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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.
Pulmonary bioavailability of ascorbic acid in an ascorbate-synthesising species, the horse. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a non-enzymatic antioxidant important in protecting the lung against oxidative damage and is decreased in lung lining fluid of horses with airway inflammation. To examine possible therapeutic regimens in a species with ascorbate-synthesising capacity, we studied the effects of oral supplementation of two forms of ascorbic acid, (each equivalent to 20 mg ascorbic acid per kg body weight) on the pulmonary and systemic antioxidant status of six healthy ponies in a 3 x 3 Latin square design. Two weeks supplementation with ascorbyl palmitate significantly increased mean...
Equine pyoderma associated with malnutrition and unhygienic conditions due to neglect in a herd. Twelve horses kept at a riding club suffered from pyoderma. All the horses displayed crusting, scaling and alopecia. The lesions were distributed in the chest, back, rump and limbs. Some of the horse patients also showed epilation with an attached crust similar to a 'paintbrush lesion' of dermatophilosis, but normal skin flora or opportunistic pathogenic bacteria were only isolated from the lesions. Some patients clearly showed weight loss, anemia and low levels of serum protein and cholesterol. General condition and skin lesions of the patients were improved gradually with improvement of feed...
Potential signals mediating the maintenance of reproductive activity during the non-breeding season of the mare. The seasonal nature of reproductive activity in mares is widely accepted and considerable attention has focused on the mechanisms that lead to the initiation of the breeding season. In contrast, considerably less information is available about the termination of the breeding season. It is interesting to note that each winter a sub-population of mares continues to undergo oestrous cyclicity during the non-breeding season. Continuation of reproductive activity during the winter occurs most frequently in mares that maintain a non-pregnant condition in successive years. The maintenance of a non-pr...
Gastric ulcers in standardbred racehorses: prevalence, lesion description, and risk factors. This study was performed to estimate the prevalence of gastric ulcers in Standardbred racehorses, to describe the lesion score and location, and to identify potential risk factors. Two hundred seventy-five (275) Standardbred horses from 5 training centers and 2 racetracks in Quebec, Canada, were studied. Historical data for the 2 months before examination were recorded for each horse, and the presence of gastric ulcers was determined by gastroscopy. A previously reported scoring system that used grades 0-3 for gastric lesions was used. Overall, 121 horses (44.0%; 95% CI, 38.1-50.1%) had gastri...
Comparison of volumetric urine collection versus single-sample urine collection in horses consuming diets varying in cation-anion balance. To determine daily variation in urinary clearance and fractional excretion (FE) of electrolytes and minerals within and between horses and to compare volumetric and single-sample urine collection for determining FE values of diets with a range of dietary cation-anion balance (DCAB). Methods: 5 Thoroughbred and 6 mixed-breed mares. Methods: 3 isocaloric diets with low, medium, and high DCAB values (85, 190, and 380 mEq/kg of dry matter, respectively) were each fed for 14 days. Daily blood samples, single urine samples collected by using a urinary catheter (5 mares), and volumetric urine collect...
Case-control study of factors associated with excessive proportions of early fetal losses associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky during 2001. To identify factors associated with excessive proportions of early fetal losses associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky during 2001. Methods: Case-control study. Methods: Questionnaires were used to collect information on farm-, pasture-, and individual animal-level factors purportedly associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome. Data were collected for 133 farms (97 with excessive proportions of early feta losses and 36 control farms) representing 6,576 mares. Results: Factors significantly associated with an increased risk of excessive early fetal losses were ...
Characterization of equine cDNA sequences for alphaS1-, beta- and kappa-casein. Here we report the entire cDNA sequences for equine alphaS1-, beta- and kappa-casein. Based on interspecies comparison, nine exons were found in equine beta-casein and five in kappa-casein. In equine alphaS1-casein cDNA the exon 5 was missing, which resulted in the total of 18 exons instead of 19 theoretically possible exons in alphaS1-casein cDNA. Comparison of DNA sequences representing exon 5 in other species with corresponding equine genomic region confirmed the presence of cryptic exon in horse genomic DNA. Equine alphaS1-casein mRNA was present in three forms in the lactating mammary gla...
Identification and quantification of amines in the equine caecum. Acute laminitis has been associated with the release of compounds, as yet unidentified, produced by hindgut fermentation which affect blood flow to the digit. The objectives of this study were to identify amine compounds in equine caecal and colonic contents, some of which are known to have vasoactive properties. In addition, the concentrations of amines in caecal contents of horses fed either grass or hay diets were compared. Fifteen amines were identified in equine hindgut contents in concentrations greater than 1 microM. The caecal concentrations of phenylethylamine, isoamylamine, cadaverin...
Nutritional responses to the presence of inulin and oligofructose in the diets of domesticated animals: a review. Inulin and oligofructose are prebiotic oligosaccharides fermented in the large intestine. This article provides an extensive review of the effects of these oligosaccharides on gastrointestinal characteristics (microflora, pathogen control, epithelial cell proliferation, putrefactive compound production, fecal characteristics, and nutrient digestibility) and systemic metabolism of carbohydrates, nitrogen, lipids, and minerals in dogs, cats, horses, calves, pigs, poultry, and rabbits. In addition, intake of inulin and oligofructose and considerations in their supplementation to animal diets are ...
Allisonella histaminiformans gen. nov., sp. nov. A novel bacterium that produces histamine, utilizes histidine as its sole energy source, and could play a role in bovine and equine laminitis. When cattle and horses are fed large amounts of grain, histamine can accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract, and this accumulation can cause an acute inflammation of the hooves (laminitis). When ruminal fluid from dairy cattle fed grain supplements was serially diluted in anaerobic MRS medium containing histidine (50 mM), histamine was detected at dilutions as high as 10(-7). The histidine enrichments were then transferred successively in an anaerobic, carbonate-based medium (50 mM histidine) without glucose. The histamine producing bacteria could not be isolated from the rumens of cattle fe...
Case-control study of late-term abortions associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky. To identify factors associated with abortions of mares during late gestation attributed to mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 282 broodmares from 62 farms in central Kentucky, including 137 mares that had late-term abortions (LTAs) associated with MRLS, 98 mares from the same farms that did not abort, and 48 mares that aborted from causes other than MRLS. Methods: Farm managers were interviewed to obtain data on a wide range of management practices and environmental exposures for the mares. Data for case and control horses were compared to identify ri...
Case-control study of early-term abortions (early fetal losses) associated with mare reproductive loss syndrome in central Kentucky. To identify factors associated with abortions during early gestation classified as mare reproductive loss syndrome (MRLS). Methods: Case-control study. Methods: 324 broodmares from 43 farms in central Kentucky, including 121 mares from 25 farms that had early-term abortions (ETAs) associated with MRLS (case horses), 120 mares from the same farms but that did not abort, and 83 mares from 18 farms that were not severely Impacted by MRLS. Methods: Farm managers were interviewed to obtain data on various management practices and environmental exposures for the mares. Data for case and control hors...
Diagnostic workup for weight loss in the geriatric horse. In the absence of debilitating medical problems, the geriatric horse can maintain a normal body condition when provided with an appropriate diet, adequate shelter, and preventive health care that includes regular dental care and deworming. Failures in management can lead to inadequate nutritional support, exposure to adverse environmental conditions, advanced dental disease, parasitism, and failure to detect developing medical problems. All these circumstances can lead to loss of condition and debilitation in the aged horse. Weight loss in the aged horse should be approached with an understand...
Dental care in the older horse. Dental care in any horse need not be looked at as the difficult challenge it used to be before the days of sedation and tungsten carbide and diamond cutting wheels. Horses are living longer and more comfortable lives thanks, in part, to the advancements of dental care and special dietary rations. With the evolution of the horse's place in family circles today, people want the best care possible for their animals. Dentistry has become an important part of that care.
Nutrition and feeding of the geriatric horse. Little is known regarding nutrient requirements and feeding of geriatric horses, and more effort should be placed on this area of equine nutrition research. That which is known suggests that some geriatric horses may not have different requirements than other mature horses, whereas others affected by disease or poor dentition may have special nutritional needs. In general, rations for geriatric horses should be based on high-quality roughage supplemented with complementary minerals and vitamins. The need for additional energy aside from that provided by the forage can be supplied by adding ene...
Study of crib-biting and gastric inflammation and ulceration in young horses. Nineteen young horses that had recently started to perform the stereotypy of crib-biting were compared with 16 non-stereotypic horses for 14 weeks. After initial observations of their behaviour and an endoscopic examination of the condition of their stomachs, the horses were randomly allocated to a control or an antacid diet At the start of the trial, the stomachs of the crib-biting foals were significantly more ulcerated and inflamed than the stomachs of the normal foals. In addition, the faecal pH of the crib-biting foals (6.05) was significantly lower than that of the normal foals (6.58). T...
Risk factors associated with colic in horses. Many factors have been identified as risk factors for colic in horses in several epidemiological studies. The aim of our paper was to review the results of 12 epidemiological studies, in order to assess the impact of each risk factor for colic. According to the literature, the factors that increase the risk of colic are feeding practices (type and quality of food, type and changes of feeding), the intrinsic factors of horses (sex, age and breed), management (type and changes of housing and activity), medical history (a previous colic, administration of a medical treatment) and parasite control...
The mobile bag technique as a method for determining the degradation of four botanically diverse fibrous feedstuffs in the small intestine and total digestive tract of ponies. An in sacco mobile bag technique was used to determine the rate and extent of disappearance of unmolassed sugar-beet pulp, soyabean hulls, hay cubes and an oat hull-naked oats mixture (67:33, w/w) in the foregut and total digestive tract of ponies. Ponies were administered naso-gastrically polyester mesh bags containing 350 mg feed, in a Latin square design. Bags were collected at the ileo-caecal junction (small intestine bag, SIB) and in the faeces (faecal bag, FB) and their residues analysed for proximate constituents and NSP composition and content. DM disappearances from individual bags we...
Matua bromegrass hay for mares in gestation and lactation. Matua bromegrass hay (Bromus willdenowii Kunth) is a high quality forage, but its value for mares during gestation and lactation is not well known. Intake, rate of passage, performance, and reproduction by gestating and lactating Quarter Horse mares fed the hay was investigated. In this experiment, 12, 2- to 12-yr-old gravid mares (mean BW = 553 kg, SD = 36) were fed Matua hay (CP = 11.5%) or alfalfa hay (Medicago sativa L.) (CP = 15.4%) for variable days prepartum (mean 59.9 d; SD = 23.5) and for 70 d postpartum. Matua and alfalfa hay were fed as the roughage portion of the diet with a grain ...
Effect of nutritional antioxidant supplementation on systemic and pulmonary antioxidant status, airway inflammation and lung function in heaves-affected horses. An oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in favour of oxidants has been identified as playing a decisive role in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory airway diseases. Nutritional antioxidant supplementation might reduce oxidative damage by enhancement of the antioxidant defence, thereby modulating inflammatory processes. In a placebo-controlled, blind study, it was tested whether a dietary antioxidant supplement administered for 4 weeks would improve lung function and reduce airway inflammation in heaves-affected horses. Eight horses in clinical remission of heaves were investigated at rest and af...
Foraging enrichment for stabled horses: effects on behaviour and selection. The restricted access to pasture experienced by many competition horses has been linked to the exhibition of stereotypic and redirected behaviour patterns. It has been suggested that racehorses provided with more than one source of forage are less likely to perform these patterns; however, the reasons for this are currently unclear. To investigate this in 4 replicated trials, up to 12 horses were introduced into each of 2 identical stables containing a single forage, or 6 forages for 5 min. To detect novelty effects, in the first and third trials the single forage was hay. In the second and fo...
[Copper and zinc in animal feed for the adult horses in Switzerland]. The copper and zinc contents of 25 rations for adult horses were evaluated. The total amount of copper and zinc daily ingested was obtained by adding the amount of each element contained and added of the commercial feed to the amount contained in ingested hay and oats. The total amount of copper and zinc ingested daily was compared with the official recommendations for the maintenance of an adult horse of 550 kg. The results show that a traditional ration oats/hay does not contain a sufficient amount of copper and zinc in order to cover their respective requirements. Furthermore, many rations ...
Stable isotope (13C, 15N and 34S) analysis of the hair of modern humans and their domestic animals. Relationships between dietary status and recent migration were examined by delta(13)C, delta(15)N and delta(34)S analysis of hair samples from 43 modern humans living in a rural community in SW England. The isotopic content of 38 'local' hair samples was compared with that of five recently arrived individuals (from Canada, Chile, Germany and the USA). Hair samples from domestic animals (i.e. mainly cats, dogs, cows and horses) were analysed to examine the difference in delta(13)C, delta(15)N and delta(34)S values between herbivores and carnivores. Generally, modern human hair data from the tri...
Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) supplementation associated with reduced skin test lesional area in horses with Culicoides hypersensitivity. The purpose of this study was to quantify the effect of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) supplementation on the skin test response of atopic horses. Six horses that displayed a positive skin test for allergy to extract from Culicoides sp. participated in the 42-day, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over trial. Results showed that supplementation with flaxseed for 42 days in our experimental horses reduced the mean skin test response to Culicoides sp. This observation was concurrent with a significant decrease in the long-chain saturated fatty acids; behenic acid (22:0) and lignoceric acid...
The relationship between body condition, leptin, and reproductive and hormonal characteristics of mares during the seasonal anovulatory period. An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of high vs low body condition scores (BCS) produced by restricted feeding on reproductive characteristics, hormonal secretion, and leptin concentrations in mares during the autumnal transition and winter anovulatory period. Mares with BCS of 6.5 to 8.0 were maintained on pasture and/or grass hay, and starting in September, were full fed or restricted to produce BCS of 7.5 to 8.5 (high) or 3.0 to 3.5 (low) by December. All but one mare with high BCS continued to ovulate or have follicular activity during the winter, whereas mares with low BCS...
Effect of a preparation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on microbial profiles and fermentation patterns in the large intestine of horses fed a high fiber or a high starch diet. Eight horses were allotted into pairs consisting of one cecum- and right ventral colon-fistulated animal and one cecum-fistulated animal. They were fed daily at the same level of intake either a high-fiber (HF) or a high-starch (HS) diet without or with 10 g of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae preparation, in a 4 x 4 Latin square design. The HS diet provided a starch overload (i.e., 3.4 g starch x kg(-1) BW x meal(-1)) while maintaining a high amount of fiber intake (i.e., dietary NDF/starch ratio was 1.0). A 21-d period of adaptation to the treatments occurred before cecal and colonic contents were...
Drinking salt water enhances rehydration in horses dehydrated by frusemide administration and endurance exercise. Because the primary stimulus for thirst is an increase in plasma tonicity, we hypothesised that dehydrated horses would drink a greater total volume of fluid voluntarily during the first hour of recovery when they were initially offered salt water. To test this hypothesis, bodyweight (bwt), fluid intake (FI) and [Na+] were measured in 6 Arabian horses offered 3 rehydration solutions. After dehydration was induced by frusemide administration (1 mg/kg bwt, i.v.) followed by 45 km treadmill exercise, water (W), 0.45% NaCl and 0.9% NaCl were offered, in a randomised order, during the initial 5 min...
Chronic nodular panniculitis in a three-year-old mare. The clinical signs of chronic nodular panniculitis in a three-year-old mare were consistent with a diagnosis of sterile nodular panniculitis, but the mare had histopathological signs of both generalised steatitis and sterile nodular panniculitis. The mare was deficient in vitamin E and selenium.
Postprandial glucose and insulin responses to a postexercise grain meal. Many studies have examined the effect of pre-exercise feeding on glucose and insulin responses of horses. The objective of this study was to determine whether exercise performed one hour prior to a meal would attenuate the glucose and insulin responses to a meal. Data collected from 8 mature geldings in a 2 period crossover design experiment were used to determine the postprandial glucose and insulin responses to a meal of oats offered 1 h postexercise. During each period, 4 horses received a test meal following a 14 h fast (NoEx) or a 14 h fast and exercise bout (PostEx) that consisted of 48 ...
