Equine Nutrition

Equine Nutrition Equine Science

Introduction • Feed is the greatest expense for horse owners. • Feeding horses means: • Furnishing horses with a daily supply of nutrients in the correct amounts. • Supplying palatable, easily obtained feeds. • Providing feeds economical for the conditions. • Cost can be reduced by: • Keeping horses healthy • Feeding a balanced ration according to need • Purchasing feeds that meet the needs of the animal

Nutritional needs change depending on: • Condition of the horse • Breed (size) • Activity level • Age • Gestational stage or lactation • High quality roughages are the foundation of a horse feeding program. • Concentrates and protein supplements help meet additional nutritional needs. • Minerals supplementation may also be necessary.

Nutrition Requirements • Energy (digestible energy or DE) • Protein (crude protein or CP) • Minerals (Calcium or Ca and Phosphorus or P) • Vitamins • References for determining what to feed horses: • Daily Nutrient Requirements of Horses • Nutrient Concentration of Feed

Feeds and Feed Composition • Feeds divided into five groups: • Roughages • Concentrates • Protein supplements • Minerals • Vitamins

Dry Matter and Nutrient Concentration • Insufficient dry matter • Horses may become bored • Too much bulk & not enough nutrition • Horse may not be able to eat enough to meet nutritional requirements

Math of Feeding Horses • Must know: • What the horse requires • What kind of feed will fill those requirements economically • What feeds are palatable • How much of a given feed the horse can eat • How to calculate the amount of a nutrient in a feed

Figuring Nutrient Content of a Ration • FIRST-- • Pounds of feed X level of nutrient contained • Must be done for each type of feed in the ration and for each nutrient • THEN-- • Add up the amounts and divide by the total pounds • Gives you an average level of each nutrient per pound of feed

Example: • Find the average protein in a mixture that is 200 pounds of oats and 100 pounds of soybean meal. • 200 lbs oats X 54 g protein/lb = 10,800 g of protein • 100 lbs of soybean meal X 202 g protein/lb = 20,200 g of protein • 10,800 g + 20,200 g = 31,000 g of protein • 31,000 g / 300 lbs = 103 g protein/lb

Types of Feed

Roughages • Include alfalfa hay, grass hays, clovers, lespedeza, timothy, fescue, bromegrass, prairie hay and pasture • Decrease the risk of colic and laminitis • Help maintain the correct calcium-to-phosphorus ratio • Help prevent boredom • Feed at least 1 lb. of hay per day for every 100 lbs. of body weight

Selecting Good Hay • Should be free of dust and mold • Early-cut, properly cured hays preferred • Break bales to check for dust and moldy odor • Legume hays vs. Grass hays • Legumes are higher in protein and minerals • Legumes are more palatable

Alfalfa Hay • Best of the legumes from a nutrient standpoint • Must be properly cured • High in protein, calcium and vitamins • Useful in balancing rations for brood mares and young growing horses

Timothy Hay • Popular for horses • Grown in many climates • Cures easily • Has a bright color • Free from dust and mold • Low in protein • Requires supplements when fed alone • Mature, late-cut is poor

Pastures • Natural feed for horses • Most nutritionally complete feedstuff • Reduces cost of feeding • Furnishes minerals and vitamins sometimes lacking • Hardworking horses will require supplemental energy feeds • Can reduce stable vices • 2-5 acres of pasture per horse for maintenance

Concentrates • High-energy feeds • Grains are used with hay to regulate energy intake • May be grinded or rolled, but should not be ground fine • Feed in small amounts frequently • Include oats, corn, grain sorghum, barley, wheat, wheat bran and cane molasses

Oats • Bulky • Minimum danger of digestive disorders • Satisfy even picky horses • Higher in protein than most grains

Corn • Used extensively in the Midwest • Higher in energy than oats • Works well to improve the condition of thin horses and maintaining condition on hardworking horses • Often a good buy • Low fiber content • Must be careful when feeding to avoid colic • Feed in small amounts at a time • Equal parts corn and oats makes an excellent grain ration

Barley • Very satisfactory feed when ground • Fed the same way as corn • Mix with wheat bran or oats to help avoid colic • Does not completely eliminate risk

Wheat • Seldom fed to horses • Except in pacific northwest • Should be rolled or coarsely ground • Can be fed as 1/3 of grain ration with a bulky feed

Wheat bran • Highly palatable • Slightly laxative • Bulky • Preferred for animals stressed by extreme fatigue, foaling or sickness • Higher in protein than oats, wheat, barley or corn

Protein Supplements

Most average size horses need ¾ to 1 pound (1 lb = 455 g) of CP daily • Supplementation is needed when poor quality hays are fed • Common supplments: • Linseed meal • Soybean meal (higher in protein & better balance of amino acids) • Cottonseed meal • Commercial supplements vary in composition • Formulated for specific feeding programs • May be expensive

Minerals

Rations should contain more calcium than phosphorus. • Ratio should be between 1.1:1 and 2:1

Feeding Guidelines

Feed only quality feeds. • Feed balanced rations. • Feed higher protein and mineral rations to growing horses and lactating mares. • Use non-legume hays for adult horses. • Feed salt separately, free-choice. • Feed calcium and phosphorus free-choice. • Horses will eat better, digest food better and be less likely to develop colic if exercised regularly. • Feed according to the individuality of the horse. • Feed by weight, not volume. • Minimize fines (small particles) in a prepared ration. • Offer plenty of good, clean, cool water free-choice. Water should be no colder than 45°F. • Change feeds gradually. • Do not feed grain until tired or hot horses have cooled and rested. • Feed before work. • Feed all confined horses at least twice daily. • Give half the hay allowance at night, while horses have more time to eat and digest it.

Equine Nutrition