Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Forage
Forage is a primary component of the equine diet, consisting mainly of grasses, hay, and legumes that provide essential nutrients and fiber. It plays a significant role in maintaining digestive health and supporting the overall well-being of horses. The nutritional composition of forage can vary based on factors such as plant species, maturity at harvest, and environmental conditions. Proper management and selection of forage are important for meeting the dietary needs of horses and preventing issues such as colic or laminitis. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the nutritional value, management practices, and impact of forage on equine health and performance.
High intake of sugars and starch, low number of meals and low roughage intake are associated with Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in a Belgian cohort. Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a pathological condition affecting the glandular and squamous regions of the stomach. It is characterized by non-specific clinical signs, behavioural changes or can also be found without any overt clinical manifestations. Nutritional factors such as intermittent feeding, high sugars and starch intake, large amounts of straw as forage and prolonged time without access to forage have all been associated with an increased risk of equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). The aim of this study was to investigate which nutritional practices are commonly seen in...
The effect of different grazing conditions on the insulin and incretin response to the oral glucose test in ponies. The oral glucose test (OGT) is a useful tool for diagnosing insulin dysregulation (ID) and is somewhat repeatable in ponies under consistent management. This study aimed to determine whether the insulin and incretin responses to an OGT in ponies differed after short-term access to fertilised pasture, compared to unfertilised pasture, by using a randomised, repeated measures study design. Sixteen mixed-breed ponies were classified as severely insulin-dysregulated (SD; post-prandial insulin ≥80 μIU/mL) or not severely insulin-dysregulated (NSD; post-prandial insulin < 80 μIU/mL) using a...
Influence of diet fortification on body composition and apparent digestion in mature horses consuming a low-quality forage. Stock-type mares (498 ± 9 kg BW; 12 ± 7 yr) were used in a completely randomized design for 56 d to test the hypothesis that concentrate fortification improves apparent digestion and enhances lean mass over the topline. Horses were stratified by age, BW, and BCS and randomly assigned to either a custom pelleted concentrate (CON; = 13), or an iso-caloric, iso-nitrogenous pellet that included amino acid fortification, complexed trace minerals, and fermentation metabolites (FORT; = 10). Concentrate was offered at a total 0.75% BW/d (as-fed) twice daily, and diets were designed to meet or exce...
Nutrient content changes from steaming or soaking timothy-alfalfa hay: effects on feed preferences and acute glycemic response in Standardbred racehorses1. Soaking hay and steaming hay are strategies that are used to reduce respirable dust particles for horses but may result in variable nutrient losses, including nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and minerals. Since these losses have not been quantified in Canadian hay yet, the first aim of this study was to identify nutrient losses from first-cut timothy-alfalfa hay grown in southern Ontario, Canada, after soaking for 30 min or steaming for 60 min. It is uncertain whether horses prefer hay when it is dry, soaked, or steamed. To address this, 13 Standardbred racehorses were offered 2 of these hay...
Modification of the equine gastrointestinal microbiota by Jerusalem artichoke meal supplementation. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of natural prebiotic active compounds on the microbial composition in different regions of the equine gastrointestinal tract. Twelve adult horses (body weight [bwt] 534 ± 64.5 kg; age 14 ± 7.5 years) were randomly divided into two feeding groups. Six horses received a basal diet consisting of 1.5 kg hay/100 kg bwt x d-1 and oat grains equal to 1.19 g starch/kg bwt x d-1, supplemented with Jerusalem artichoke meal providing prebiotic fructooligosaccharides + inulin in a quantity of 0.15 g/kg bwt x d-1. The remaining horses received a p...
Impact of Year-Round Grazing by Horses on Pasture Nutrient Dynamics and the Correlation with Pasture Nutrient Content and Fecal Nutrient Composition. Horse grazing may benefit biodiversity, but the impact of year-round grazing on nutrient dynamics has not been evaluated previously. This study compared pasture quality in a forest-grassland landscape grazed year-round by horses with that in exclosed mown areas. Twelve Gotlandsruss stallions were kept without supplementary feeding in three enclosures (~0.35 horse/ha) outside Uppsala, Sweden, from May 2014 to September 2016. Each enclosure contained three mown exclosures, where grass sward samples were collected monthly and analyzed for chemical composition and vegetation density. Fecal grab sa...
Chewing patterns in horses during the intake of variable quantities of two pelleted compound feeds differing in their physical characteristics only. Pelleted feeds (PF) are popular in horse nutrition because of high palatability and improved feeding hygiene, but ingestion is faster for PF than for cereals or muesli feed. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether variable amounts of two PFs produced with different physical properties from the same batch of feed can affect feed intake patterns in horses. Chewing patterns were measured in six warmblood mares (519 ± 36.3 kg) on two PFs (small-sized PF1: ø 5 mm, length 21.9 ± 4.97 mm, large-sized PF2: edge length 15.6 ± 0.14 × 15.6 ± 0.08 mm, length 54.4 Â...
Isolation and identification of cellulolytic bacteria from gastrointestinal tract of Arabian horse and investigation of their effect on the nutritional value of wheat straw. This study was conducted to isolate and identify the cellulolytic bacteria from gastrointestinal tract of Arabian horse and investigate their effect on the nutritional value of wheat straw (WS). Results: Fresh faeces were collected from four Arabian horses. The cellulose-hydrolytic bacteria were isolated by using a medium amended with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC). The activity of CMC was determined by measuring the release of reducing sugars from CMC. Among the isolates, four isolates (L11, L12, L2 and Z2) showed maximum hydrolysis capacity. 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that these isolat...
Effects of Harvest Date, Sampling Time, and Cultivar on Total Phenolic Concentrations, Water-Soluble Carbohydrate Concentrations, and Phenolic Profiles of Selected Cool-Season Grasses in Central Kentucky. Grasses are a source of nutrients for grazing horses. However, water-soluble carbohydrates (WSCs) of grasses have been implicated in some equine health issues. Grasses also contain phenolic compounds, whose sensory and antimicrobial properties may affect forage intake by horses and horse health. The goals of this study were to assess factors affecting phenolic and WSC concentrations in selected cultivars of cool-season grasses and profile the phenolic compounds. Total phenolics and WSC were quantified in "Linn" and "Calibra" perennial ryegrass (PRG), "Cajun II" tall fescue (Cajun TF), "Persist...
Utilizing the fecal microbiota to understand foal gut transitions from birth to weaning. A healthy gastrointestinal (GI) tract with a properly established microbiota is necessary for a foal to develop into a healthy weanling. A foal's health can be critically impacted by aberrations in the microbiome such as with diarrhea which can cause great morbidity and mortality in foals. In this study, we hypothesized that gut establishment in the foal transitioning from a diet of milk to a diet of grain, forage, and pasture would be detectable through analyses of the fecal microbiotas. Fecal samples from 37 sets of foals and mares were collected at multiple time points ranging from birth to...
Relative Traffic Tolerance of Cool-Season Turfgrasses and Suitability for Grazing by Equine. Unlike traditional forage grasses, turfgrasses, which were developed to be tolerant of foot traffic and close mowing, may be suitable as alternative ground cover in areas of high hoof traffic such as dry lots. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential of eight cool-season turfgrasses as alternative ground cover in heavy use areas. Cultivars were established via seeding in four replicated plots. To simulate horse traffic at a trot, a Baldree traffic simulator was driven over a section of the plot, either 0 (CON), 1 (LOW), or 2 (HIGH) times per week for 6 weeks followed by 4 week...
Influence of housing type on the cecal environment of horses. Eight previously cecally cannulated Quarter Horse geldings were utilized in a crossover design with two 28-d periods with a 21-d washout period between to evaluate the influence of housing on the cecal environment and dry matter intake (DMI). Horses were adapted to diet and housing from day 1 to 19, DMI was determined from day 20 to 24, and cecal fluid was collected on day 28. Horses were paired by age and body weight (BW) and randomly assigned to treatment. Treatments consisted of housing horses individually in stalls or group housed in a pen. Regardless of treatment, all horses were individu...
Effects of grazing system, season, and forage carbohydrates on glucose and insulin dynamics of the grazing horse. Rotational grazing is a recommended practice for grazing livestock, but little is known about its benefits with respect to grazing horses. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of continuous (CON) and rotational (ROT) grazing on forage nutrient composition and whether those concentrations influenced circulating glucose and insulin concentrations in the grazing horse. Twelve mature Standardbred mares were paired by age and weight and randomly assigned to 1 replicate of either a 1.5 ha cool-season grass CON or ROT system for a total of 3 mares in each system. Mares on CON we...
Effect of Cobalt Chloride on Fermentation of Alfalfa and Smooth Bromegrass Hays by Horse Cecal Microorganisms. Effects of Co on fiber digestibility in horses are largely unknown. Our objective was to evaluate effects of Co chloride on in vitro gas production, VFA production, and dry matter (DM) disappearance (IVDMD) using cecal fluid from 4 cannulated Quarter Horses. Five grams DM of alfalfa or smooth bromegrass hay were provided as substrate with Co added at 0.0, 0.5, 5.0, 25.0, or 50.0 mg/kg substrate DM. Ten milliliters cecal fluid and 140 mL McDougall's buffer were incubated in duplicate, and pH, VFA concentrations, and IVDMD were measured after 48 hours. Gas production, used as an indicator of...
Different effects of alpine woody plant expansion on domestic and wild ungulates. Changes in land-use and climate affect the distribution and diversity of plant and animal species at different spatiotemporal scales. The extent to which species-specific phenotypic plasticity and biotic interactions mediate organismal adaptation to changing environments, however, remains poorly understood. Woody plant expansion is threatening the extent of alpine grasslands worldwide, and evaluating and predicting its effects on herbivores is of crucial importance. Here, we explore the impact of shrubification on the feeding efficiency of Pyrenean chamois (Rupicapra p. pyrenaica), as well as ...
In Vitro Digestibility Measurement of Feedstuffs in Donkeys Using the DaisyII Incubator. Successful studies on in vitro digestibility measurement of feedstuffs with fecal inoculum have been reported for horses, whereas data on donkeys are currently lacking. In this study, we evaluated the use of the Daisy Incubator for in vitro digestibility measurement of feedstuffs using donkey feces as source of microbial inoculum. The method was tested using seven feedstuffs commonly used in donkey diets (alfalfa, bromegrass, ryegrass, and timothy hays; wheat bran and wheat straw; barley grains). Feces were obtained from four female donkeys, and incubations were carried out at 1-week interva...
Feeding Behavior of Mangalarga Marchador Weanlings Fed Sorghum Silage Versus Grass Hay. Mangalarga Marchador foals in Minas Gerais, Brazil, are usually weaned during the dry season, when there is a scarcity of forage. Although sorghum silage has been used to feed weanlings, the effect on their feeding behavior in comparison with grass hay has not been reported. Twelve Mangalarga Marchador weanlings were randomly assigned to two groups of six animals: SS: sorghum silage; VH: Vaquero hay. Both groups received commercial concentrate in the proportion of 1.2 kg.100 kg of the live weight and forage ad libitum. The animals were filmed for 48 hours, being timed: forage intake time, wate...
Association between nutritional values of hays fed to horses and sensory properties as perceived by human sight, touch and smell. Although hay is the foundation of most equine diets, horse owners rarely ask for biochemical analysis and the routine practice is to choose hay based on its 'perceived' nutritional value. The present study aimed at exploring the relationship between sensory properties as perceived by sight, touch and smell, and the nutritional value of hay measured by biochemical analysis using a 'free sorting task' method. Fifty-four non-expert participants were asked individually to: (1) observe 21 hays samples, (2) group together hays that they perceived as similar for each of the three modalities (hay appe...
Evaluating equine feeding behavior utilizing GrowSafe Systems: a pilot study. Equine research and management is limited to single-housing systems if individual animal intake is to be precisely recorded. Even then, dry forage intake is difficult to quantify accurately due to stomping or mixing hay with fecal matter and bedding. In cattle management, GrowSafe Systems (GrowSafe) is a commonly used tool to closely monitor individual animal feeding data using radio frequency identification (RFID) tag technology. Animals are equipped with a unique RFID tag that is read by the feed bunks each time the animal lowers its head into the bunk to consume feed. The objectives of this...
Effect of maternal diet on select fecal bacteria of foals. Adult horses depend on the microbial community in the hindgut to digest fiber and produce short-chain fatty acids that are use for energy. Colonization of the foal gastrointestinal tract is essential to develop this symbiosis. However, factors affecting colonization are not well understood. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the age-related changes and effects of maternal diet on select fecal bacterial groups in foals from 1 to 28 d of age. Thoroughbred foals ( = 18) were from dams fed forage and one of two concentrates: an oat-based (OB) or corn and wheat middlings-based (CWB) pell...
Effects of sodium caseinate on hindgut fermentation and fiber digestion in horses. Eight cecally cannulated Quarter Horses were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square experiment conducted in four 14-d periods to determine effects of sodium caseinate (casein) on hindgut fermentation and fiber digestion. During each period, horses were assigned to one of four treatments consisting of control (water; CON), 0.125 g casein/kg BW (LOW), 0.25 g casein/kg BW (MED), or 0.5 g casein/kg BW (HI). Casein was solubilized in 800 mL water and dosed directly into the cecum at 0700 and 1900 hours using a metal dosing syringe. Smooth Bromegrass hay (CP 8.50%), water, and salt were provided a...
The Equine Gastrointestinal Microbiome: Impacts of Age and Obesity. Gastrointestinal microbial communities are increasingly being implicated in host susceptibilities to nutritional/metabolic diseases; such conditions are more prevalent in obese and/or older horses. This controlled study evaluated associations between host-phenotype and the fecal microbiome / metabolome. Thirty-five, Welsh Mountain pony mares were studied across 2 years (Controls, = 6/year, 5-15 years, Body Condition Score (BCS) 4.5-6/9; Obese, = 6/year, 5-15 years, BCS > 7/9; Aged, = 6 Year 1; = 5 Year 2, ≥19 years old). Animals were individually fed the same hay to maintenance (2% bo...
Influence of dietary restriction and low-intensity exercise on weight loss and insulin sensitivity in obese equids. The importance of including exercise with dietary modification for the management of obese equids is not clearly understood. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a practical low-intensity exercise regimen, in addition to dietary restriction, on indices of insulin sensitivity (SI) and plasma adipokine concentrations in obese equids. Methods: Twenty-four obese (body condition score [BCS] ≥ 7/9) horses and ponies. Methods: Over a 12-week period, animals received either dietary restriction only (DIET) or dietary restriction plus low-intensity exercise (DIET+EX). All animals were provided wit...
Glucose and Insulin Response of Aged Horses Grazing Alfalfa, Perennial Cool-Season Grass, and Teff During the Spring and Late Fall. Spring and late fall grazing can lead to metabolic problems in horses (Equus caballus L.) as a result of elevated nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) in pastures. Therefore, the objectives were to determine the impact of different forage species on blood glucose and insulin concentrations of horses during the spring and late fall. Research was conducted in May (spring) and October (late fall) in St. Paul, MN. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and mixed perennial cool-season grasses (CSG) were grazed in spring, and CSG and teff (Eragrostis tef [Zucc.] Trotter) were grazed in late fall by six adult hor...
Influence of various concentrate-to-roughage ratios on dietary intake and nutrient digestibilities of weanling horses. The objective of this study was to compare the feed intake and the apparent digestibilities of three different diets varying in concentrate-to-roughage ratios in weanling horses (n = 24) at 5 and 8 months of age. Horses were stratified by breed, gender, birth date and body weight and assigned to one of three dietary treatments containing the following concentrate-to-roughage ratios on an as-fed basis: 70:30 (High Con), 50:50 (Equal) and 30:70 (Low Con). All horses were fed their respective diets for a 10-day adaptation period and a 4-day collection period at 5 and 8 months. There were no d...
Effect of Starch Source in Pelleted Concentrates on Fecal Bacteria in Prepartum and Postpartum Mares. Dietary starch source has been shown to affect fecal bacterial communities of horses fed minimally processed cereal grains. However, processing may increase foregut starch digestibility, reducing effects of starch source on fecal bacterial communities. This study aimed to determine the effect of starch source in pelleted concentrates on fecal Lactobacillus spp., amylolytic bacteria, and cellulolytic bacteria in broodmares mares, during the prepartum and postpartum period. Thoroughbred mares (n = 18) were paired by last breeding date then randomly assigned to either an oat-based or a corn and ...
Plasma Amino Acid Concentrations of Horses Grazing Alfalfa, Cool-Season Perennial Grasses, and Teff. The impact of forage species on plasma amino acid (AA) concentrations of grazing horses (Equus caballus L.) is unknown. The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of different forage species on plasma AA concentrations and protein synthesis. Research was conducted in July in St. Paul, MN, USA. Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), mixed perennial cool-season grasses (CSGs), and teff (Eragrostis tef [Zucc.] Trotter) pastures were grazed by six horses randomly assigned to one of three forage types in a replicated Latin-square design. Horses had access to pasture each day. Jugular venous b...
Foraging Behavior Patterns of Sheep and Horses Under a Mixed Species Grazing System. The research objective was to assess the behavior patterns of the Polish Konik horse breed and the Uhruska variety of the Polish Lowland Sheep breed under a mixed-grazing system, and their relationship with climatic factors. The observation included 4 adult horses, 27 ewes with lambs and 10 primiparous ewes. The behavior of the animals and the weather conditions were recorded at 60-min intervals. Horses and sheep displayed similarities in both species-specific behavioral patterns and timing of grazing activity, and the duration of foraging sessions was mostly influenced by time of day, lower t...
Evaluation of titanium dioxide and chromic oxide as digestibility markers in ponies fed alfalfa hay in relation to marker dosing frequency. In equines, Cr2O3 is widely accepted as an indigestible marker, but there are health concerns regarding the carcinogenic properties of Cr2O3. Recently, TiO2 has been suggested to be an alternative digestibility marker in equines. However, a comparison between Cr2O3 and TiO2 has not been made in equines. Six Welsh pony geldings (initial BW: 254±3 kg; 7 years of age) fed chopped alfalfa hay were used to evaluate the use of TiO2 (Ti) and Cr2O3 (Cr) as markers for calculating apparent digestibility and to investigate the effect of frequency of marker administration on the measurement of digestibi...
Using the indicator amino acid oxidation technique to study threonine requirements in horses receiving a predominantly forage diet. Threonine has been reported to be the second limiting amino acid in typical equine diets, but its actual requirement has not been determined in horses. To evaluate amino acid metabolism and requirements, the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) method has been successfully used in other species. The objective of this research was to estimate threonine requirements in mature horses fed timothy hay and concentrate in 4:1 ratio using the IAAO method. Six Thoroughbred mares (579.9 ± 46.7 kg) received each of 6 levels of threonine intake, 41, 51, 61, 70, 80 and 89 mg/kg BW/day, in a randomly ...
