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Topic:Feeding Practices
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.
Dietary control of exertional rhabdomyolysis in horses. To determine whether feeding a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet would decrease severity of exercise-induced muscle injury in horses with exertional rhabdomyolysis. Methods: 19 horses with a history of exertional rhabdomyolysis. Methods: Case series. Methods: Specimens of the semitendinosus or semimembranosus muscle were obtained for histologic examination, and serum creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate transaminase (AST) activities 4 hours after exercise were determined. Horses were then fed a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet, and serum CK and AST activities 4 hours after exercise were reevaluated...
Metabolic responses of chronically starved horses to refeeding with three isoenergetic diets. To examine metabolic responses of chronically starved horses to refeeding with 3 isoenergetic diets. Methods: Uncontrolled clinical trial. Methods: 22 mature mixed-breed horses that were emaciated but otherwise clinically normal. Methods: Horses were fed 1 of 3 diets: alfalfa hay, oat hay, or a combination diet of half oat hay and half commercially prepared ration. Digestible energy of diets was gradually increased throughout the refeeding period. One pre- and 4 postprandial blood samples were obtained daily, and analyses included RBC count, Hct, and determination of hemoglobin, glucose, insul...
Prospective study of equine colic risk factors. A 1 year prospective study was conducted on 31 horse farms to identify risk factors for equine colic. Farms were randomly selected from a list from 2 adjacent counties of Virginia and Maryland, USA. The association between colic and farm or individual horse risk factors related to management, housing, pasture, use, nutrition, health and events was first examined by univariate statistical analysis. Individually significant (P < = 0.25 for farm factors, P < = 0.10 for horse factors) variables were used in a stepwise multivariable forward logistic regression to select explanatory factors (P < = 0...
Intrinsic, management, and nutritional factors associated with equine motor neuron disease. To identify intrinsic, management, nutritional, and environmental risk factors associated with equine motor neuron disease (EMND) and to determine whether epidemiologic evidence supports oxidative stress as a risk factor for developing EMND. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 87 horses with EMND and 259 control horses. Methods: Information concerning each horse's history of exposure to multiple environmental factors prior to developing EMND was obtained by means of a questionnaire or personal interview. Exposure histories of horses with EMND and control horses were compared, and the associa...
Effects of various feeding regimens on the energy balance of equine neonates. To determine the effect of diet on energy intake, loss, and metabolism in foals 2 to 7 days old. Methods: 14 pony foals. Methods: Group-A foals suckled their dams, group-B foals were fed milk replacer, and group-C foals were fed by total parenteral nutrition (TPN). Energy balance studies were performed over 8-hour periods on postpartum days 2, 4, and 7. Results: Mean gross energy (GE) intake of group-A foals increased between days 2 and 7. Approximately 3% of GE was excreted in urine and feces, and energy expenditure remained constant. These foals were in positive energy balance, and mean body...
[Development of nutrition science in veterinary medicine as an example of the School of Veterinary Medicine Hannover]. Animal nutrition is not a main subject in veterinary medicine training, nevertheless it has been taught in the Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover since its foundation in 1778. In the very beginning only a few lectures about feedstuffs and toxic plants for horses and feeding technique have been presented. During the 19th century animal nutrition was taught about 20 h under the general topic: Gesundheitspflege or Dlätetik. Diätetik included in that time all factors which are important for health as soil, water, climate, stable, hamess and nutrition, too. Textbooks about "Gesundheitspflege" fro...
Effect of feeding deoxynivalenol (vomitoxin)-contaminated barley to horses. No abstract available
Effect of feeding and feed deprivation on plasma concentrations of prolactin, insulin, growth hormone, and metabolites in horses. Two experiments were conducted to determine 1) the prolactin response to different kinds of feedstuffs in stallions and 2) the effects of total feed deprivation on prolactin secretion in mares and its interaction with the prolactin response to feeding. Experiment 1 was performed with stallions as a 6 x 6 Latin square: A) no feed; B) pelleted feed fed to meet 82.5% of the horses' CP requirements; C) pelleted feed at 25% of the amount in B; D) pelleted feed as in B plus water ad libitum; E) cracked corn at the weight in B; and F) chopped alfalfa at the weight in B. The positive prolactin respons...
Preileal digestibility of coconut fat and soybean oil in horses and their influence on metabolites of microbial origin of the proximal digestive tract. Three horses (approximately 190 kg BW) fitted with a permanent fistula at the end of the jejunum were used. To a control diet (1/3 hay, 2/3 mixed feed) one of two fat types (coconut fat or soybean oil) were added at 2 levels resulting in fat intakes of 0.1 g (control diet) to 0.5 or 1 g/kg BW 0.5 d, respectively. Each experimental period consisted of 2 weeks adaptation, 2 days of breath tests (before and hourly after the morning meal) and 5 days sampling of chyme. Crude fat, crude protein, concentrations of organic acids (SCFA, lactic acid), pH, and the minerals calcium, magnesium and phosphor...
Energy sources and requirements of the exercising horse. This review outlines the energy sources available to the horse, from its diet and from its body stores, at rest and while exercising. It looks at the current ways of describing the energy potential of diets fed to horses and discusses the relative advantages and disadvantages of the digestible energy and net energy systems. The more empirical net energy system for calculating the energy available for maintenance and work is compared with a more physiological partitioning system. Finally, the energy requirements for maintenance and exercise are discussed, together with how they may be practical...
Effects of intermittent feed deprivation, intermittent feed deprivation with ranitidine administration, and stall confinement with ad libitum access to hay on gastric ulceration in horses. To determine the effect of decreasing gastric acidity in a feed-deprivation protocol on induction of gastric ulcers, and to determine whether stall confinement may be a factor contributing to gastric ulceration in horses. Methods: 8 adult horses, 4 geldings and 4 mares, 3 to 8 years old, and 7 adult horses, 5 geldings and 2 mares, 4 to 11 years old. Methods: Gastric ulceration was induced in horses by alternating 24-hour periods of feed deprivation and ad libitum access to hay, for a total of 96 hours' feed deprivation. This protocol was repeated with the horses receiving the histamine type-2 ...
Utilization of endogenous and dietary urea in the large intestine of the mature horse. The dynamics of N metabolism in mature horses were investigated when they were fed on a low-N diet or the same diet supplemented with sufficient urea or soybean meal to meet their theoretical N requirements. There were no differences in DM, organic matter or neutral-detergent-fibre digestibilities for the three diets. N digestibilities and digestible-N intakes were similar for the urea- and soyabean-supplemented diets and very low for the low-N diet. For all three diets plasma urea was degraded in the digestive tract to NH3 which was utilized by the bacterial population as a N source. NH3 was ...
Dietary protein and energy restriction in mares: rapid changes in plasma metabolite and hormone concentrations during dietary alteration. Two diets consisting of bermudagrass hay and a corn-cottonseed hull-based supplement were formulated to provide either 100% (control) or 50% (restricted) of the protein and energy requirements for maintenance for mature mares. Twelve light horse mares were fed the control diet for 7 d, and then at 0800 on d 0, six mares were switched to the restricted diet. All diets were fed as two equally sized meals at 0800 and 1600. At 0800 on d 7, mares receiving the restricted diet were switched back to the control diet. Relative to control mares, mares switched to the restricted diet had reduced plasma ...
Behavior of horses is affected by soy lecithin and corn oil in the diet. To test the hypothesis that dietary fats may improve tractability of horses, the effects of four total mixed diets on behavior were compared. The control diet (CON) contained chopped hay, corn, oats, beet pulp, molasses and a mineral mix; the three test diets contained an additional 10% (by weight) corn oil (CO), soy lecithin-corn oil (SL-CO), or soy lecithin-soy oil (SL-SO). Eight horses were fed each diet in random order for four 3-wk periods. Behavior was observed during the last week of each feeding period. Spontaneous activity was evaluated using a pedometer and was less in horses fed SL-...
Risk factors for history of previous colic and for chronic, intermittent colic in a population of horses. To identify risk factors for recurrent colic and chronic, intermittent colic in horses. Methods: Case control study. Methods: The population included 768 horses examined by veterinarians for emergencies other than colic (control group). Methods: Horses with colic that had history of colic (n = 232) were compared with those without such history (n = 536), using logistic regression analysis to identify risk factors for history of previous colic and to determine odds ratios (OR) for these associations. Among the 232 horses in the history of colic group, 58 horses that had chronic, intermittent co...
A review of recent research on nutrition and metabolism in the athletic horse. Although a lot of research has been directed at attempts to improve performance of the equine athlete, many of the studies reviewed herein did not show statistically significant improvements in race times or increased time to fatigue. However, it must be remembered that success in racing performances is not always measured in time, but by comparative lengths or even by a nose. Therefore, improvement in the ability of an individual equine athlete is not always measurable and success is most frequently determined by one animal being better than the others in a particular competition. Therefore, ...
Bioavailability of pivampicillin and ampicillin trihydrate administered as an oral paste in horses. 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...
Influence of formulation on the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of racemic ketoprofen in horses. The bioavailability of S(+) and R(-) ketoprofen (KTP) in six horses was investigated after oral administration of the racemic (rac) mixture. Two oral formulations were studied, an oil-based paste containing micronised rac-KTP and powder from the same source in hard gelatin capsules, each at a dose rate of 2.2 mg/kg. For the oil-based paste two feeding schedules were used; horses were either allowed free access to food or access to food was restricted for 4 h before and 5 h after dosing. The drug in hard gelatin capsules was administered to horses with restricted access to food. After intraveno...
Patterns of feeding and behaviour in horses recovering from dysautonomia (grass sickness). Three horses suffering from grass sickness were treated successfully but showed clinical signs which varied in severity and duration. They were all characterised by marked and often erratic changes in behaviour and appetite.
Equine pelvic flexure myoelectric activity during fed and fasted states. The pelvic flexure is the midpoint of the equine large colon that marks the junction of dorsal and ventral components. Previous studies of intraluminal pressure in this region indicate that it could be an important motility control center. The present study was undertaken to expand our knowledge of normal myoelectric activity around the pelvic flexure region. Eight bipolar silver wire electrodes were surgically fixed at 5-cm intervals to the colonic serosa of five adult horses, starting 30 cm oral to the pelvic flexure on the left ventral colon and ending 15 cm aboral to the pelvic flexure on ...
Investigations on preileal digestion of starch from grain, potato and manioc in horses. In this study preileal starch digestibility of starchy feeds (oats, corn, barley, potatoes, manioc) was determined in seven jejunofistulated horses. The grains were fed whole (oats, corn), rolled (oats, barley), crushed, ground and expanded (corn); the potatoes were fresh, the manioc rolled. Ground corn was also fed in combination with amylase. The feeds were fed partly isolated or in combination with alfalfa meal or hay (Table 1). At least four horses with a cannula in the terminal jejunum were used for each diet. Two meals per day were offered at 12 h intervals. The starch intake was mostly ...
Dietary protein and(or) energy restriction in mares: plasma growth hormone, IGF-I, prolactin, cortisol, and thyroid hormone responses to feeding, glucose, and epinephrine. Sixteen light horse mares were fed diets of bermudagrass hay and a corn/cottonseed hull-based supplement formulated to contain either 100% (control) or 50% (restricted) of the protein and(or) energy requirements for maintenance in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Plasma IGF-I, prolactin, cortisol, triiodothyronine, and thyroxine were monitored for 33 d. On the 27th d, frequent blood samples were drawn throughout the day for the measurement of growth hormone (GH), and on the 29th d, an epinephrine challenge and an i.v. glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) were performed in the morning and...
Trace mineral supplementation of yearling horses. 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. ...
Effect of feeding state on the response of horses to repeated bouts of intense exercise. Four mature Standardbred horses were used in a 2-period cross-over design experiment to evaluate the effect of feeding state (fed or fasted) on metabolic response to 2 repeated bouts of exercise. Horses were either fasted 15 to 16 h before exercise or fasted for 12 h and then fed 2 kg of whole corn 2.5 to 3 h before exercise. In the first period, 2 horses in each feeding state were exercised. In the second period, the treatments were switched. The exercise test consisted of 2 exercise bouts separated by a 90 min recovery period. Each exercise bout included a warm-up phase and a high intensity ...
Dietary protein and(or) energy restriction in mares: plasma glucose, insulin, nonesterified fatty acid, and urea nitrogen responses to feeding, glucose, and epinephrine. Sixteen light horse mares (8 to 9 yr of age; 457 to 579 kg BW) were fed Bermudagrass hay and a corn/cottonseed hull-based supplement formulated to contain either 100% (control) or 50% (restricted) of the protein and(or) energy requirements for maintenance in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Daily measurements of intake, BW, and plasma hormones and metabolites were made for 33 d. Plasma glucose, insulin, NEFA, and urea N were measured in hourly samples drawn on d 27, and parallel with an i.v. glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and epinephrine challenge on d 29. Energy restriction increa...
Equine model of inducing ulceration in alimentary squamous epithelial mucosa. Ulceration of the gastric squamous epithelial mucosa was induced in 10 horses using a feeding protocol previously shown to expose the gastric mucosa to repeated periods of high acidity. The feeding protocol consisted of alternating feed deprivation with free access to hay. Over a period of seven days, each horse was provided hay for 84 hr and deprived of hay for 84 hr. Hay was never withheld for longer than 24 hr at a time. Gastroscopy was performed on each horse at the beginning of the protocol after 12 hr of feed deprivation, and after a total of 36 hr, 60 hr, and 84 hr of feed deprivation. ...
Artificially dehydrated lucerne for horses. Artificially dehydrated lucerne produced in the United Kingdom has been shown to be a better source of nutrients for horses than grass hay. Horses eat more lucerne when it is pelleted, and the processing has little effect on its nutritive value. Lucerne does not appear to contain any antinutritional factors of significance to horses. Lucerne contains readily available calcium and protein and can thus be used as a cereal-balancer or to upgrade poor quality roughages. Because lucerne is a good source of digestible nutrients it has therapeutic applications, including the correction of electrolyte...
