Feeding practices in horses encompass the methods and strategies involved in providing nutrition to equine animals. These practices are designed to meet the dietary requirements necessary for maintaining health, supporting growth, and optimizing performance. Key components of equine feeding practices include the selection of forage and concentrates, balancing nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, and considering factors such as age, workload, and health status. Feeding practices also address the timing and frequency of meals to align with the horse's digestive physiology. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore various aspects of feeding practices, including nutritional requirements, feeding behavior, and the impact of diet on equine health and performance.
Métayer N, Lhôte M, Bahr A, Cohen ND, Kim I, Roussel AJ, Julliand V.Feeding practices have been associated with colic in horses. If meal size and composition have an effect on gastric emptying, this could be one of the mechanisms by which feeding practices are related to the occurrence of colic. Objective: To evaluate the effect of meal size and starch content on solid phase gastric emptying. Methods: Solid phase gastric emptying of 3 different radiolabelled meals, small low-starch (SmLS), small high-starch (SmHS) and large high-starch (LgHS) meals, was measured in 5 horses by scintigraphy using 99mTc-disofenin. Data were compared among meals using nonlinear m...
Coverdale JA, Moore JA, Tyler HD, Miller-Auwerda PA.Soybean hulls have been successfully fed to ruminant animals as an economical substitute for hay. This feedstuff is a source of highly digestible fiber that does not contain starch. The purpose of this trial was to evaluate soybean hulls as a replacement fiber in horse diets. Four cecally cannulated Quarter Horse geldings, aged 6 to 10 yr and averaging 502 kg, were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square design with 21-d periods. Diets consisted of alfalfa/bromegrass hay (14.4% CP, 58.1% NDF, 39.1% ADF; DM basis) with the replacement of either 0, 25, 50, or 75% (as-fed basis) unpelleted soybean hulls (13...
Zeitler-Feicht MH.The guidelines of the Federal Ministry of User Protection, Nutrition and Agriculture (BMVEL) regarding "horse keeping with respect to animal welfare" are from 1995 (BMELF, 1995). Therefore, they are not suitable for modern horse keeping. The Veterinary Association for Animal Welfare (TVT) held it to be necessary to rework the guide-lines in light of 1) many subsequent investigations concerning horse keeping, and 2) the species-specific needs of horses in practice. Each chapter of the BMELF (1995) guide-lines was revised such that the literature and practical experiences were updated. Several c...
Hassel DM, Rakestraw PC, Gardner IA, Spier SJ, Snyder JR.A prospective, unmatched case control study was performed to identify dietary and environmental risk factors for enterolithiasis in horses in California and to determine whether colonic ingesta analyses differed between horses with and without enteroliths. Forty-three horses with enterolithiasis were compared with 19 horses with surgical colic attributable to nonstrangulating obstruction of the colon without enteroliths. Colonic ingesta samples were collected at surgery from horses with enteroliths and control horses. Colonic pH and colonic concentrations of magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodi...
Lopes MA, White NA, Crisman MV, Ward DL.To assess changes in systemic hydration, concentrations of plasma electrolytes, hydration and physical properties of colonic contents and feces, and gastrointestinal transit in horses with access to large amounts of grain. Methods: 6 horses with right dorsal colon (RDC) fistulas. Methods: In a crossover design, horses were alternately fed 1 of 3 diets: orchard grass hay ad libitum after being adapted to this diet for at least 5 days, orchard grass hay ad libitum and 4.55 kg of grain offered every 12 hours after being adapted to orchard grass hay ad libitum for at least 5 days, or orchard grass...
Stewart AJ, Hardy J, Kohn CW, Toribio RE, Hinchcliff KW, Silver B.To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum concentrations of total magnesium (tMg) and ionized magnesium (iMg), concentrations of magnesium (Mg) in muscle, intracellular Mg (icMg) concentrations, urinary Mg excretion (EMg), Mg clearance (CMg), and fractional clearance of Mg (FCMg) in horses fed diets with Mg content above and below National Research Council recommendations. Methods: 9 young female horses. Methods: 6 horses were fed a reduced-Mg diet for 29 days followed by an Mg-supplemented diet for 24 days. Control horses (n = 3) were fed grass hay exclusively. Blood, urine, and tissue sample...
Dunkel BM, Wilkins PA.A nutritional plan should be incorporated into every treatment plan of the critically ill patient. Weight loss and cachexia are the result of prevalence of catabolic processes over anabolic processes in addition to absolute or relative increased demands and decreased food intake.
Zeyner A, Geissler C, Dittrich A.To investigate effects of hay intake and feeding sequence on indicators of the microbial activity within the hindgut, six horses were fed 1.00 kg oats plus 0.50, 0.67, 0.83 or 1.00 kg hay/100 kg body weight (BW) x day, each for 14 days. Oats was offered either 30 min prior to hay (OA) or in the reversed sequence (HA) in a 2 x 8-week crossover design. Because typically exercised horses should be subjected to the study, faeces was used as substrate. Faecal dry matter (DM), the faecal waters' short-chain fatty acids (SCFA, in mmol/1) and molar percentages (mol%) of propionate and iso-butyrate wer...
Magdesian KG.Horses with GI diseases such as colic and diarrhea are often intolerant of adequate enteral nutrition. Nutritional intervention should be an early part of therapeutic management in such cases. Protein and energy malnutrition in critically ill horses can have deleterious effects, including poor wound or incisional healing, reduced immunity, and weight loss. Early enteral or parenteral support should be provided to supply resting DE requirements in the equine ICU.
Back W, Remmen JL, Knaap J, de Koning JJ.Lateral heel wedges are used to treat horses and ponies with patella fixation or bone spavin. However, these therapies are purely empirically based and lack scientific evidence. Objective: Lateral heel wedges would change joint motion in the sagittal, but mainly in the transversal planes, in healthy horses. This effect would be increased by restricted feeding and decreased by extra training. Methods: A group of 24 Shetland ponies age 3 years was used, as foals had been assigned to restricted and ad libitum (ad lib) feeding, and low and high level training groups of 6 animals each. An experienc...
de Behr V, Daron D, Gabriel A, Remy B, Dufrasne I, Serteyn D, Istasse L.An inquiry was carried out to assess the concentrations of plasma metabolites related to bone remodelling in 21 saddle horses of Warmblood breed aged 4-26 years, five draught horses of Ardennes breed aged 4-10 years, and 10 Ardennes foals aged 9-11 months. They were fed according to normal feeding practice in Belgium. The changes in some bone remodelling plasma metabolite concentrations were studied when an unbalanced diet was offered and later corrected for four Warmblood horses. Bone formation was evaluated by bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP), total alkaline phosphatase (TALP) and osteocalci...
Vervuert I, Coenen M, Bothe C.This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different oat processing techniques on the plasma glucose and insulin response in horses. In a cross-over design, six horses (ages 4-15 years, mean body weight+/-SD: 450+/-37 kg) were fed in random order: untreated oats, finely ground, steam-flaked and popped oats. The total oat intake varied between 1.05-1.5 kg/day, and the amount of diet was adjusted to a starch content of 630 g starch per day and horse (1.2-1.5 g starch/kg BW/day). During the stabilization period of 10 days, horses additionally received 6 kg grass hay. Following this adapt...
Kienzle E, Kaden C, Hoppe PP, Opitz B.The serum response of beta-carotene as an indicator of bioavailability was compared after feeding beta-carotene (0.8 mg/kg body weight) either from grass meal or a synthetic beadlet preparation (Lucarotin). Both were each given without or with added dietary vegetable fat (2-2.5% vs. 6.6% fat in dry matter) in a Latin square design with four horses. The nutritionally complete diet was supplemented with alpha-tocopherol (4 mg/kg body weight). Each treatment period (4 weeks, two serum samples) was followed by a washout period of 4 weeks with low intakes of beta-carotene (traces) and alpha-tocophe...
Hoffman RM, Boston RC, Stefanovski D, Kronfeld DS, Harris PA.Insulin resistance is considered a risk factor in obesity, laminitis, exertional rhabdomyolysis, and osteochondrosis. The objective was to use the minimal model to estimate glucose effectiveness (Sg) and insulin sensitivity (Si) in nonobese to obese horses initially adapted to forage only, then adapted to forage plus supplements rich in starch and sugar (SS) or fiber and fat (FF). Ten Thoroughbred geldings, with BCS of 5 (nonobese), 6 (moderately obese), and 7 to 8 (obese), were adapted to pasture and hay, allocated to two groups, and fed SS or FF in a switch-back design with 8 wk of adaptatio...
Breuhaus BA.To determine whether ingestion of fescue seed infected with the endophyte Neotyphodium coenophialum would alter thyroid function in adult horses. Methods: Original study. Methods: 4 adult mares that were not pregnant and 6 adult geldings. Methods: Thyrotropin releasing hormone stimulation tests were performed while horses received a standard diet and after infected seed (2.3 kg/d [5 lb/d]) had been fed for 1 and 2 months. Serum prolactin concentrations were measured to verify endophyte absorption. Results: Serum prolactin concentrations indicated that at least 8 of 10 horses absorbed the endop...
Ropp JK, Raub RH, Minton JE.Feeding diets high in soluble carbohydrates to growing horses has been implicated in the development of orthopedic diseases; as a result, substitution of dietary fat for soluble carbohydrates has received attention. Because IGF-I is integral to growth and cartilage development and because it is influenced by nutrition, we evaluated the effect of dietary fat substitution on metabolic endpoints and circulating GH and IGF-I in growing horses. Twelve Quarter Horse weanlings, four female and eight male, 151 to 226 d old, were blocked by sex and age and assigned to two treatment groups. Group one (C...
Ferrucci F, Zucca E, Croci C, Di Fabio V, Ferro E.The severity of the erosive and ulcerative lesions of the squamous gastric mucosa in 10 standardbred racehorses in training was classified according to a standard scoring system. Each horse was then treated orally for 30 days with 50 g/100 kg bodyweight daily of a pectin-lecithin complex mixed into the feed. At the end of the period of treatment, the gastric lesions were re-evaluated gastroscopically and the scores were compared with those assigned at the previous evaluation. In three of the horses the gastric ulcerations had healed completely, and in six others the lesions had improved signif...
Dühlmeier R, Gück T, Deegen E, Busche R, Sallmann HP.To investigate the influence of overweight and dietary fat supplementation on lipid and insulin glucose metabolism of Shetland ponies, eight Shetland pony geldings were fed a hypercaloric (30 MJ DE/150 kg bwt. and day) fat diet (10% fat as soybean oil) or a carbohydrate control diet for nine months until ponies gained an overweight of 15%. Afterwards oral glucose tolerance tests (oGTT; 5, 6 mmol/kg bwt.) were performed after a 12 hour fast and after a fast which led to an increase of plasma triglyceride concentrations to a threshold of 3 mmol/l (36-65 hrs.). Plasma concentrations of glucose, i...
Olsman AF, Jansen WL, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Beynen AC.The aim of the present study was to determine the minimum protein requirement in adult ponies. Literature data from nitrogen-balance trials in adult ponies were used. In addition, nitrogen balance was measured in three mature ponies that were fed a low- and a high-protein diet according to a cross-over design. On the low-protein ration, which provided 1.1 g digestible crude protein (DCP)/kg(0.75) day, plasma albumin and total protein concentrations were non-significantly decreased by about 6% and group-mean nitrogen balance was negative. Using data from the present experiment and from six othe...
Hallebeek JM, Beynen AC.In a cross-over study with six adult horses, the effect of isoenergetic replacement of dietary glucose by beetpulp on the concentration of plasma triacylglycerols was studied. The test ration contained 25% beetpulp in the dietary dry matter. The feeding of beet pulp lowered plasma triacylglycerol concentrations (p = 0.058) in the fasting state and raised the activity of heparin-released lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (p = 0.059) and the concentration of HDL2 cholesterol (p = 0.058). In the fasting state, the plasma concentrations of free fatty acids (p = 0.073) and those of beta-hydroxybutyrate (p =...
Hallebeek JM, Beynen AC.The hypothesis was tested that feeding ponies a diet containing medium-chain triacylglcyerols (MCT) instead of soya bean oil causes an increase in the production of plasma triacylglycerols, which, under steady-state conditions, is associated with an increased clearance of triacylglycerols. Six ponies were fed rations containing either MCT or an isoenergetic amount of soya bean oil according to a cross-over design. The concentration of MCT in the total dietary dry matter was about 13%. When the ponies were fed the diets for 3 weeks, plasma triacylglycerol concentrations were 0.42 +/- 0.09 and 0...
Bachmann I, Audigé L, Staﾬher M.Studies on the prevalence of behavioural disorders in horses and on associated risk factors have revealed inconsistent results. There are many studies on the neuropharmacological, surgical or mechanical therapy of stereotypies, but little is known about their causation. Objective: To explore risk factors associated with the occurrence of behavioural disorders in horses. Methods: A sample of horse owners, selected randomly and representative for Switzerland, was contacted in a postal survey. Answers were provided for 622 stables (response rate 35.2%). Individual data of 2,341 horses were examin...
Bailey SR, Marr CM, Elliott J.Acute laminitis has been associated with the release of compounds, as yet unidentified, produced by hindgut fermentation which affect blood flow to the digit. The objectives of this study were to identify amine compounds in equine caecal and colonic contents, some of which are known to have vasoactive properties. In addition, the concentrations of amines in caecal contents of horses fed either grass or hay diets were compared. Fifteen amines were identified in equine hindgut contents in concentrations greater than 1 microM. The caecal concentrations of phenylethylamine, isoamylamine, cadaverin...
Cohen ND, Donahue JG, Carey VJ, Seahorn JL, Piercy D, Donahoe JK, Williams DM, Brown SE, Riddle TW.To identify factors associated with abortions during early gestation classified as mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 324 broodmares from 43 farms in central Kentucky, including 121 mares from 25 farms that had early-term abortions (ETAs) associated with MRLS (case horses), 120 mares from the same farms but that did not abort, and 83 mares from 18 farms that were not severely Impacted by MRLS. Methods: Farm managers were interviewed to obtain data on various management practices and environmental exposures for the mares. Data for case and control hors...
Siciliano PD.Little is known regarding nutrient requirements and feeding of geriatric horses, and more effort should be placed on this area of equine nutrition research. That which is known suggests that some geriatric horses may not have different requirements than other mature horses, whereas others affected by disease or poor dentition may have special nutritional needs. In general, rations for geriatric horses should be based on high-quality roughage supplemented with complementary minerals and vitamins. The need for additional energy aside from that provided by the forage can be supplied by adding ene...
Gonçalves S, Julliand V, Leblond A.Many factors have been identified as risk factors for colic in horses in several epidemiological studies. The aim of our paper was to review the results of 12 epidemiological studies, in order to assess the impact of each risk factor for colic. According to the literature, the factors that increase the risk of colic are feeding practices (type and quality of food, type and changes of feeding), the intrinsic factors of horses (sex, age and breed), management (type and changes of housing and activity), medical history (a previous colic, administration of a medical treatment) and parasite control...
Moore-Colyer MJ, Hyslop JJ, Longland AC, Cí·¯ord D.An in sacco mobile bag technique was used to determine the rate and extent of disappearance of unmolassed sugar-beet pulp, soyabean hulls, hay cubes and an oat hull-naked oats mixture (67:33, w/w) in the foregut and total digestive tract of ponies. Ponies were administered naso-gastrically polyester mesh bags containing 350 mg feed, in a Latin square design. Bags were collected at the ileo-caecal junction (small intestine bag, SIB) and in the faeces (faecal bag, FB) and their residues analysed for proximate constituents and NSP composition and content. DM disappearances from individual bags we...
Goodwin D, Davidson HP, Harris P.The restricted access to pasture experienced by many competition horses has been linked to the exhibition of stereotypic and redirected behaviour patterns. It has been suggested that racehorses provided with more than one source of forage are less likely to perform these patterns; however, the reasons for this are currently unclear. To investigate this in 4 replicated trials, up to 12 horses were introduced into each of 2 identical stables containing a single forage, or 6 forages for 5 min. To detect novelty effects, in the first and third trials the single forage was hay. In the second and fo...
Reiwald D, Riond JL.The copper and zinc contents of 25 rations for adult horses were evaluated. The total amount of copper and zinc daily ingested was obtained by adding the amount of each element contained and added of the commercial feed to the amount contained in ingested hay and oats. The total amount of copper and zinc ingested daily was compared with the official recommendations for the maintenance of an adult horse of 550 kg. The results show that a traditional ration oats/hay does not contain a sufficient amount of copper and zinc in order to cover their respective requirements. Furthermore, many rations ...
Gentry LR, Thompson DL, Gentry GT, Davis KA, Godke RA, Cartmill JA.An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of high vs low body condition scores (BCS) produced by restricted feeding on reproductive characteristics, hormonal secretion, and leptin concentrations in mares during the autumnal transition and winter anovulatory period. Mares with BCS of 6.5 to 8.0 were maintained on pasture and/or grass hay, and starting in September, were full fed or restricted to produce BCS of 7.5 to 8.5 (high) or 3.0 to 3.5 (low) by December. All but one mare with high BCS continued to ovulate or have follicular activity during the winter, whereas mares with low BCS...
Yoshida T, Ohta Y.The experiment was conducted to estimate dietary threonine (Thr) requirement using plasma amino acid concentrations as a criterion in mature thoroughbreds. Four adult thoroughbreds were used, and a 4 × 4 Latin square design was used for four dietary Thr levels. Plasma Thr concentration was constant until 0.41%, and then increased rapidly with increasing dietary Thr levels. The Thr requirement was estimated to be 67% of lysine with plasma Thr concentration at four Thr levels.
Reinprecht B, Hackl S, Reisinger R, Zickl M, Spona J, Stanek C, Zentek J.The objective of this study was to investigate some metabolic and clinical effects of feed deprivation in horses that were submitted for orthopaedic surgery. The effects of preoperative feed restriction were investigated in 20 horses submitted for elective orthopaedic surgery. The patients were fasted from 12 hours before until 4 hours after surgery. Serum free amino acids, glucose,free fatty acids (FFA), white blood cell counts, creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were determined 24 hours before surgery, 2 hours after the end of anaesthesia and 24 and 72 hours after surg...
Ragnarsson S, Lindberg JE.Eight mature Icelandic geldings were used in an experiment arranged as a change-over design to evaluate the effect of feeding level on the digestibility of a high-energy haylage-only diet. The horses were fed a low feeding level 10.7 g dry matter (DM)/kg body weight (BW) (maintenance) and a high feeding level 18.1 g DM/kg BW (1.5 × maintenance) during two 23 days experimental periods. Total collection of faeces was performed for 6 days at the end of each period to determine the coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD). The CTTAD for DM, organic matter, neutral detergent fibre...
Damkel C, Snyder A, Uhlig A, Coenen M, Schusser GF.An electrode incorporated into a polyethylene hose was introduced under endoscopic control into the stomach of six fasting adult horses for long-lasting pH measurements. The intragastric pH was recorded every four seconds for a period of 24 hours. The Warmblood horses were assigned randomly to receive hay ad libitum (H group); 1.5 kg hay/100 kg BW/day and 1 kg concentrate/100 kg BW/ day (C group) or protocol C plus 75 g pectin-lecithin supplement/100 kg BW/day (P group). The horses were adapted to each diet for 14 days. The 24-hour median pH value for protocol H (2.69) was significantly lower ...
Back W, Schamhardtt HC, Barneveld A, van Weeren PR.Nowadays, ponies are used more and more for competitive equine sports, driving and racing. The locomotor performance of ponies, however, has been evaluated in only a few kinematic and kinetic studies. To compare the longitudinal development of locomotor characteristics in the pony to the same process in the horse, the kinematics of 23 Shetland ponies were recorded at the trot on a treadmill (3 m/s) at ages 4 and 30 months using a modified CODA-3 apparatus. Furthermore, the influence of specific feeding and training regimes on this development was evaluated. It appeared that stride and stance d...
Crandell KG, Pagan JD, Harris P, Duren SE.High-grain diets for the exercising horse were compared with diets which provided 15% of the total caloric intake from either vegetable oil or a highly fermentable fibre source (beet pulp). Six Thoroughbreds age 3 years were fed one of 3 diets or 5 weeks in a replicated 3 x 3 Latin square. The CONTROL diet was 3.65 kg of sweet feed (SF), 0.9 kg of a protein/vitamin/mineral pellet and 5.45 kg of hay cubes. The FAT diet replaced 1.15 kg of SF with 0.45 kg of soybean oil and the FIBRE diet replaced 1.15 kg of SF with 1.36 kg of beet pulp. Horses were exercised 3 times per week on a high-speed tre...
Doreau M, Martin-Rosset W, Barlet JP.Twenty-one circadian blood sample profiles were made in heavy brood mares during pregnancy, lactation or the dry, non-pregnant period. The mares were fed forage-rich diets containing different levels of energy and nitrogen (table 1). Each profile consisted of 7 samples taken at 8 a.m., 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 7 p.m., 11 p.m., 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. The animals were fed at 8:30 a.m. The eleven plasma components evaluated were glucose, non-esterified fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetate, alanine, insulin (energy metabolites), urea, total protein (nitrogen metabolites), calcium, inorganic phosphorus an...
Direkvandi E, Rouzbehan Y, Fazaeli H.To determine the effects of feeding frequency on nutrient digestibility and blood metabolites in horse, 16 Turkmen horses were used with weight of 430 ± 46 kg and age of 7 ± 1.8 years. Four feeding frequencies with 2 (M2), 4 (M4), 6 (M6), and 8 (M8) meals per day were used for a period of 28 days. The ratio of hay to concentrate was 70:30 in the experimental diet. Acid insoluble ash was used as internal marker to determine digestibility. On the 27th day of experiment, the blood was collected on 13 time points throughout the day. The results of this experiment showed that feed intake was not ...
Rose RJ, Kohnke JR, Baggot JD.Plasma phenylbutazone concentrations were determined for up to 12 h in 6 horses following intravenous and oral phenylbutazone administration. To evaluate the bioavailability of different oral preparations, phenylbutazone was administered in a paste as well as the traditional powder form. The effect of the state of stomach contents on the absorption of phenylbutazone was investigated by administering the paste before and after feeding; the powder was given in a small bran mash and a full feed of lucerne chaff, wheaten chaff and bran. Despite great variability among individual horses both the pa...
Stachurska A, Tkaczyk E, Różańska-Boczula M, Janicka W, Janczarek I.The commercial horse feed industry uses palatants to mask undesirable tastes of feeds and enhance product acceptance. However, an unknown odour or taste may also hinder feed intake, due to, inter alia, novelty. The objective of the study was to assess the horses' response to novel diet: five different herbs added alternately to dry, wet or wet-sweetened oats. Twenty adult horses were given different diet combinations of a feed presentation and a herb: field mint, common yarrow, common chamomile, common sage and common nettle, consecutively, once daily. The response to novelty was assessed rega...
Suwannachot P, Verkleij CB, Kocsis S, Enzerink E, Everts ME.We determined the effects of food supply and low-intensity training on growth, serum thyroid hormone levels and the Na(+),K(+)-pump concentration in equine skeletal muscle. Twenty-two Shetland ponies were subjected to two different feeding regimes for 2(1/2) years (11 ponies per group): food restriction (body condition score kept at 2) or ad libitum fed (body condition score kept at 8). Five ponies in each group underwent low-intensity training. Gluteus medius muscle and serum samples were obtained in April 1998. Subsequently, all ponies were fed ad libitum and the training programme was stopp...
Holland JL, Kronfeld DS, Sklan D, Harris PA.Marker methods are needed for estimating fecal output by grazing animals in studies of nutrition and environmental impact. In addition, estimates of prefecal mass and turnover time are relevant to exercise performance and certain digestive disorders. As a first step in developing marker methods for field use, a chromic oxide model of fecal kinetics was developed and tested in the context of a digestion balance experiment with stall-fed horses. The model consists of removal of feces at a constant rate from a single compartment, the prefecal mass. Four horses were fed hay, and another four were ...
Fletcher JR, Yuen KY, Stewart AJ, Young AC, Gibson JS, James OA, Medina-Torres CE, Forde BM, Sole-Guitart A.Chronic oroantral fistulae (OAF) with secondary sinusitis can occur following repulsion of cheek teeth in horses. Methods: An 8-year-old Andalusian cross gelding presented with an iatrogenic clinical crown fracture of tooth 209, which underwent repulsion of its apical portion (day 0). The horse was treated with intramuscular penicillin and intravenous gentamicin (5 days), followed by oral trimethoprim-sulphonamide (10 days) and then oral doxycycline (14 days). The acute iatrogenic OAF created during the initial repulsion persisted; a chronic OAF was identified on day 24. On day 48, septi...
Vosmer J, Liesegang A, Wanner M, Zeyner A, Suter D, Hoelzle L, Wichert B.The aim of the present study was to compare carbohydrate degradation of forages which store carbohydrates either predominantly as fructan or starch, in horses' hindgut. The effects of an abrupt change from hay-based feeding to green fodder-based feeding on the caecal flora were tested with the in vitro hindgut simulation technique 'Caesitec'. Six trials with different forages (English ryegrass, tall fescue, grass mixture-horses, grass mixture-cows, lucerne, white clover) were conducted. During a 4-day stabilisation period, samples were taken once a day before loading the fermenters with hay. A...
Vervuert I, Voigt K, Hollands T, Cí·¯ord D, Coenen M.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding oats alone before or after feeding chopped alfalfa or, in admixture with the alfalfa on the glycaemic and insulinaemic responses of horses as well as post-prandial breath hydrogen and methane excretion. Horses were fed in a randomized order, chopped alfalfa as a source of dietary fibre and unprocessed oats as a source of starch. Chopped alfalfa intake was adjusted to a crude fibre intake of 0.5 g/kg bodyweight (BW) per meal and the oats intake was adjusted to a starch intake of 2 g/kg BW per meal. The feeds were offered in three d...
Pagan JD, Hintz HF.Twenty-two pony mares were fed one of three diets that provided 93.0, 74.8 or 57.2 kcal of digestible energy (DE) per kg body weight per day. Milk samples were taken at 14 day intervals. A total of five samples were taken from each mare. The samples were analyzed for total solids, crude protein, lactose, total lipids, ash, calcium and phosphorus. Gross energy was calculated from composition data. Increases in energy intake decreased the concentration of total solids, protein, fat and gross energy of mare's milk. Energy intake had a greater influence on the mare's body condition than on milk en...
Meier AD, de Laat MA, Reiche DB, Sillence MN.Endocrinopathic laminitis, related to equine metabolic syndrome and insulin dysregulation, causes marked pain and suffering in horses and represents a substantial cost to the horse industry. This study investigated the effect of feeding a diet high in nonstructural carbohydrates on concentrations of active glucagon-like peptide-1 (aGLP-1), total insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and high-molecular-weight (HMW) adiponectin, in insulin-dysregulated ponies. Thirty-seven ponies were challenged with this diet for up to 18 d to induce hyperinsulinemia. Hormone concentrations were measured in se...
Moore-Colyer M, Longland A, Harris P, Zeef L, Crosthwaite S.Soaking hay fodder to reduce dust and soluble carbohydrate (WSC) contents prior to feeding is common practice among horse owners. Soaking can increase bacteria load in hay but no information exists on how this process alters the bacteria profile, which could pose a health risk or digestive challenge, to horses by introducing foreign bacteria into the gastrointestinal tract and so altering the normal profile. The current objectives were to map the bacterial profile of 3 different hays and determine how soaking alters this with the aim of improving best practice when feeding stabled horses. A Pe...
Burns TA.Nutrition plays an important role in equine health, including that of the foot. Deficiencies and excesses of dietary components can affect the growth and function of the foot and have been associated with important podiatric diseases. The recognition, prevention, and treatment of specific notable nutritional diseases of the foot are discussed, as well as information regarding specific ingredients included in supplements meant to improve equine hoof quality. Ensuring provision of a balanced diet, maintaining horses in appropriate body condition, and seeking guidance from an equine nutritionist ...
Harris RC, Harris PA, Routledge NB, Naylor JR, Wilson AM.Pharmacological benefits of glutamine supplementation have been shown in athletically and clinically stressed human subjects. In the horse, infection and intense exercise have also been shown to significantly decrease plasma glutamine concentrations, but little is known on how best to supplement. Objective: To evaluate whether ingestion of different foodstuffs, with or without L-glutamine (G) or a peptide (Pep) containing 31.5% w/w G in a water-stable form, could affect plasma glutamine concentrations (P-GC). Methods: Nine feeds (molassed sugar beet-pulp (mSB); naked oats (nO); commercial mix ...
Vervuert I, Klein S, Coenen M.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fat supplementation on postprandial glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in horses fed a corn meal. Four horses were fed three different diets: (1) cracked corn (CC), (2) cracked corn with soybean oil (CC+SBO), and (3) cracked corn with fish oil (CC+FO). Each diet was adjusted so there was a starch intake of 2 g/kg bodyweight (BW) and an intake of 0.2 mL/kg BW of FO and SBO. The increases in mean plasma glucose and insulin concentrations, peak values, and areas under the curve were similar for all diets (time P<0.05, diet not significa...
Vergnano D, Bergero D, Valle E.Nutrition plays a very important role in the healthy and in the ill horse. Although research in this field clearly shows that incorrect nutritional practices may lead to severe pathologies, inappropriate feeding plans often continue to be used. A clinical nutrition counselling (CNC) service could thus be of great use to both horse owners and veterinarians. The aim of this study was to provide information on equine patients referred to the CNC service of the University of Turin and to provide standard dietary protocols as used in our Veterinary Teaching Hospital for the most common nutrition-re...
Ott EA, Asquith RL.Thirty-three Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse yearlings were used in two experiments (18 in Exp. 1 and 15 in Exp. 2) to determine the influence of trace mineral (TM) supplementation on growth and bone mineral content in young growing horses from 340 to 452 d of age. In each experiment the yearlings were assigned at random within breed and sex outcome groups to one of three treatments. Horses were fed assigned concentrates individually to appetite for two 1.5-h feeding periods, daily and group-fed Coastal bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) hay in drylot paddocks at a rate of 1.0 kg/100 kg BW daily. ...
Barr B.Diarrhoea is a common problem in the neonatal and suckling foal. In certain circumstances supplemental nutrition is necessary depending on the age of foal, severity of diarrhoea and presence of other systemic manifestations. Nutritional supplementation can be provided either enterally or parenterally. Enteral nutrition is superior to parenteral nutrition because it is the most natural and physiologically sound means to provide nutritional support. Parenteral nutrition may be warranted if the foal is unable to receive or tolerate enteral nutrition. Dextrose alone or with amino acids and lipids ...
Ensink JM, Moi A, Vulto AG, Tukker JJ.Pivampicillin was administered as an oral paste to five healthy adult horses, and an oral paste with ampicillin trihydrate was administered to three horses. Pivampicillin was administered to both starved and fed horses, ampicillin trihydrate was administered to fed horses only. The dose of pivampicillin was 19.9 mg/kg, and the dose of ampicillin trihydrate was 17 mg/kg. Both doses are equivalent on a molecular basis to 15 mg/kg ampicillin. Ampicillin concentrations in plasma were determined up to 24 hours after administration. After administration of pivampicillin to starved and fed horses the...
Stewart AJ, Hardy J, Kohn CW, Toribio RE, Hinchcliff KW, Silver B.To evaluate the diagnostic value of serum concentrations of total magnesium (tMg) and ionized magnesium (iMg), concentrations of magnesium (Mg) in muscle, intracellular Mg (icMg) concentrations, urinary Mg excretion (EMg), Mg clearance (CMg), and fractional clearance of Mg (FCMg) in horses fed diets with Mg content above and below National Research Council recommendations. Methods: 9 young female horses. Methods: 6 horses were fed a reduced-Mg diet for 29 days followed by an Mg-supplemented diet for 24 days. Control horses (n = 3) were fed grass hay exclusively. Blood, urine, and tissue sample...
Lakritz J, Wilson WD, Marsh AE, Mihalyi JE.To determine effects of prior feeding on pharmacokinetics and estimated bioavailability of orally administered microencapsulated erythromycin base (MEB) in healthy foals. Methods: 6 healthy foals, 3 to 5 months old. Methods: Foals were given 2 doses of MEB (25 mg/kg of body weight, PO). One dose was administered after food was withheld overnight, and the other was administered after foals had consumed hay. The study used a crossover design with a 2-week period between doses. Blood was collected via a jugular vein prior to and at specific times after drug administration. Concentrations of eryth...
Burrows GE, MacAllister CG, Ewing P, Stair E, Tripp PW.The effects of time and method of administration of rifampin with respect to feeding were evaluated in five mature horses. There was a significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) delay in time of maximum serum concentration and an apparent but not significant decrease in oral absorption when rifampin was given as a top dressing on grain as compared with administration in corn syrup 2 h before or 2 h after feeding. Although there were no differences between administration before or after feeding, administration 2 h prior to feeding was selected as the method of choice for future experiments. The...
Haywood PE, Teale P, Moss MS.Thoroughbred geldings were fed racehorse cubes containing a predetermined concentration of theobromine in the form of cocoa husk. They were offered 7 kg of cubes per day, divided between morning and evening feed, and food consumption was monitored. Urinary concentrations of theobromine were determined following the consumption of cubes containing 11.5, 6.6, 2.0 and 1.2 mg per kg of theobromine, to verify whether or not such concentrations would produce positive urine tests. Pre-dose urine samples were collected to verify the absence of theobromine before each experiment. It became apparent fro...
Ralston SL, Baile CA.Ponies are large nonruminant herbivores which are capable of utilizing the products of both enzymatic digestion in the small intestine and bacterial fermentation (volatile fatty acids, VFAs) in the cecum and large colon as sources of metabolizable energy. Recent studies have demonstrated that ponies utilize nutrient stimuli from both carbohydrate and fat digestion in the small intestine and VFAs in the cecum and large colon in the control of meal frequency. These animals, however, rely primarily upon oropharyngeal and external stimuli to control the size and duration of meals. This is perhaps ...
