Omneity® Pellets
All-In-One Vitamin & Mineral Pellet
Topic:Nutrition
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.
Rickets in a Thoroughbred-cross foal: case report and review of the literature. Rickets is a metabolic bone disease associated with failure of endochondral ossification and impaired osteoid mineralization in growing animals. As a consequence, affected individuals can develop gross and microscopic bone malformations. The most common causes of rickets in domestic species include vitamin D and phosphorus deficiency. Rickets has been described in multiple species; however, comprehensive postmortem characterizations with confirmatory histopathology in equids have not been published. A 6-mo-old, Thoroughbred-cross foal was diagnosed with rickets based on gross autopsy findings ...
Hay versus haylage: Forage type influences the equine urinary metabonome and faecal microbiota. Gut microbial communities are increasingly being linked to diseases in animals and humans. Obesity and its associated diseases are a concern for horse owners and veterinarians, and there is a growing interest in the link among diet, the intestinal microbiota and metabolic disease. Objective: Assess the influence of long-term hay or haylage feeding on the microbiota and metabolomes of 20 Welsh mountain ponies. Methods: Longitudinal study. Methods: Urine, faeces and blood were collected from 20 ponies on a monthly basis over a 13-month period. Urine and faeces were analysed using proton magnetic...
[Methodical investigation of mineral and trace element concentrations in equine feces with special consideration of the sampling location]. Objective measurements of the mineral supply in horses are rarely performed. As a result, incorrect elements or an improper amount of elements are provided. The analysis of feces could represent a novel method to evaluate the nutritive supply. The prerequisite is a knowledge of methodological factors influencing the mineral concentration in the fecal samples. Within the scope of this investigation, the effects of different kinds of mineral supply and the influence of the sampling location on the concentration of minerals in equine feces samples were analyzed. Additionally, the methodical error...
Use of palm bran (Nopalea cochenillifera (L.) Salm-Dyck) in partial replacement of concentrate in maintenance equine diets – a pilot study. Forage palm is extremely suitable as animal fodder due to its high tolerance to the climatic rigors of the semiarid region and its ability to withstand the harsh physical-chemical limitations of poor soils. Thus, in this study, the effects of the partial replacement (0 %, 5 %, 10 % and 15 % replacement) of a molasses- or oat-based commercial concentrate with forage palm bran (FPB) on the acceptability, apparent digestibility and glycemic response of horses at maintenance were evaluated. The ratio of concentrate to roughage (Tifton 85 hay) was , and the dry matter (DM) intake was 2 %...
A Multiomic Approach to Investigate the Effects of a Weight Loss Program on the Intestinal Health of Overweight Horses. Obesity is endemic in human populations in the western society, and with mounting evidence that the intestinal ecological environment plays a major role in its pathogenesis, identification of therapies based on intestinal microbiota modulation are gaining attention. Obesity in companion animals is also a common clinical problem. We set out using a multidimensional approach, to determine the effectiveness and safety of a weight loss program for horses incorporating diet restriction and exercise. In addition, we aimed to investigate the effect of this program on the overall intestinal health of ...
Effect of a novel rice fermented extract on gastric ulcers in horses. Gastric ulcers cause appetite loss, poor body condition, and colic in horses. This study investigated the protective effect of a rice fermented extract on the gastric mucosa in 17 healthy Thoroughbreds. For one month, horses in the rice fermented extract (nine horses) and control (eight horses) groups were orally administered a rice fermented extract (100%; 0.2 ml/kg, SID) and tap water (0.2 ml/kg), respectively. Gastric endoscopic images were obtained before and one month after rice fermented extract administration. The gastric ulcer score was lower after administration (median, 1; maximum, 2...
The Effect of Three Levels of Concentrate and Grain Processing on Feeding Behavior, Nutrient Digestibility, Blood Metabolites and Fecal pH Of Turkmen Horses. The aim of this study was to investigate, the effect of different levels of concentrates and grain processing on feeding behavior, nutrient digestibility, fecal pH and blood metabolites in the horse. Sixteen 5 to 11 years old Turkmen horses with an initial body weight 433±50 kg were used in this experiment based on completely randomized design. Four treatments were studied, in three treatments were used 20, 25 and 30% of concentrate containing processed grains (A20, A25 and A30, respectively), and in one treatment was used 25% of concentrate containing whole grain (B25). The amount of feed in...
UK Horse Carers’ Experiences of Restricting Grazing When Aiming to Prevent Health Issues in Their Horses. Laminitis and obesity are leading welfare issues for UK leisure horses. Limiting grass intake is a common preventative measure but may result in other aspects of welfare being compromised. This study aimed to determine how commonly different restricted grazing methods are used in the UK, barriers limiting their accessibility, and the potential benefits and welfare issues associated with each. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed with questions relating to horse carers' opinions of different restricted grazing practices, which methods they used, and how they implemented these. Closed...
Nicotinic acid supplementation at a supraphysiological dose increases the bioavailability of NAD+ precursors in mares. NAD deficiency has recently been linked with increased occurrences of congenital abnormalities and embryonic death in human and animal subjects. Early embryonic death is a major component of pregnancy loss in mares and very little is known regarding the requirement for NAD in horses. The aim of this study was to quantify NAD and its metabolites in the plasma and urine of mares after orally administering an acute dose of nicotinic acid and determine the absorption, metabolism and excretion of this essential precursor for NAD biosynthesis. Nicotinic acid (5 g per os) was administered to four ma...
Metabolic Profile Changes in Mangalarga Marchador Horses Subjected to A Hypercaloric Diet Evaluated by Proton NMR Spectroscopy. The incidence of equine metabolic syndrome, a condition that results in endocrinopathic laminitis, is increasing worldwide. Although it is well known that the development of this syndrome depends on imbalances in energy metabolism and genetic traits, its pathophysiology remains unclear. Hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (H NMR) is a powerful tool used to compare metabolic profiles and to discriminate metabolites in living beings. The aim was to apply this technology to detect blood biomarkers candidates in horses that were previously demonstrated to developed metabolic changes when subjected...
Effect of an In Vitro Proximal Gastrointestinal Tract on Viability of Commercially Available Equine Probiotics. Probiotics, by definition, are live micro-organisms and should remain viable when they reach the intended site of action which is typically the cecum and/or colon. In humans, probiotics often need enteric protection to survive transit through the proximal gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Typically, equine probiotics do not advertise enteric protection and to the author's knowledge the viability of equine probiotics after exposure to the proximal GI tract has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of an in vitro simulation of the equine proximal GI tract on probi...
Dose Effect of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Seed Cakes on the Digestibility of Nutrients, Flavonolignans and the Individual Components of the Silymarin Complex in Horses. Milk thistle seeds contain a mixture of flavonoids known as silymarin, which consists of silybin, isosilybin, silychristine, and silydianin. Until now, there has been no evidence of monitoring the digestibility of silymarin complex in horses. The aim of the research was to evaluate the digestibility of silymarin complex and the effect of nutrient digestibility in horses. Different daily feed doses (FD) of milk thistle expeller (0 g, 100 g, 200 g, 400 g, 700 g) were administered to five mares kept under the same conditions and at the same feed rations. Digestibility of silymarin complex was mon...
Effects of Vitamin E and Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation on Oxidative Stress Parameters in Untrained Leisure Horses Subjected to Acute Moderate Exercise. The effects of antioxidant supplements on exercise-induced oxidative stress have not been investigated in untrained leisure horses. We investigated the effects of 14-day supplementation with vitamin E (1.8 IU/kg/day), coenzyme Q (CoQ; ubiquinone; 800 mg/day), and a combination of both (the same doses as in mono-supplementation) on the blood levels of CoQ, vitamin E, and oxidative stress parameters in untrained leisure horses subjected to acute moderate exercise. Correlations between lipid peroxidation and muscle enzyme leakage were also determined. Forty client-owned horses were included in th...
Blood thiamine (vitamin B1 ), ascorbic acid (vitamin C), and cortisol concentrations in healthy and ill neonatal foals. Sepsis is common in foals and several treatments are used to facilitate recovery. Evidence in people suggests an association between low blood concentrations of thiamine, ascorbic acid, and cortisol and sepsis, with further evidence suggesting that administration of hydrocortisone, thiamine, and ascorbic acid may improve outcome. No information is available with regard to these treatments in foals. Objective: To compare blood concentrations of thiamine, ascorbic acid, and cortisol in healthy and ill foals. Methods: Fifteen healthy and 27 ill (septic and sick-nonseptic [SNS]) foals were evaluat...
Forage Characteristics and Grazing Preference of Cover Crops in Equine Pasture Systems. Cover crops are commonly used to provide environmental benefits and can extend the grazing season, but have not been explored in horse pastures. The objectives of this research were to evaluate forage mass, forage nutrient composition, and preference of annual ryegrass, winter rye, berseem clover, purple top turnip, and daikon radish under horse grazing. Cover crops were seeded in monoculture and mixtures in August 2018 and 2019 as a randomized complete block with four replicates and grazed by four adult horses. Prior to grazing, forages were sampled to determine herbage and root mass and nutr...
An Oligosaccharide Rich Diet Increases Akkermansia spp. Bacteria in the Equine Microbiota. Some oligosaccharides induce growth of anti-inflammatory bacterial species and induce regulatory immunity in humans as well as animals. We have shown that the equine gut microbiota and the immune-microbial homeostasis largely stabilize within the first 50 days of life. Furthermore, we have previously established that certain bacterial species in the equine gut correlated with regulatory immunity. Accordingly, we hypothesized that an oligosaccharide rich diet fed to foals during the first 50 days would increase the abundance of bacterial species associated with regulatory immunity, and that thi...
Apparent digestibility, fecal particle size, and mean retention time of reduced lignin alfalfa hay fed to horses. Reduced lignin alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has the potential to provide a higher-quality forage source for livestock by improving forage digestibility. This study was conducted to evaluate apparent digestibility when feeding reduced lignin and nonreduced lignin alfalfa hay to adult horses, and to examine mean fecal particle size (MFPS) and mean retention time (MRT) between alfalfa forage types. In 2017, reduced lignin ("54HVX41") and nonreduced lignin ("WL355.RR") alfalfa hay was harvested in Minnesota at the late-bud stage. Alfalfa hays were similar in crude protein (CP; 199 g/kg), neutral d...
Formulation of the nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans in the control of equine gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes. Equine gastrointestinal nematodiosis contributes to the lower productivity of these animals. There are growing reports of the emergence of nematodes resistant to the drugs used for decades in anthelmintic treatments. An alternative to the emergence of resistance may be the use of nematophagous fungi as a complementary method of treatment. Therefore, the objective was to evaluate the effects of the use of the product Bioverm® as a carrier of Duddingtonia flagrans, on pasture contamination level and equine parasitic burden. Sixteen mares were used, divided into two groups, one control and one t...
Muscle and Subcutaneous Fatty Acid Composition and the Evaluation of Ageing Time on Meat Quality Parameters of Hispano-Bretón Horse Breed. A full-randomized block design was used for the study of the FA composition and meat quality parameters, considering ageing time as a split-plot factor. Chemical and fatty acid composition of steaks (longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle) from 15 month old semiextensively reared Hispano-Bretón horses were characterized (day 0), and the effect of vacuum ageing (0, 7, 14 and 21 days) on several meat quality parameters (pH, instrumental color and texture and cook loss) was determined. The average fat content of horse loin was 3.31%, and the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content, although hig...
Comparison of the Gut Microbiota of Jeju and Thoroughbred Horses in Korea. (1) Background: The large intestine of horses is an anaerobic fermentative chamber filled with fibrolytic bacteria that play essential roles in digesting and absorbing nutrients for energy production. Although Jeju horses are a prominent local breed in Korea, few studies have investigated the gut microbiota of Jeju horses; (2) Methods: This study performed sequencing of V3 and V4 hypervariable regions of the partial 16S rRNA genes obtained from horse fecal samples and compared the gut microbiota between Jeju and Thoroughbred horses. Thirty and 24 fecal samples were obtained from Jeju and Thoro...
Effects of Pasture Grass, Silage, and Hay Diet on Equine Fecal Microbiota. Diet is an important factor affecting intestinal microbiota in horses. Fecal microbiota is commonly used as a substitute for studying hindgut microbiota when investigating the relationship between intestinal microbial changes and host health. So far, no study has compared the difference between the fecal microbiota found in horses that are fed pasture grass, silage, and hay. The present study aims to characterize the fecal microbiota in horses that were exclusively on one of the three forage diets, and to analyze the potential impact of these forages, especially silage, on horse intestinal hea...
Summer Diet of Horses (Equus ferus caballus Linn.), Guanacos (Lama guanicoe Müller), and European Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus Pallas) in the High Andean Range of the Coquimbo Region, Chile. For an adequate management of natural grasslands, the knowledge and understanding of the dietary habits of herbivores and their trophic interactions are fundamental. During two summer seasons, in a mountain range of a sector of the Coquimbo Region, Chile, the botanical composition, diversity, and similarity of the diets of horses, European brown hares, and guanacos were studied, as was the selectivity of the main grassland plant species, using feces microhistology. The contribution of hydromorphic grasses was similar in the diets of guanacos (35.90 ± 7.27%) and horses (32.25 ± 4.50%), differ...
Sex-based limits to running speed in the human, horse and dog: The role of sexual dimorphisms. Elite performing men continue to record faster record times in running events compared to women. These sex-based differences in running speed and endurance in humans are expected based on sexual dimorphisms that contribute to differences in the determinants of aerobic performance. Comparatively, the sexual dimorphisms contributing to sex-based differences in elite aerobic performance are not ubiquitous across other species that compete in running events. The purpose of this review is to offer a framework and model for ongoing discussions of the physiological determinants and ultimately limits ...
Safety and efficacy of an additive consisting of synthetic vitamin K1 (phytomenadione) for horses (JARAZ Enterprises GmbH & Co. KG). Following a request from the European Commission, the Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of a feed additive consisting of vitamin K1 (phytomenadione) produced by chemical synthesis when used as a nutritional additive in complementary feed of horses at a maximum supplemental level of 14 mg vitamin K1/horse per day. The use of vitamin K1 is safe when used as a feed additive for horses under the proposed conditions of use. The use of vitamin K1 in nutrition of horses under the proposed co...
Effects of crude protein content on intake and digestion of coastal bermudagrass hay by horses. This study was conducted to determine the effects of forage crude protein () level on intake and digestion of Coastal bermudagrass hay by horses. Four cecally fistulated geldings were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design with four treatments and four periods. Horses were fed one of four Coastal bermudagrass hays consisting of 7%, 10%, 13%, or 16% CP during each of the four 15-d periods. Intake and apparent digestibility were determined for each horse at the end of each period by total fecal collection. In addition, cecal fluid and blood samples were collected on the last day of each period for...
Sequential Modulation of the Equine Fecal Microbiota and Fibrolytic Capacity Following Two Consecutive Abrupt Dietary Changes and Bacterial Supplementation. In horses, abrupt changes from high-fiber (HF) to high-starch (HS) diets can affect the cecal and colonic microbiota. This study investigated modifications and recovery of fecal microbiota after two consecutive abrupt dietary changes. Twelve horses fed HF for 2 weeks were changed to HS for 5 days then returned to HF for 7 weeks. Six received lactic acid bacteria supplementation. Bacterial population diversity, structure, and activity, especially fibrolysis, were assessed to obtain an overview of alteration in hindgut microbiota. Two days after the abrupt change from HF to HS, the findings in f...
[New drugs for horses and production animals in 2020]. In 2020, one novel pharmaceutical agent for horses or food-producing animals was released on the German market, rendering the inhaled glucocorticoid ciclesonide (Aservo EquiHaler) available for horses for the first time. The authorization of one established veterinary active ingredient was extended to an additional species: The anthelmintic fenbendazole (Gallifen) from the benzimidazole group is now also authorized for pheasants. Additionally, 3 veterinary drugs with a new combination of active ingredients (ketoprofen + tilmicosin, ketoprofen + tulathromycin, prednisolone + lidoc...
Dynamic Changes in Microbiome Composition Following Mare’s Milk Intake for Prevention of Collateral Antibiotic Effect. Probiotics and prebiotics are widely used for recovery of the human gut microbiome after antibiotic treatment. High antibiotic usage is especially common in children with developing microbiome. We hypothesized that dry Mare's milk, which is rich in biologically active substances without containing live bacteria, could be used as a prebiotic in promoting microbial diversity following antibiotic treatment in children. The present pilot study aims to determine the impacts of dry Mare's milk on the diversity of gut bacterial communities when administered during antibiotic treatment and throughout ...
Crotalaria spectabilis poisoning in horses fed contaminating oats. The present report describes the clinical and pathological changes induced by the consumption of oats contaminated with Crotalaria spectabilis seeds by horses. Eighty horses were exposed to oats containing 10 g/kg of C. spectabilis seeds with 0.46% pyrrolizidine alkaloids, and 21 horses died within a 6-month period. Clinical signs included jaundice, apathy, a hypotonic tongue, ataxia, hyporexia, weight loss, aimless wandering, violent behavior, and proprioceptive deficits. Pathological findings were predominant in the liver and included periportal bridging fibrosis, megalocytosis, centrilobul...
Dynamics of DHA and EPA supplementation: incorporation into equine plasma, synovial fluid, and surfactant glycerophosphocholines. Horses with asthma or osteoarthritis frequently receive ω-3 fatty acid supplements. Docosahexaenoic (DHA; 22:6) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5) acids are essential ω-3 fatty acid precursors of anti-inflammatory mediators and components of structural glycerophospholipids (GPL) that act as reservoirs of these fatty acids. Analysis of the incorporation of dietary DHA + EPA into GPL pools in different body compartments has not been undertaken in horses. We undertook a detailed study of dietary supplementation with DHA + EPA in horses and monitored incorporation into DHA- and EPA-contain...
