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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.
Nutritional Quality and Socio-Ecological Benefits of Mare Milk Produced under Grazing Management. This review discusses the scientific evidence that supports the nutritional value of mare milk and how its properties are essentially achieved when mares are managed under grazing conditions. Mare milk's similarity with the chemical composition of human milk makes this food and its derived products not only suitable for human consumption but also an interesting food regarding human health. The contribution of horse breeding under grazing management to other socio-ecological benefits generated by equine farms is also highlighted. Both the high added value of mare milk and the socio-ecological b...
Analysis of current equine feeding practices in the Netherlands and identification of potential nutrient leaching and environmental contamination factors. The aim of this study was to estimate the potential for nutrient leaching based on current feeding practices of horses in the Netherlands. An online survey of horse owners collected data on the demographics of the horses (n = 274) and feeding practices. The median age was 8 years, the majority being warmblood and geldings with a mean bodyweight of 542.4 ± 101.9 kg. Most horses (85 %) had access to a limited area of pasture (<200m2 per horse), with a median grazing time of 10 hours. Grass hay was the predominant conserved forage offered (77 %) within diets. Concentrate feeds were provided to m...
Do Poisonous Plants in Pastures Communicate Their Toxicity? Meta-Study and Evaluation of Poisoning Cases in Central Europe. One of the possible roles of secondary plant metabolites, including toxins, is facilitating plant-animal communication. Lethal cases of pasture poisoning show that the message is not always successfully conveyed. As the focus of poisoning lies in the clinical aspects, the external circumstances of pasture poisoning are widely unknown. To document poisoning conditions in cattle, sheep, goats, and horses on pastures and to compile a checklist of plants involved in either poisoning or co-existence (zero poisoning), published case reports were evaluated as primary sources. The number of affected a...
Plants that Contaminate Feed and Forage and Poison Horses: Equine Ttxicology. Many toxic plants are unpalatable to horses and are not eaten when alternative forage is available. However, when such plants contaminate prepared or baled feed and forage, herd competition and improved palatability can alter acceptance and thereby cause equine plant poisonings. Dehydropyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plants; cocklebur; Salvia reflexa; kleingrass, switchgrass, and other saponin-containing grasses; jimson weed, black henbane, and other tropane alkaloid-containing plants; lantana; Cassia spp and other myotoxic plants; castor bean; cyanogenic glycoside-containing plants; thiamin...
Preliminary examination of the perceptions of sustainable horse feeding practices in the Netherlands. The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of sustainability among horse owners in the Netherlands and their willingness to switch to more sustainable feeding practices. A survey was distributed to a target group of horse owners in the Netherlands via social media channels. Data (n = 338 valid responses) were stratified based on yard type and size (small (50 horses). Most of the yards were livery yards (68 %) and they were small in size (66 %). The term most commonly associated with sustainability was low environmental impact (61.8 %). All participants (338/338) indicated t...
Confidence does not mediate a relationship between owner experience and likelihood of using weight management approaches for native ponies. Native ponies are at increased risk of obesity and metabolic perturbations, such as insulin dysregulation (ID), a key risk factor for endocrinopathic laminitis. Management and feeding practices can be adapted to maintain healthy body condition and support metabolic health, but owners may inadvertently provide their ponies with inappropriate management leading to obesity and exacerbating risk of metabolic disease. Adoption of preventative weight management approaches (WMAs), including regular monitoring of body condition, providing appropriate preserved forage, promoting seasonal weight loss, a...
Effects of Different Hay Feeders, Availability of Roughage on Abnormal Behaviors and Cortisol Circadian Rhythm in Horses Kept in Dry Lots. Free choice forage could be the best option regarding horses' welfare but can lead to increased body weight (BW), and waste of hay. Automatic box feeders (BF) and slow feeders (SF) decrease food waste, but it is unknown how these affect the horses' time-budget (TB). This study compared the effects of feeding free choice hay (FC), to a SF and an automated BF on the horses' cortisol circadian rhythm (CCR) and behavior by 24-hours continuous behavioral sampling (CBS). The study was designed as a 3 × 3 Latin square design with 15 polo horses divided into 3 groups, for 15 days on each treatment....
Protein Evaluation of Feedstuffs for Horses. The German Society of Nutrition Physiology has proposed a new protein evaluation system for horse feeds to estimate pre-cecally digestible crude protein (pcdCP) and amino acids (pcdAA) from chemical properties. A total of 71 feeds for horses were chemically tested and evaluated according to the new protein evaluation system. A feeding trial with eight horses tested whether differences in estimated pcdAA and neutral detergent soluble CP (NDSCP) in the diet were reflected by post-prandial (ppr) kinetics of plasma lysine (Lys) by feeding a complementary feed (control = CTRL) with 1.02 g Lys/100 k...
Forage:Concentrate Ratio Effects on In Vivo Digestibility and In Vitro Degradability of Horse’s Diet. Determination of digestibility represents the first step for the evaluation of the net energy content of feed for livestock animals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo digestibility and in vitro degradability of five diets characterized by different forage/concentrate ratios (F:C) in horses. The in vitro degradability was determined by the Gas Production Technique (GPT), using as an inoculum source the feces of the same subjects used for the in vivo test. Five diets consisting of poliphyte hay, straw and grains of barley and oats with a different F:C ratio [90/10 (Diet 1); 78/22...
Effect of Supplementary Feeding on Milk Volume, Milk Composition, Blood Biochemical Index, and Fecal Microflora Diversity in Grazing Yili Mares. Grazing is a common approach to rearing. We investigated the effects of supplementation during grazing on milk yield and composition, blood biochemistry, and fecal microflora in Yili horses. The control mares grazed normally, while those in groups I and II received 1 kg/d of concentrate and 1 kg/d of concentrate + 0.4 kg/d of coated FA, respectively. Milk volumes were significantly higher in groups I and II than in the control group, and among the previous two, milk volumes were significantly higher in group II than in group I. Milk fat, lactose, and protein levels were significantly higher in...
Effect of pony morphology and hay feeding methods on back and neck postures. The application of hay feeding devices, such as the use of hay nets or slow feeders, can help with the management of weight in ponies; however, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding their effect on equine posture. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the effect of different feeding devices on the posture of ponies using morphometric analysis. Two different breed types, Shetland type (SH, n = 5) versus Welsh Cob type (WC, n = 4), were fed the same forage in four different ways: on the ground (G), using a fully filled haynet (HF), using a partially filled haynet (HL) and...
Incidence, risk factors, and therapeutic management of equine colic in Lamongan, Indonesia. Colic is among the common health issues in equine health management. Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are the most frequent causes of colic, but dysfunction of other organs and systems inside the abdominal cavity may also contribute. Therefore, it is crucial to identify risk factors for colic of specific etiologies. This study aimed to examine the incidence, risk factors, and best therapeutic management practices for horses with colic. Unassigned: A cohort of 256 horses living in Lamongan, East Java, Indonesia, was randomly recruited based on reports of colic symptoms by owners. Diagnosis and t...
Dietary Transitions Toward Sustainable Horse Feeding. Sustainability is the balancing act of optimizing the use of current resources without compromising the current or future environment. Within the agriculture sector the primary focus of sustainability has been to reduce environmental pollution, specifically greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions, nitrogen emissions, and leaching. For the equine industry the first step towards sustainability is the documentation and critique of current feeding and management practices to permit modifications to enable the industry meet social and legislative obligations. As a monogastric hindgut fermenter on a per k...
Efficiency of round bale feeders: comparison of Tombstone versus Hay Saver. Hay wastage when feeding round bales due to contamination, deterioration, and animal refusal can accrue large financial losses for farmers. The present study investigated the efficiency of the conventional Tombstone-style feeder system compared to the Hay Saver feeder system to reduce hay wastage in feeding round hay bales. Mares were distributed equally into two groups, Tombstone and Hay Saver, and fed six bales per group over 48 days. Hay wastage was collected daily, dried, and weighed, while the mares were weighed weekly. Overall, the Hay Saver feeder showed less hay wastage, higher mean ma...
Effect of diet composition on glandular gastric disease in horses. Nutritional factors are suggested to influence the incidence and severity of glandular gastric disease (GGD) in horses. Objective: To retrospectively assess whether dietary fermentable carbohydrates increase the severity of GGD and to prospectively evaluate whether the partial substitution of concentrates by dehydrated alfalfa would decrease GGD severity scores. Methods: In total, 82 trotters from 4 training centers exercised ≥5 days/week. Methods: Multicenter retrospective observational study, and prospective 2-arm randomized trial. Glandular mucosae were observed by gastroscopy and score...
Changes in Management Lead to Improvement and Healing of Equine Squamous Gastric Disease. Equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) is common in horses and poses a serious welfare problem. Several risk factors have been identified and ESGD is routinely treated with omeprazole. Fourteen mares, previously used as embryo recipients and diagnosed with ESGD, were selected. Horses were confined to individual stalls, exercised once daily, and fed ad libitum hay, 1 kg of a low starch compound complementary feed and a mineral supplement. Half of the horses received a compound containing hydrolysed collagen (supplement) and the other half did not (control). At the start of the study, ESGD score...
Safety and efficacy of feed additives obtained from the fruit of Pimpinella anisum L.: anise oil for use in poultry and horses and anise tincture for use in poultry, dogs, cats and horses (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of anise oil and anise tincture obtained from the fruit of L., when used as sensory additives. The use of the anise oil at the proposed use level in complete feed of 1.9 mg/kg for laying hens and 5 mg/kg for horses was considered of low concern. The EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) had no safety concern when anise oil is used at the proposed use levels of 1.5 mg/kg for chickens for fattening and at 1.7 mg/kg for turk...
Safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of an essential oil obtained from the oleoresin of Pinus pinaster Aiton (pine white oil) for use in all animal species (FEFANA asbl). Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of an essential oil obtained from the oleoresin of Aiton (pine white oil, also known as turpentine oil), when used as a sensory additive in feed and water for drinking for all animal species. The Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) concluded that the essential oil under assessment is safe up to the maximum proposed use levels of 35 mg/kg for laying hens, piglets, pigs for fattening, sows, rabbits, salmonids, 50 mg/kg for veal ca...
Where Are We Now? Feeds, Feeding Systems and Current Knowledge of UK Horse Owners When Feeding Haylage to Their Horses. Despite our improved understanding of equid digestive health and accurate rations formulations, obesity in the UK horse population remains high. Study aims: (1) to determine how owners are feeding their horses and what influences their choices, (2) to understand owners' knowledge of haylage and (3) to identify key areas that require additional education. Data were collected in 2020 from 1338 UK horse owners via two online surveys. Survey 1 was on general feeding practices, and Survey 2 was specifically on the feeding of haylage. Data were processed using chi square analyses + Bonferroni tests,...
Effects of Macleaya cordata extract supplementation on digestive parameters of ponies. High amounts of grains in the equine diet led to high starch intake, causing gut alterations. Aimed at reducing harmful effects, extract (MCE) is a phytogenic additive that stands out for its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory effects proven in different species. However, there is no useful information for horses. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of the inclusion of commercial MCE on body weight (BW), body condition score (BCS), total apparent digestibility (AD) of nutrients, faecal pH and fermentative products, on ponies fed a high-starch diet. Eight ...
Dietary Fermentation Product of Aspergillus Oryzae Prevents Increases in Gastrointestinal Permeability (‘Leaky Gut’) in Horses Undergoing Combined Transport and Exercise. Equine leaky gut syndrome is characterized by gastrointestinal hyperpermeability and may be associated with adverse health effects in horses. The purpose was to evaluate the effects of a prebiotic Aspergillus oryzae product (SUPP) on stress-induced gastrointestinal hyperpermeability. Eight horses received a diet containing SUPP (0.02 g/kg BW) or an unsupplemented diet (CO) (n = 4 per group) for 28 days. On Days 0 and 28, horses were intubated with an indigestible marker of gastrointestinal permeability (iohexol). Half the horses from each feeding group underwent 60 min of transport by trailer ...
Changes in eating time, chewing activity and dust concentration in horses fed either alfalfa cubes or long-stem hay. Chewing is an essential physiological process in horses; yet, the physical form of feeds may affect their chewing and feeding behaviour with consequences for equine digestion and health. The present study evaluated the potential of a commercial forage cubes made from alfalfa and mixed meadow grasses to maintain chewing activity when compared with a traditional long and fibre-rich hay. An additional aim was to measure the dust formation during feeding. The experiment was a crossover design with six horses (11 ± 4 years old, mean ± SD), fed with 5 kg (as-fed basis) of their feed (long hay...
Effects of Transport and Feeding Strategies Before Transportation on Redox Homeostasis and Gastric Ulceration in Horses. Transportation may lead to oxidative stress (OS) and gastric ulceration in horses, and optimal feed management before, or during, transportation is unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of transportation after three different feeding strategies on OS and to explore possible associations between OS and equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS). Twenty-six mares were transported by truck for 12 hours without food or water. Horses were randomly divided into 3 groups; (1) fed 1 hour before departure (BD), (2) fed 6 hours BD, (3) fed 12 hours BD. Clinical examinations and blood collections w...
Effects of forage phosphorous content on faecal phosphorous excretion and possible markers of low phosphorous intake in foals fed forage-only diets. Knowledge of endogenous nutrient losses is important when estimating the nutrient requirements of animals. It has been suggested that faecal endogenous phosphorus (P) losses differ between growing and adult horses, but studies on foals are scarce. In addition, studies on foals on forage-only diets with different P contents are lacking. Thus this study: (1) assessed faecal endogenous P losses in foals fed a grass haylage-only diet close to or below estimated P requirements; (2) evaluated use of serum cross-linked carboxyterminal telopeptides of type-I collagen (CTx) as a marker of bone resorpti...
Which animal-to-feeding-place ratio at time-controlled hay racks is animal appropriate? Preliminary analysis of stress responses of horses. Automated feeding systems offer numerous advantages for animals and humans, but the associated benefits and risks can often only be seen under practical conditions. The space allowance (~80 cm per horse) at time-controlled hay racks for horses in group housing, unlike at partitioned feeding stands or transponder-controlled feed stations, currently falls below the required individual distance between the horses, which can result in a high level of aggression between the horses due to the lack of partitions between them. Hence, a feed-through at a time-controlled hay rack cannot be equated with ...
Results of a Clinical Trial Showing Changes to the Faecal Microbiome in Racing Thoroughbreds after Feeding a Nutritional Supplement. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to evaluate the effect of various interventions on the equine microbiome. The aim of this randomised blinded clinical trial was to determine if a prebiotic nutritional supplement would result in a change from baseline in the faecal microbiome composition of racing Thoroughbred horses in training being fed a high concentrate/grain-based diet to be more similar to that found in forage fed/pasture grazed horses. Thirty-two horses on one training yard were randomised to either receive the supplement or not. Faecal samples were collected at baseline, 6...
The effect of harvest time of forage on carbohydrate digestion in horses quantified by in vitro and mobile bag techniques. Carbohydrates in forages constitute an important part of the feed ration for all horses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of harvest time on carbohydrate composition and digestion of various grass species. The experiment was divided into three parts 1) characterization of the chemical composition of experimental feeds (6 grass species: meadow fescue [MF], cocksfoot [CF], perennial ryegrass [PR], smooth bromegrass [SB], tall fescue [TF], and timothy [TI], and 3 harvest times: early, medium, and late first cut), 2) measurements of the in vitro digestion of selected expe...
Identifying possible thresholds for nonstructural carbohydrates in the insulin dysregulated horse. Identifying intake levels of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) that limit the postprandial insulinaemic response in the insulin dysregulated (ID) horse may help reduce hyperinsulinaemia-associated laminitis (HAL) risk. Objective: To determine if ID horses have thresholds for pure sources of starch and sugar, above which there is an augmented insulin response. Methods: Randomised crossover experiment. Methods: Fourteen adult horses (6 ID and 8 noninsulin dysregulated, NID; matched for bodyweight) were randomly fed eight dietary treatments. Dietary treatments were formulated using a base of low...
The Role of Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Supporting Gut Health in Horses: An Updated Review on Its Effects on Digestibility and Intestinal and Fecal Microbiota. To support the overall health of horses, it is essential to maintain an optimal gut health (GH) status, which encompasses several physiological and functional aspects, including the balance and functionality of intestinal microbial populations and, accordingly, the effective digestion and absorption of nutrients. Numerous biotic and abiotic stressors can lead to an imbalance of GH, such as the quality of forages and the composition of diet, e.g., the inclusion of high energy-dense feeds to meet the energy requirements of performance horses. To support the digestive function and the intestinal ...
Effect of Nasogastric Tube Placement, Manipulation, and Fluid Administration on Transcutaneous Ultrasound Visualization and Assessment of Stomach Position in Healthy Unfed and Fed Horses. Knowledge of the effects of feeding and nasogastric tube placement and manipulation on gastric ultrasound is limited. Given the variability in duration since feeding and the ubiquitous use of nasogastric tubes in horses with colic, the interpretation of gastric ultrasound in horses with colic requires an understanding of these effects. Cranial to caudal and dorsal to ventral ultrasonographic dimensions of the stomach were obtained in 10 unfed horses and five fed horses, before and after nasogastric tube placement, after checking for reflux and after administration of 6 L of water in unfed hors...
