Basic equine nutrition

A sound nutritional program is important to ensure that horses are happy, healthy, and perform to their best. When teaching an audience about equine nutrition, it is best to start with the digestive anatomy and physiology because it directly relates to what, how, basic equine nutrition, and when a horse is fed. This publication provides educators with information about the anatomy and function of the digestive system basic equine nutrition with specific points to make when teaching about sound feeding management practices. Forages for horses, like pasture and hay, contain water, protein, fat, structural carbohydrates i.

Kylee J. Duberstein, Ph. Johnson, Ph. How do you properly feed a horse? With so many feed, supplement and hay choices available, many people find themselves wondering exactly what their horse needs for good health and nutrition. Many horse-feeding opinions and myths make deciding what to feed even more difficult. The law requires commercial horse feed manufacturers to put information concerning their feed on a "feed tag," which is either attached to or printed directly on the bag.

Basic equine nutrition

Carey A. Williams, Ph. Horses are non-ruminant herbivores hind-gut fermentors. Their small stomach only has a capacity of 2 to 4 gallons for an average-sized lb. This limits the amount of feed a horse can take in at one time. Equids have evolved as grazers that spend about 16 hours a day grazing pasture grasses. The stomach serves to secrete hydrochloric acid HCl and pepsin to begin the breakdown of food that enters the stomach. Horses are unable to regurgitate food, so if they overeat or eat something poisonous vomiting is not an option. Horses are also unique in that they do not have a gall bladder. This makes high fat diets hard to digest and utilize. Most of the nutrients protein, some carbohydrates and fat are digested in the small intestine. Most of the vitamins and minerals are also absorbed here. Most liquids are passed to the cecum , which is 3 to 4 feet long and holds 7 to 8 gallons.

Selenium Selenium is an essential micromineral that works closely with vitamin E as an antioxidant. Stearic acid Stearic acid C is a saturated long-chain fatty acid composed of an carbon chain with no double bonds. Palmitic acid Palmitic basic equine nutrition C is a saturated long-chain fatty acid found in plants and animals.

Search for:. The FeedBank is a reference database providing nutrition information on components in the equine diet. Listing in the FeedBank does not imply endorsement by Mad Barn. Compare Feed. Regenerex is a joint and inflammation supplement from Basic Equine Nutrition. With our free diet formulation tool, this data can be used by horse owners and nutritionists to design balanced feeding programs for horses in their care. Scoop Size: One 1 scoop is equivalent to 30 grams.

However, enzymatic digestion of carbohydrates, protein, and fats is also of major importance. This occurs in the small intestine, which is the primary site of absorption of sugars, amino acids, long-chain fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Any of the nutrient sources that escape small intestinal digestion and absorption are passed on for microbial degradation in the large intestine, where byproducts of microbial fermentation, such as volatile fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins, are absorbed. Fermentation is altered by the type of substrates available as well as by body temperature and pH. Current recommendations are that horses receive at least 1. This can include pasture or range grasses, legumes, or preserved forages such as hay, haylage, forage substitute eg, hay cubes, hay-based pellets, beet pulp , or other high-fiber sources. The average maximum daily dry matter intake by equine animals is usually 2. These intake limitations should be considered when calculating rations for equine animals. Water requirements vary with environmental conditions, amount of work or physical activity being performed ie, water lost through sweating , type and amount of feed dry feeds need more than succulent grasses , and physiologic status of the animal. If fed only dry hay, water intake may almost double.

Basic equine nutrition

Nutrition is the foundation of a healthy, happy horse that performs to the best of its ability. The article is made up of ten different sections, or keys, each covering a separate but related topic within equine nutrition:. Ideally, this comes in the form of fresh grass. If grass is not available, free-choice grass hay is the next best choice. Keeping hay in front of horses at all times allows them to most closely mimic their natural grazing behavior. For a pound horse, this is about 10 pounds of hay per day by weight, not by volume flakes. Pasture may also not be appropriate for horses prone to laminitis founder , especially when the specific sugar fructan is high such as in the spring and fall. Because grass is deficient in certain minerals and hay is deficient in certain vitamins and minerals, horses need more than just forage as their diet.

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The liver produces a compound known as bile, which assists with fat absorption by the small intestine. Histidine Histidine is incorporated into various proteins. Pantothenic Acid Pantothenic Acid vitamin B5 is involved in a wide range of metabolic processes and can be made by microbes in the hindgut. The rest of the horse's diet should be formulated based on its requirement for each of the other five nutrients. It consists of four parts: right ventral colon, sternal flexure to left ventral colon, pelvic flexure to left dorsal colon, and diaphragmatic flexure to the right dorsal colon. However, care should be taken because excessive amounts of minerals may also cause toxicities, lead to serious health conditions or interfere with absorption of other minerals. Signs that your horse may be water deficient include decreased feed intake and physical activity, and signs of dehydration like dry mucous membranes in the mouth, dry feces, and decreased capillary refill time. When teaching an audience about equine nutrition, it is best to start with the digestive anatomy and physiology because it directly relates to what, how, and when a horse is fed. Moldy corn should never be fed—it is lethal to horses. Free of mold and dust. Extension Changes Georgia University of Georgia Cooperative Extension programming improves people's lives and gets results. Users are advised to use this information at their discretion and are encouraged to consult with professional nutritionists or a veterinarian for any specific recommendations or advice. Feeding horses high forage diets also reduces boredom and decreases their risk for developing stable vices like wood chewing and cribbing. Soluble Protein SP Soluble Protein is the soluble fraction of the protein that is readily available to the horse.

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Ensuring that your horse has the right amount of forage for its weight will keep carbohydrates and fats in balance. Minerals keep your horse's muscles, bones, nerves, and cells healthy. Always make sure there is an adequate, clean supply of water. Signs of an energy deficiency may include lethargy, weight loss, and decreased growth in young horses. Non-Fiber Carbohydrate NFC Non-fiber carbohydrates measures the non-cell wall fraction of carbohydrates, including sugar, starch and pectin. That amount may double for horses exercising in hot and humid climates or for lactating mares. Feed Database. Horses are also unique in that they do not have a gall bladder. Ration balancers are manufactured by many feed companies and are designed to be fed at a low level approximately 1 pound per day that contains the needed vitamins, minerals and protein. It is involved in growth and muscle function. Valine Valine is a branched-chain amino acid that is needed for proper muscle contractions. Vitamin K and B-complex are produced by the gut microbes.