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.
Selim S, Elo K, Jaakkola S, Karikoski N, Boston R, Reilas T, Särkijärvi S, Saastamoinen M, Kokkonen T.Obesity and insulin resistance have been shown to be risk factors for laminitis in horses. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of changes in body condition during the grazing season on insulin resistance and the expression of genes associated with obesity and insulin resistance in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Sixteen Finnhorse mares were grazing either on cultivated high-yielding pasture (CG) or semi-natural grassland (NG) from the end of May to the beginning of September. Body measurements, intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT), and neck and tailhead SAT gene exp...
Cullen S, OʼLoughlin G, McGoldrick A, Smyth B, May G, Warrington GD.The physiological demands of jockeys during competition remain largely unknown, thereby creating challenges when attempting to prescribe sport-specific nutrition and training guidelines. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physiological demands and energy requirements of jockeys during flat racing. Oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2) and heart rate (HR) were assessed in 18 male trainee jockeys during a race simulation trial on a mechanical horse racing simulator for the typical time duration to cover a common flat race distance of 1,400 m. In addition, 8 male apprentice jockeys ...
Nolen-Walston RD, Moore CM, Barr CA, Tomlinson JE, Boston RC, Soma LR.To determine the anabolic and lipolytic effects of a low dosage of clenbuterol administered orally in working and nonworking equids. Methods: 8 nonworking horses and 47 polo ponies in active training. Methods: Each polo pony continued training and received either clenbuterol (0.8 μg/kg) or an equal volume of corn syrup (placebo) orally twice daily for 21 days, and then was evaluated for another 21-day period. Nonworking horses received clenbuterol or placebo at the same dosage for 21 days in a crossover trial (2 treatments/horse). For working and nonworking horses, percentage body fat (PBF) w...
Taylor LA, Müller DW, Schwitzer C, Kaiser TM, Castell JC, Clauss M, Schulz-Kornas E.Captive breeding has played a crucial role in the conservation of threatened equid species. Grazing ruminants and rhinoceros in captivity have less abrasion-dominated tooth wear than their free-ranging conspecifics, with potential negative consequences for their health. However, a similar study on wild equids in captivity is missing. Objective: The aim was to establish if different tooth wear patterns are exhibited by free-ranging and captive equids. Methods: Cross-sectional study of museum specimens comparing free-ranging and captive equids. Methods: Dental casts of maxillary cheek teeth of 2...
Wang J, Li C, Xue J, Yang J, Zhang Q, Zhang H, Chen Y.Lactobacillus helveticus isolate H9 demonstrated high angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory activity in previous research. Here, we evaluated the fermentation characteristics (pH, titratable acidity, free amino nitrogen, and viable bacterial counts), ACE-inhibitory activity, and contents of Val-Pro-Pro (VPP) and Ile-Pro-Pro (IPP) peptides of stored yogurt (4°C for 28 d) fermented by L. helveticus isolate H9 (initially inoculated at 4 concentrations), from cow, mare, and soy milks. During storage, the pH and titratable acidity remained stable in yogurts produced from all milk types ...
Peugnet P, Robles M, Mendoza L, Wimel L, Dubois C, Dahirel M, Guillaume D, Camous S, Berthelot V, Toquet MP, Richard E, Sandersen C, Chaffaux S....In stud management, broodmares are commonly fed concentrates in late pregnancy. This practice, however, was shown to correlate with an increased incidence of osteochondrosis in foals, which may be related to insulin sensitivity. We hypothesized that supplementation of the mare with barley in the last trimester of pregnancy alters the pre-weaning foal growth, glucose metabolism and osteoarticular status. Here, pregnant multiparous saddlebred mares were fed forage only (group F, n=13) or both forage and cracked barley (group B, n=12) from the 7th month of pregnancy until term, as calculated to c...
Peters LW, Smiet E, de Sain-van der Velden MG, van der Kolk JH.Acylcarnitines play an important role in fuel metabolism in skeletal muscle. Objective: To assess acylcarnitine ester utilization by the hindlimb of horses at rest and following low intensity exercise and carnitine supplementation. Methods: Acylcarnitine ester uptake by the hindlimb was investigated using the arteriovenous difference technique. Blood from six warmblood mares (mean age 12 ± 3 (SD) years and weighing 538 ± 39 kg) was collected simultaneously from the transverse facial artery and from the caudal vena cava. Food was withheld for 12 hours prior to exercise. Exercise comprised a s...
Sinatra ST, Caiazzo C.d-Ribose is a popular dietary supplement for humans and the equine because of its crucial role in cellular bioenergetics. However, as a reducing sugar, it has been suggested that ingestion of d-ribose might promote the formation of glycated proteins in vivo with potential adverse consequences. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine if d-Ribose would promote the formation of glycated proteins in vivo following exercise in training thoroughbred racehorses. Methods: Two groups of horses received the supplement (30 and 50 g d-Ribose daily) for 17 weeks, during which period the horses were...
Álvarez R, Meléndez-Martínez AJ, Vicario IM, Alcalde MJ.Carotenoids are important for human health because of their provitamin A function among other biological actions. Their implication on consumer point of view of cattle products have been widely studied, but very little information is available for horse products. The aim of this study was to study the accumulation of carotenoids, retinoids and tocopherol by HPLC and HPLC-MS analysis in different horse tissues (plasma, milk, adipose tissue and liver) and compare it with that of cattle. Fat color was also studied. Four groups of animals were studied (15 animals within each group): lactating mare...
Qi M, Zhou H, Wang H, Wang R, Xiao L, Arrowood MJ, Li J, Zhang L.A total of 262 fecal specimens collected from grazing horses at five locations in Xinjiang, China were examined by PCR for Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis. The Cryptosporidium and G. duodenalis infection rates were 2.7% and 1.5%, respectively. Seven Cryptosporidium-positive specimens were found in foals (16.3%), and four G. duodenalis-positive specimens were found in mares (2.5%). Sequence analyses of 18S rRNA and gp60 genes revealed that seven animals were positive for the subtype VIaA15G4 of Cryptosporidium horse genotype. G. duodenalis assemblages A and B were identified by mole...
John J, Roediger K, Schroedl W, Aldaher N, Vervuert I.Almost all foals develop transient diarrhoea within the first weeks of life. Studies indicated different viral, bacterial, and parasitic causes, such as rotavirus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, and Cryptosporidium are discussed. But little is known about the development of intestinal microflora in foals. The present study investigated whether the supplementation with Bacillus cereus var. toyoi would modify the developing intestinal microflora and consequently reduce diarrhoea in foals. From birth, the foals were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: placebo (10 mL isotonic...
Sykes BW, Underwood C, McGowan CM, Mills PC.The objectives of this study were to investigate the impact of formulation (enteric coated and buffered) and feeding on pharmacokinetic variables associated with the oral administration of omeprazole in the horse. Six thoroughbred racehorses were studied in a crossover design. Each received 2 g of an enteric coated or buffered formulation in both the fed and fasted state. Plasma omeprazole concentrations were determined by UHPLC-MS. The effects of feeding or formulation on AUC0-inf_obs, half-life, Tmax or Cmax were not statistically significant. However, a wider-than-expected degree of variati...
Zeyner A, Kirchhof S, Susenbeth A, Südekum KH, Kienzle E.Few data on apparent pre-caecal digestibility (APCD) of crude protein (CP) and particularly amino acids (AA) are available from studies with horses. Protein bound in cell walls (i.e. neutral detergent insoluble CP (NDICP)) is unlikely to be decomposed by digestive enzymes in the small intestine. In contrast the corresponding analytical fraction of neutral detergent soluble CP (NDSCP) (NDSCP = CP-NDICP) is likely to be available for auto-enzymatic digestion. A literature analysis on the relationship between NDICP/NDSCP and pre-caecal indigestible/digestible CP was carried out. There was a str...
Karasu GK, Krabbenborg R, Einspanier A, Vervuert I.This study aimed to investigate the effect of a second meal of a fibre- or starch-enriched compound feed on glycaemic and insulinaemic responses in healthy horses. In a cross-over design, horses were fed either a starch-enriched compound feed (SCF) or a fibre-enriched compound feed (FCF). On days of blood collection, test diets were fed in the morning (0800 h, first meal) and a second meal was fed 510 min after the first meal was finished (second meal). Significantly higher glycaemic and insulinaemic responses were associated with SCF compared with FCF. Feeding FCF for the second meal yiel...
Holbrook TC, Gilliam LL, Stein FP, Morgan SE, Avery AL, Confer AW, Panciera RJ.Caley Pea (Lathyrus hirsutus) is potentially toxic to horses, but large case series are not reported. Objective: To describe the clinical signs of horses intoxicated with Lathyrus hirsutus and speculate on the neuroanatomical lesion localization and pathogenesis based upon the observed clinical signs. Methods: Twenty-two of 25 horses ranging in age from 6 to 34 months were affected. Five affected horses were presented to the OSUCHVS for evaluation and treatment after having been attended at the ranch by a local veterinarian (ALA). An additional horse that had been euthanized was also presented...
Oliveira CA, Azevedo JF, Martins JA, Barreto MP, Silva VP, Julliand V, Almeida FQ.This study was performed to evaluate the impact of dietary protein levels on nutrient digestibility and water and nitrogen balances in conditioning eventing horses. Twenty-four Brazilian Sport Horses, male and female (8.0 to 15.0 yr; 488 ± 32 kg BW), were used in a randomized design with 4 levels of CP diets: 7.5%, 9.0%, 11.0%, and 13.0%. A digestion assay was performed with partial feces collection over 4 d, followed by 1 d of total urine collection. Data were submitted to regression analysis and adjusted to linear and quadratic models (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in the intake o...
Mitchell CF, Fugler LA, Eades SC.Laminitis is an extremely painful condition resulting in damage to the soft tissues anchoring the third phalanx to the hoof, which can result in life-threatening debilitation. Specific therapy is not available. The most important principles of therapy include aggressive nutritional and medical management of primary disease processes, cryotherapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, pain management, and biomechanical support. This review focuses on the principles of evidenced-based therapies.
Hansen S, Baptiste KE, Fjeldborg J, Horohov DW.The equine aging process involves many changes to the immune system that may be related to genetics, the level of nutrition, the environment and/or an underlying subclinical disease. Geriatric horses defined as horses above the age of 20, exhibit a decline in body condition, muscle tone and general well-being. It is not known whether these changes contribute to decreased immune function or are the result of declining immune function. Geriatric years are characterized by increased susceptibility to infections and a reduced antibody response to vaccination as a result of changes in the immune sy...
Moore-Colyer MJ, Lumbis K, Longland A, Harris P.Five different hays were used to determine the effect of 5 different soaking and steaming treatments on the water soluble carbohydrate and microbial (bacteria and mould) contents of UK hay. Hays were subjected to the following 5 treatments: 1. Dry; 2. Steamed for 50 minutes in the Haygain- 600 steamer; 3. Soaked in water at 16°C for 9 hours; 4. Steamed then soaked and 5. Soaked then steamed. Post treatment hays were tested for water soluble carbohydrates, bacteria and mould contents. Differences between means were determined using ANOVA and least significant difference with hay (5), bale (3) ...
Raubenheimer D, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Gosby AK, Simpson S.We apply nutritional geometry, a framework for modelling the interactive effects of nutrients on animals, to help understand the role of modern environments in the obesity pandemic. Evidence suggests that humans regulate the intake of protein energy (PE) more strongly than non-protein energy (nPE), and consequently will over- and under-ingest nPE on diets with low or high PE, respectively. This pattern of macronutrient regulation has led to the protein leverage hypothesis, which proposes that the rise in obesity has been caused partly by a shift towards diets with reduced PE:nPE ratios relativ...
Markiewicz-Kęszycka M, Czyżak-Runowska G, Wójtowski J, Jóźwik A, Pankiewicz R, Łęska B, Krzyżewski J, Strzałkowska N, Marchewka J, Bagnicka E.Mares' milk is becoming increasingly popular in Western Europe. This study was thus aimed at investigating the impact of stage of lactation and season on chemical composition, somatic cell count and some physicochemical parameters of mares' colostrum and milk, and at developing a method for the determination of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in mares' milk and to determine its content in fresh and stored milk. Results: The analysis conducted showed an effect of the stage of lactation on contents of selected chemical components and physicochemical parameters of mares' milk. In successive lactation p...
Vendrig JC, Coffeng LE, Fink-Gremmels J.In the first phase of life, in which the immune system is primed and the bacterial colonization of epithelial surfaces takes place, foals are highly susceptible to bacterial infections. Next to strategies to optimize maternally acquired immunity in individual foals, current research explores other options to modulate immune responses in foals. During the past decades, oligosaccharide supplements were developed to mimic beneficial properties of the oligosaccharides, which are present in colostrum and milk. In human infants and laboratory animal species, dietary supplementation with galacto-olig...
Kelley DE, Warren LK, Mortensen CJ.The beneficial effect of L-arginine (L-Arg) supplementation, on the physiology of several species, has generated an interest in the use of L-Arg as a nutraceutical in horses, but dosage and absorption of orally supplemented L-Arg must be inferred from other species. The study objective was to determine the effect of 2 oral L-Arg doses on plasma arginine concentrations and the effect on absorption of other amino acids in mares. In Experiment 1, mares were blocked by age and breed and were fed L-Arg supplemented (supplemented with 0.025% BW L-Arg; n=6) or control (no supplement; n=6) concentrate...
Fernandes KA, Kittelmann S, Rogers CW, Gee EK, Bolwell CF, Bermingham EN, Thomas DG.The effects of abrupt dietary transition on the faecal microbiota of forage-fed horses over a 3-week period were investigated. Yearling Thoroughbred fillies reared as a cohort were exclusively fed on either an ensiled conserved forage-grain diet ("Group A"; n = 6) or pasture ("Group B"; n = 6) for three weeks prior to the study. After the Day 0 faecal samples were collected, horses of Group A were abruptly transitioned to pasture. Both groups continued to graze similar pasture for three weeks, with faecal samples collected at 4-day intervals. DNA was isolated from the faeces and microbial 16S ...
Cullinane M, O'Sullivan E, Collins DM, Byrne AW, More SJ.Recently, considerable international attention has been paid to the problem of unwanted horses. In Ireland, stray horses, particularly in urban areas, are a further problem. The Control of Horses Act 1996 was enacted in response to an ongoing problem of uncontrolled horses in public places. As yet, no research work has been conducted focusing on stray horses in Ireland. This paper describes horses impounded under the Act in the Munster region of Ireland during 2005-2012 and the factors influencing decisions regarding their disposal. A logistic regression model was developed to investigate fact...
Brinkmann L, Gerken M, Hambly C, Speakman JR, Riek A.Recent results suggest that wild Northern herbivores reduce their metabolism during times of low ambient temperature and food shortage in order to reduce their energetic needs. It is, however, not known whether domesticated animals are also able to reduce their energy expenditure. We exposed 10 Shetland pony mares to different environmental conditions (summer and winter) and to two food quantities (60% and 100% of maintenance energy requirement) during low winter temperatures to examine energetic and behavioural responses. In summer, ponies showed a considerably higher field metabolic rate (FM...
Staniar WB, Kronfeld DS, Akers RM, Harris PA.The objective of this longitudinal study was to characterize growth and plasma insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations in pasture-raised thoroughbreds fed two sources of dietary energy. Mares and foals were randomly assigned to either a sugar and starch (SS) or fat and fibre (FF)-rich feed, and plasma IGF-I and growth were measured once a month from 1 to 16 months of age. These dependent variables were also compared with day length and ambient temperature. There was an association between plasma IGF-I concentration and average daily gain (ADG) (r = 0.32, p 0.10) in the FF group wh...
Pennington PM, Splan RK, Jacobs RD, Chen Y, Singh RP, Li Y, Gucek M, Wagner AL, Freeman EW, Pukazhenthi BS.Insulin resistance (IR) is characterized by an increase in biomarkers of systemic inflammation and susceptibility to laminitis in horses. Impacts on reproduction include a lengthened interovulatory period in horses. Dietary omega-3 (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) promotes anti-inflammatory processes, has been implicated in health benefits, and can reduce cytokine secretion. This preliminary study investigated the impact of IR as well as the influence of dietary supplementation (DHA) on the uterine fluid proteome in early pregnant horses. Mares were artificially inseminated; uterine fluid and embr...
Cygan-Szczegielniak D, Stasiak K.The main purpose of the study was to analyse the concentrations of selected essential and toxic trace elements in the hair of sports and recreational riding horses from studs located in central Poland and thus test the usefulness of this matrix for monitoring the exposure of these animals. We also measured the concentration of heavy metals in oats used as a basic component of the equine diet to investigate the interactions between these elements in the feed and hair. The basic chemical composition of oats was analysed. Elemental analysis was performed using an EcaFlow 150 GLP electrochemical a...
Drew B, Barber WP, Williams DG.On a thoroughbred stud four foals were born with greatly enlarged thyroids and leg weakness. Two foals died within 18 hours of birth, the others subsequently recovered. An enlarged thyroid was also evident in one of the resident mares. The thyroids from the dead foals were hyperplastic. Feed analyses showed that the mares had an iodine intake of about 83 mg daily, 8-8 ppm of the dietary dry matter, due almost entirely to the high iodine content of a proprietary compound horse nut which had been fed at the daily rate of 12 lb per head. It was concluded from the histology of the thyroids, the hi...
Bouckaert S, Voorspoels J, Vandenbossche G, Deprez P, Remon JP.Quinidine is the drug of choice for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias in horses. The plasma concentrations vs. time profiles following oral administration of two formulations of quinidine sulphate, an oral solution and an oral suspension paste, were evaluated in nine horses. They received multiple administrations of the oral solution under fed and non-fed conditions and of the paste under non-fed conditions. A loading dose of 20 mg.kg-1 and a maintenance dose of 10 mg.kg-1 quinidine with dosing interval of 6 h were used. The relative bioavailability of the oral solution under fed conditions...
Bland SD, Venable EB, McPherson JL, Atkinson RL.The horse intestinal tract is sensitive and contains a highly complex microbial population. A shift in the microbial population can lead to various issues such as inflammation and colic. The use of nutraceuticals in the equine industry is on the rise and curcumin is thought to possess antimicrobial properties that may help to minimize the proliferation of opportunistic bacteria. Methods: Four cecally-cannulated horses were utilized to determine the optimal dose of liposomal-curcumin (LIPC) on reducing complex (SBEC), K-12, general, , and in the equine hindgut without adversely affecting ce...
Franzan BC, Coelho IDS, de Souza MT, Santos MMM, de Almeida FQ, Silva VP.Sudden changes in horses' diet have been previously associated with gastrointestinal disease. This study evaluated the effects of a sudden change of diet composed exclusively of Coastcross hay (CHD) to a complete extruded diet (CED) on the fecal microbiome of horses. A completely randomized design with repeated measurements was used. The study started with eight adult horses randomly split into group A, fed with CHD, and group B, fed with CED. After 34 days of diet adaptation, the diets were abruptly changed between the groups. Fecal samples were collected at 0, 24, and 96 hours after the diet...
Mullen KR, Schwark W, Divers TJ.To assess pharmacokinetics of pregabalin in horses after a single intragastric or IV dose. Methods: 5 healthy adult mares. Methods: Horses received 1 dose of pregabalin (approx 4 mg/kg) via nasogastric tube in a crossover-design study; after a 3-week washout period, the same dose was administered IV. Food was not withheld. Plasma pregabalin concentrations in samples obtained 0 to 36 hours after administration were measured by use of ultra-performance liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic variables were estimated by means of noncompartmental anal...
Harris PA, Pagan JD, Crandell KG, Davidson N.This study looked at the effect of feeding diets supplemented with either a predominantly saturated or unsaturated vegetable oil over a prolonged period to exercising horses. Eight Thoroughbred horses were assigned to 2 diet treatments and for 10 months were fed Timothy hay and oats, together with a fortified sweet feed supplemented with either a predominantly unsaturated (Un) or a saturated (S) vegetable oil so that approximately 19% DE (Digestible Energy) came from dietary fat and approximately 12% from either the Un or S source (AC). An increased amount of Un or S fortified sweet feed, repl...
Jarvis NG.This article reviews current thoughts on nutrition of the older horse in health and disease. Common causes of weight loss and poor body condition in old horses include dental or oral cavity abnormalities, pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, and reduced feed intake attributable to competition from herd mates or pain associated with osteoarthritis. Feed intake and body condition may improve after institution of management changes. Thin but otherwise healthy old horses can benefit from a diet that provides 12% to 16% crude protein and includes highly digestible feedstuffs. In horses with sever...
Stammers JP, Hull D, Leadon DP, Jeffcott LB, Rossdale PD.The concentrations and fatty acid composition of the plasma free fatty acid, triacylglycerol and phospholipid fractions were determined in maternal and umbilical cord vein blood samples taken at delivery from 17 mares. Maternal and umbilical vein plasma free fatty acid concentrations were of a similar order and a positive correlation was found between the two levels suggesting that the equine placenta is permeable to fatty acid. Substantial amounts of the essential fatty acids and their longer chain derivatives were seen in both umbilical vein plasma free fatty acid and phospholipid fractions ...
Asano K, Suzuki K, Chiba M, Sera K, Asano R, Sakai T.The concentrations of 28 elements (Al, Br, Ca, Cl, Co, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ga, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Se, Si, Sr, Ti, V, Y, and Zn) were measured in mane hair by the particle-induced X-ray emission method. Except for Br, Cl, K, S, and P, the trace element concentrations in mane hair of horses are similar to literature values for human hair. The values obtained are not dependent on the horse's age, breed, and sex and could be used as reference values in the assessment of diseases and nutritional status in equines.
van Dorland A, Janett F, Bruckmaier R, Wach-Gygax L, Jeannerat E, Bollwein H, Sieme H, Burger D.Effects of a plasmolysed yeast product enriched with herbs, malt, honey and orange syrup on semen characteristics and oxidative status in stallions were evaluated. Twenty stallions (mean age ± standard deviation = 9.5 ± 4.5 years) were randomly divided into a treatment group (n = 10) receiving 0.06 mL/kg bodyweight of plasmolysed herbal yeast, and a control group (n = 10) receiving the same amount of placebo daily in the feed for 10 weeks. Ejaculates were collected weekly from all stallions starting at Week 0. Volume, sperm concentration, motility, and velocity were eva...
Woodward AD, Fan MZ, Geor RJ, McCutcheon LJ, Taylor NP, Trottier NL.In nonruminant herbivores, microbially derived AA could contribute to whole-body AA homeostasis and thus decrease predicted AA requirements. However, postileal capacity of AA uptake is currently unknown. Therefore, to test the hypothesis that Lys is transported across the large colon mucosal apical membrane with capacity similar to that of the small intestinal mucosa in the pony and pig, we examined Lys transport in vitro using brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). Mucosa was collected from the distal jejunum (DJ) and proximal large colon (PLC) of growing pigs (n = 3) and ponies (n = 4), flas...
Pearson RC, Hallowell AL, Bayly WM, Torbeck RL, Perryman LE.Pre- and postpartum colostral samples collected from 14 Arabian and 22 Thoroughbred mares were examined for color, consistency, and immunoglobulin (Ig)G concentration. Initial samples, obtained 3 to 28 days before mares had foaled, contained greater than 1,000 mg of IgG/dl. Mean concentration of IgG in colostrum of the Arabian mares at the time of parturition (T0) was 9,691 mg/dl and was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher than the average, 4,608 mg/dl, for the Thoroughbreds. Average times lapsed from T0 until the colostral IgG decreased to 1,000 mg/dl (T1,000) was 19.1 hours for the Arabi...
Derisoud E, Auclair-Ronzaud J, Rousseau-Ralliard D, Philau S, Aujean E, Durand A, Dahirel M, Charlier M, Boutinaud M, Wimel L, Chavatte-Palmer P.Nulliparity is associated with intra-uterine growth retardation and foal delayed catch-up growth. Older mares produce larger/taller foals than the precedents. Nursing at conception on foal growth had not been investigated yet. In any case, milk production conditions the foal's growth. This study aimed to determine effects of mare parity, age and nursing on subsequent lactation quantity and quality. Saddlebred mares and their foals (N = 43) run as a single herd over the same year were: young (6-7-year-old) primiparous, young multiparous, old (10-16-year-old) multiparous nursing at inseminatio...
Geyer H, Schulze J.The influence of dietary biotin in horses with brittle hoof horn and chipped hooves was investigated in a long-term study, which was performed over a period from one to six years. 97 horses received 5 mg of biotin per 100 to 150 kg of body weight, per os, daily; 11 horses were not supplemented with biotin and served as controls. The hooves of all horses were evaluated macroscopically every three to four months. Hoof horn specimens of the proximal wall were examined histologically and physically in 25 and 15 horses, respectively. The tensile strength of normal coronary horn was 60 N/mm2 or grea...
Jansson A, Johannisson A, Kvart C.Horses in training lose large amounts of sodium but little is known about the cardiovascular response to low sodium intake. Objective: To investigate the effect of low sodium intake on plasma aldosterone (pAldo) concentrations and the cardiovascular system of athletic horses, and to identify markers of low sodium intake. Methods: Seven Standardbred geldings in training (trained twice a week) were randomly offered a standardised diet supplemented (NaS, 58 mg Na/kg bwt) and not supplemented (NaN, 3 mg Na/kg bwt) with NaCl for 5 weeks in a changeover design. Blood samples were taken once a week a...
Coverdale JA, Hammer CJ, Walter KW.Many environmental factors can alter the phenotype of offspring when applied during critical periods of early development. In most domestic species, maternal nutrition influences fetal development and the fetus is sensitive to the nutrition of the dam during pregnancy. Many experimental models have been explored including both under- and overnutrition of the dam. Both nutritional strategies have yielded potential consequences including altered glucose tolerance, pancreatic endocrine function, insulin sensitivity, body composition, and colostrum quality. Although the impact of maternal nutritio...
Saastamoinen M, Särkijärvi S, Valtonen E.The main horse phosphorus excretion pathway is through the dung. Phosphorus originating from animal dung and manure has harmful environmental effects on waters. The number of horses has increased in many countries, and several studies have pointed that leaching of P from horse paddocks and pastures are hotspots for high P leaching losses. The hypothesis was that feeding regimes might influence phosphorus digestibility and excretion in feces, and therefore the environmental impact of horse husbandry. A digestibility experiment was conducted with six horses fed six forage-based diets to study ph...
Geelen SN, Jansen WL, Geelen MJ, Sloet van Oldruitenborgh-Oosterbaan MM, Beynen AC.The hypothesis tested was that dietary fat, when compared with an isoenergetic amount of non-structural carbohydrates, stimulates lipolysis in adipose tissue and also stimulates the fatty-acid oxidative capacity in skeletal muscle from horses. Six adult horses were fed a high-fat, glucose or starch containing diet according to a 3 x 3 Latin square design with feeding periods of three weeks. The diets were formulated so that the intake of soybean oil versus either glucose or corn starch were the only variables. In accordance with previous work, whole plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) concentration d...
Small AC, Kelly WR, Seawright AA, Mattocks AR, Jukes R.A foal, small and jaundiced from birth, succumbed after two months to chronic hepatic damage which was characterised by fibrosis, biliary ductular hyperplasia and the presence of pleomorphic hepatocytes containing either a single large nucleus or multiple nuclei. The fixed liver contained sulfur-bound pyrroles, which are derived from pyrrolizidine alkaloids. During pregnancy the pasture was heavily infested with the pyrrolizidine alkaloid-containing plant, Senecio madagascariensis. The hepatic disease affecting the foal appears to have been initiated by consumption of the alkaloids by the mare...
Cymbaluk NF, Christison GI.The effects of diet and climate were assessed in 42 light horse weanlings over 30 wk. Horses were fed diets varying in energy and phosphorus content. Diets were predominantly forage (73 to 77.5%) or concentrate (62 to 62.25%) and had 2.65 or 3.09 Mcal DE/kg DM, respectively. Horses were weighed every 14 d. Group feed intakes and climatic variables were recorded daily. Dietary phosphorus content did not affect intake or gain. Horses fed forage diets ate 18% more (P less than .001) DM than horses fed concentrate, but DE intakes did not differ. Average DE intakes, 21.5 Mcal daily, were 33% more t...
GOODWIN RF.Graham, Sampson and Hester (1941) observed that hypoglycaemia was a pathognomonic feature in a fatal disease of newborn pigs and subsequently made the important observation that
starvation alone could rapidly produce a similar syndrome (Sampson,
Hester and Graham, 1942). In contrast, Hanawalt and Sampson
(I947a) found that older pigs, weighing between 20 and 40 lb., were
resistant to a long period of starvation (24 and 28 days), the main
development of this resistance occurring during the first week of life
(Hanawalt and Sampson, I947b). Thus starvation from birth was
fatal in less than...
Richards N, Nielsen BD, Finno CJ.Many forage types are available, typically divided into cool or warm season grasses and legumes, which can be fed as fresh pasture or after preservation. Testing for nutrient content confirms what should be supplemented to make up shortfalls. Although testing is recommended, it is not always practical. Typical values for the forage type are available; however, they cannot be relied on for actual content. Non-nutritional aspects must also be taken into account. The provision of complementary feeds to ensure adequate vitamin and mineral intake is recommended. Additional supplementary high-qualit...
