughing.

What is heaves in horses?

What is tying up in horses?

or equine exertional rhabdomyolysis, can occur after a day of rest followed by work and may relate to electrolyte imbalance.