Nutrition in horses encompasses the study of dietary requirements and feeding practices that support equine health, growth, and performance. It involves the analysis of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, and their roles in equine physiology. Proper nutrition is essential for maintaining optimal body condition, supporting metabolic processes, and preventing dietary-related disorders. Research in this field examines the nutritional needs of horses at different life stages and activity levels, as well as the effects of various feed types and supplements. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the composition, digestion, and impact of different dietary components on equine health and performance.
Davies ME.This research article investigates the role of colon liquor – fluid from the colon of a horse – in cultivating cellulolytic bacteria, which break down cellulose. The researchers aim to […]
Rubarth S, Krook L.Following a description of the histopathology of so-called mucoid degeneration of the nasal conchae in the horse, the authors conclude that the morphologic nature of the disease is osteodystrophia fibrosa. The lesions are believed to be expressions of nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism.
Breckenridge WC, Kuksis A.The triglyceride compositions of the milk fats of man, dog, guinea pig, cow, sheep, goat, and horse were compared by gas-liquid chromatography of the intact triglycerides and of the butyl esters of the component fatty acids. The milk fats of man, dog, and guinea pig, which were largely made up of long-chain fatty acids, showed a common pattern with major contributions made by the glycerides with 48-54 acyl carbon atoms. The milk fats of cow, sheep, and goat, which were rich in short-chain acids, showed significant proportions of triglycerides with 28-54 acyl carbon atoms. Horse milk, which con...
The Journal of physiologyJune 1, 1966
Volume 184, Issue 3 646-656 doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp007937
Alexander F.1. Saliva flowed from the horse's parotid duct only during mastication.2. The surface-active local anaesthetic administered by mouth inhibited salivary secretion.3. Salivary secretion was stimulated by pilocarpine and inhibited by atropine.4. The volume and composition of saliva secreted in 24 hr from one parotid duct was determined.5. The concentration of sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride and bicarbonate depended upon the rate of flow. The highest concentrations of these electrolytes were observed during periods of high flow rates.6. Horse parotid saliva contained a high concentration of c...
Zhang W, Guo R, Sulayman A, Sun Y, Liu S.Microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract play a crucial role in nutrient digestion, health and so forth in equines. As the research attention on gut microbes has increased, several studies have investigated the composition of the gastrointestinal microbial flora in equines. This article reviews the effects of breed, age, intestinal site, nutritional management and diseases on the gastrointestinal microbiota of horses and donkeys, thus offering references for improving the gastrointestinal microecological environment in these animals and preventing and controlling disease occurrence in them.
Cameron L, Challinor M, Armstrong S, Kennedy A, Hollister S, Fletcher K.Horses evolved to live in herds, continuously moving and foraging. Domestic horses often have limited social contact and movement, with high calorific intake, contributing to obesity. "Track grazing" is an increasingly popular management system, but evidence of its impact on weight management, behaviour, and welfare is limited. Horses (n = 19) resident at HorseWorld (UK) were observed July to October 2023, monitoring bodyweight (kg), Body Conditions Score (BCS), hoof health, behaviour, and welfare indicators. Horses on track grazing systems lost significantly more bodyweight (kg) (F(1,15) = 8....
Wagner JCP, Edwards M, Trivedi S, Minter LJ, Ange-van Heugten K.Microquantity laboratory procedures (<5 mL) are often used to analyze milk from non-bovid or less common species due to limited available samples and small sample sizes, unlike the large quantities of milk needed for macroquantity (~20 mL) assays standard in the commercial dairy industry. To better understand microquantity milk laboratory analyses, quarter horse () milk from North Carolina State University (females = 4, n = 43) and California Polytechnic State University (females = 4, n = 42) equine centers was compared to investigate differences in macronutrient composition from 4 to 130 d...
Hartwig S, Rankovic A, McCrae P, Gagliardi K, Burron S, Ellis J, Ma DWL, Shoveller AK.Behavioural reactivity in horses poses a welfare and safety risk to both the horse and the handler, however, beneficial effects have been observed when dietary fat is increased in replacement of sugar. Supplementation with the fatty acids (FA) eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) appear to improve negative behaviours in rodents and humans, but the effect of α-linolenic acid (ALA), EPA, and DHA, specifically, on reactivity in horses is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of camelina oil (CAM; ALA-enriched) and a mix of camelina and algal oil (ALG; ...
The potential of effective microorganisms in composting animal manure might be significant. This work aimed at isolating promising microbial strains for composting cattle and horse manure. A total of forty-five isolates have been isolated from soils of Northern Kazakhstan as well as cattle and horse manure. These microorganisms were extensively studied for their cellulose-degrading capacity, non-pathogenicity, protease, nitrogenase and catalase activities, as well as their growth stimulation, antagonistic ability, and growth rate. As a result, 21 potent strains were selected and genotyped for ...
Hall-Bromley A, Dixon L.Horse welfare is a subject of ongoing discussion and scientific investigation. Several solutions to combat poor horse welfare have been suggested by existing research; however, each of these has its limitations. In 2022, it was announced that France was introducing new legislation requiring all horse owners to be licensed on completion of particular horse-care education. This development raises an interesting discussion about whether such a framework could be applied in the UK. This systemised literature review analysed the prevalence of horse welfare concerns in the developed world and the UK...
Huang X, Li Q, Li X, Li C, Li J, He L, Jing H, Yang F, Li X.China's equine industry has shifted from traditional rough grazing to modern intensive farming, expanding the roles of horses into eventing, leisure, tourism, and meat and dairy production. Concurrently, equine nutrition has evolved from a forage-based diet to a more diverse regimen incorporating grain supplements to meet the heightened energy demands of intensive farming. However, nutrient digestibility and glycemic response vary considerably based on grain type, starch content, composition, and structural properties. Optimal grain selection is therefore essential for energy supplementation a...
Curadi MC, Vallone F, Tenuzzo M, Gazzano A, Gazzano V, Macchioni F, Vannini C.The gut microbiota plays a basic role in maintaining the psychophysical health and well-being of horses. Understanding the complex interactions among microbial communities in relation to age, management, and health is a topic of growing interest. The equine microbiota, given its complexity, is subject to variations caused by internal or external stressors that can lead to metabolic problems and pathologies, i.e., obesity and laminitis. The aim of this study was to characterize the fecal microbiota of 12 purebred Arabian horses and to compare the microbial communities in two distinct management...
de Morais CBR, Santiago JM, da Silva AH, Nascimento DBD, de Farias IM, da Silva Dias W, Taran FMP, Lucena JEC.This study aimed to verify whether donkeys of the Nordestino ecotype are more efficient than horses concerning apparent digestibility and gas production of Tifton 85 hay at different maturity stages, using the total feces collection method and the in vitro gas production technique. Four donkeys and four horses were used in a 2 × 2 factorial completely randomized design with two Equidae species and hay at two maturity stages (higher quality "Hay 1″ and lower quality "Hay 2″). No difference (P < 0,05) was found between the Equidae species for apparent nutrient digestibility of the Hay 1....
Martinez-Saez L, MarÃn-GarcÃa PJ, Llobat ML.Osteochondrosis (OC) is a frequent manifestation of developmental orthopaedic disease, and its severe clinical presentation is known as OC dissecans (OCD). OC is defined as a disruption of the endochondral ossification process in the epiphyseal cartilage, and this disease has been reported in different mammalian species, including humans, dogs, pigs, and horses. OCD is an important cause of lameness in sport horses and is a common cause of impaired orthopaedic potential, whose clinical signs may be of minimal magnitude or manifest as severe joint effusion or clinically noticeable lameness. The...
Li Y, Lan Y.The gut microbial importance and its crucial roles in host digestion, immunity, and metabolism have received widely attention. Horses, especially indigenous varieties such as Mongolian horses (MGH) and Guizhou horses (GZH), have not received sufficient attention, and the characteristics of their gut microbiota are still unclear. For this purpose, we collected faecal samples from eight MGH and eight GZH to compare their gut microbial differences using amplicon sequencing. The results of alpha diversity analysis indicated that the gut bacterial diversity and gut fungal abundance in GZH were sign...
Connysson M, Jansson A.It is generally accepted that plasma muscle enzyme activity of creatine kinase (CK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) may increase in racehorses after exercise and racing, indicating muscle fibre damage and/or increased leakage from muscle fibres. However, other studies suggest that starch intake might influence plasma muscle enzyme activity reported postexercise. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different starch allowances on plasma muscle enzyme activity in Standardbred trotters in professional training. Seventy-six horses from five professional trainers were sampled pre- and po...
Bouquet A, Nicol C, DÃez-León M.The natural behaviour of wood-chewing (WC) in horses may, under certain conditions, become excessive or it may precede crib-biting . However, the potential causes of WC, including frustrated foraging motivation) or developmental exploratory or teething behavior are poorly understood. We studied WC in 31 mares and their foals, examining associations with browsing access, stocking density, foal sex and performance of other non-nutritive oral behaviors. Behaviors (counts/hour) were recorded by all-occurrences sampling during focal, continuous observations of grazing,resting and suckling for 20 ...
Moore GE, Leatherwood JL, Glass KG, Arnold CE, Paris BL, Carter MM, George JM, Fontenot AB, Martinez RE, Franklin MA, Norton SA, Bradbery AN....The objective was to evaluate dietary fermentation product (SCFP) on joint inflammation and cartilage metabolism in exercising yearlings challenged with intra-articular lipopolysaccharide (LPS), hypothesizing dietary SCFP (TruEquineC, Diamond V Mills, Inc.) would ameliorate joint inflammation and increase cartilage metabolism. Thirty Quarter Horse yearlings were stratified by bodyweight (BW), age, sex, and randomly assigned to dietary treatments (n = 10/treatment): control (0), 46, or 92 mg/kg BW/d SCFP. Treatments were top-dressed to 1% BW/d concentrate void of added microbials. Horses ...
Mizuguchi Y, Niwa H, Inoue H, Iwano H.Hypoproteinaemia/hypoalbuminaemia is a typical clinical feature of Lawsonia intracellularis infection in horses, but amino acid perturbations in these horses have not been investigated. Objective: Clarifying blood amino acid levels in horses suffering from Lawsonia intracellularis infection to identify novel aspects of the disease. Methods: Retrospective observational study. Methods: A total of 135 serum samples collected from horses from 59 farms were used in this study. Horses diagnosed with the clinical form of equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) were enrolled as a clinical group (n =â...
Sun YF, Han ZX, Yao XK, Meng J, Ren WL, Wang CK, Yuan XX, Zeng YQ, Wang YF, Sun ZW, Wang JW.: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different stages of training on the intestinal microbial abundance of Yili horses. : Ten Yili horses, all aged 2 years old and weighing 305 ± 20 kg, were selected and divided into a training group and an untrained group. The training group performed riding training 6 days a week, and the untrained group moved freely in the activity circle every day. Fecal samples were collected on days 30 and 60, and the intestinal microorganisms were detected and analyzed using metagenomics. : Compared with the 30-day untrained group, the relative abu...
Kwaß LM, Khiaosa-Ard R, Zebeli Q, Sulyok M, Milojevic V, Metzler-Zebeli BU.The occurrence of biotoxins and chemical residues in marketed horse feeds has direct influences on horse health but has not been studied yet. Objective: The study investigated the exposure and health implications of contaminants in various horse feedstuffs available on the European market. Methods: A total of 108 feed samples representing diverse product categories such as hay, processed roughage products, grains, and various supplementary feeds were collected from different European countries and analyzed for contaminants, including mycotoxins, phytoestrogens, pesticides, and veterinary drug ...
Kelemen Z, Vogl C, Torres Borda L, Auer U, Jenner F.Clinical care for patients with limited life expectancy often requires adjustments, prioritizing immediate benefits over long-term outcomes, as the relevance of future complications diminishes. This study identifies indicators of mortality risk in horses with chronic orthopaedic conditions to enhance individualized care and welfare. Over 3Â years, 123 chronically lame horses and 6 healthy control horses at an animal sanctuary underwent regular (every 3Â months) comprehensive health assessments and activity monitoring using wearable sensors. Data collected included body condition scores, muscul...
Roig-Pons M, Bachmann I, Freymond SB.Finding feeding strategies that meet horses' needs without compromising health is essential for optimising welfare, particularly in group housing, where limited hay availability increases aggression and injury risks. Recently, two strategies have emerged: portioning daily intake into smaller, frequent meals using time-controlled hay racks, or slowing intake with "slow-feeders." However, the effects of such management practices on horse behaviour remain underexplored. We conducted a cross-over study with 18 mares divided into four groups to compare three feeding strategies: "traditional" (3 of ...
Kiełbik P, Witkowska-Piłaszewicz O.Iron is unquestionably an essential element of physical performance for horses, just as it is for many other animals, including humans. Although post-exercise equine iron deficiency is not a common problem, recent studies showed that equine athletes may be considered a model for human exercise physiology. Sports anemia among human athletes is a common nutritional issue and remains one reason for poor physical fitness. Thus, this study area needs comprehensive knowledge since iron homeostasis changes in equine athletes remain unrecognized. The current review aims to summarize studies describing...
Main SC, Ivey JLZ, Strickland LG, Rhinehart JD, Sun X.Land-Grant Institutions and Cooperative Extension Services seek to disseminate information to the public; however, Extension agents differ in areas of expertise, leaving some counties with minimal ability to provide 4-H horse project members with sufficient content knowledge while agents in other counties are more well versed in equine-specific areas. Results from the 2021 and 2023 Tennessee regional and 2022 Eastern National 4-H Hippology contests were used to determine areas of knowledge deficiency. Nutrition, tack, selection, health, and breeds were categories identified as areas in which 4...
Irving J, Pineau V, Shultz S, Ter Woort F, Julien F, Lambey S, van Erck-Westergren E.Equine gastric disease (EGD) is a common condition in performance horses (), potentially compromising behaviour, performance, and welfare. EGD is often attributed to high-starch, high-sugar feeds and limited forage. Evidence for diet-induced changes on digestive microbiota is lacking. Nine elite showjumping horses were housed at the same performance yard with standardised diet and management throughout the study. Horses were transitioned from a high-sugar and -starch (31%) feed to a low-starch and -sugar (16.5%) concentrate feed. Gastroscopies, blood, and faecal samples were taken pre- and 12 ...
Share ER, Mastellar SL, Rumble JN, Eastridge ML.Equine industry housing and feeding management strategies vary widely. Management choices are important as horses spend most of their time in housing environments and demonstrating ingestive/foraging behavior. As of 2023, over 1.4 million Ohioans identified as horse owners and/or enthusiasts. The objectives of this survey were to determine demographics of the Ohio horse industry, commonly used sources of information, knowledge gaps regarding equine management practices, and to explore what may influence equine management choices. Using Qualtrics (Provo, UT), a 52-question online, anonymous sur...
Gong W, Ding W, Bou T, Shi L, Lin Y, Shi X, Wu H, Li Z, Dugarjaviin M, Bai D.Ferulic acid (FA), a natural antioxidant and major active component in Angelica sinensis, has beneficial effects on skeletal muscle health; however, its role in modulating muscle fiber type composition Mongolian horse remains unclear. In this study, we found that FA promotes the proliferation of Mongolian horse skeletal muscle satellite cell (MuSCs), upregulates the expression of fast-twitch muscle marker genes (e.g., MYH2), and downregulates the expression of slow-twitch markers (e.g., MYH7). RNA-seq revealed that FA activates the HIF-1 signaling pathway, significantly increasing PDK1 express...
Jing H, Liu P, Zheng S, Cao K, Li X.Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is recognized for its balanced nutritional composition, improved feed efficiency, enhanced animal production, and stabilization of the gastrointestinal microbiome. It has been extensively implemented in intensive ruminant farming, particularly for cattle and sheep, with demonstrated positive outcomes. However, its effects on the nutritional health of non-ruminant herbivores, such as horses, remain insufficiently investigated. This study aims to evaluate the comparative effects of TMR feeding versus conventional feeding practices in Akhal-Teke horses while maintaining i...
Andueza D, Martin-Rosset W.The nutritive value of forage for horses is closely dependent on the digestibility of organic matter (OMD), which is typically measured in vivo. Researchers have developed a variety of prediction methods to estimate the digestibility value of hay. In ruminants, pepsin-cellulase degradability, expressed as dry matter enzymatic degradability (dCS) and organic matter enzymatic degradability (dCO), is a commonly employed method for predicting OMD in forage types. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of predicting the dry matter digestibility (DMD), OMD, energy digestibility ...
Fiedler JM, Rosanowski S, Ayre ML, Slater JD.Participation in horse-related activities frequently involves relocating horses from the home stable to an activity venue, which might require local, regional, or international travel. In these circumstances, horses are exposed to unfamiliar surroundings and experience changes to their daily routines, which could have negative welfare impacts. An online survey was conducted in 2021 to ask experienced horse sector participants about the horse management practices that they perceived worked well and provided for positive horse welfare when undertaken at venues. Qualitative analysis identified fo...
