Omneity® Pellets
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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.
Yield and composition of milk from lactating mares: effect of body condition at foaling. The yield and composition of milk from nursing mares were studied during the first 2 months of lactation in two groups of six and five saddle mares respectively made thin or fat before foaling, then fed ad lib. post partum. Milk yield did not significantly vary with body condition (16.5 and 15.4 kg/d for fat and thin mares respectively). Milk from fat mares had a higher fat content than milk from thin mares; the reverse was found for protein. The composition of milk fat was modified: milk of fat mares was poorer in short- and medium-chain fatty acids (C8-C14). Milk fat output was affected by b...
Equine abortion and stillbirth in central Kentucky during 1988 and 1989 foaling seasons. Pathologic and microbiologic examinations were performed on 1,211 aborted equine fetuses, stillborn foals, and placentas from premature foals in central Kentucky during the 1988 and 1989 foaling seasons to determine the causes of reproductive loss in the mare. Placentitis (19.4%) and dystocia-perinatal asphyxia (19.5%) were the 2 most important causes of equine reproductive loss. The other causes (in decreasing order) were contracted foal syndrome and other congenital anomalies (8.5%), twinning (6.1%), improper separation of placenta (4.7%), torsion of umbilical cord (4.5%), placental edema (4...
Measurement of 24-h gastric pH using an indwelling pH electrode in horses unfed, fed and treated with ranitidine. A glass combined pH-reference electrode was placed in the stomachs of 5 adult horses and pH was recorded every 6 mins for 24 h while (1) feed and all bedding materials were withheld for 24 h (unfed), (2) horses had free access to Timothy grass hay for 24 h (fed), and (3) horses had free access to Timothy grass hay and were treated with ranitidine, 6.6 mg/kg body weight, orally, every 8 h for 48 h (fed + ranitidine). There was a significant (P = 0.007) difference in median 24-h gastric pH amongst the 3 protocols, the value being 3.1 in fed horses and 1.55 in unfed horses (P = 0.05) and 4.6 in f...
Effects of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract on in vitro equine cecal fermentation. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of Aspergillus oryzae fermentation extract on the in vitro equine cecal fermentation of soluble starch, amino acids/peptides, coastal bermudagrass hay, and alfalfa hay. Cecal contents were obtained from a cecally fistulated Quarter Horse gelding fed coastal bermudagrass and grain (70:30) either unadapted or adapted to dietary A. oryzae supplementation (2 g/d). Mixed cecal microorganisms were incubated in anaerobic media for either 24 h (soluble starch, amino acids) or 48 h (bermudagrass hay, alfalfa hay). A. oryzae was added to the incubat...
Effects of gestation, lactation, and maternal calcium intake on mechanical strength of equine bone. Skeletal homeostasis during late gestation, lactation, and the post-lactational recovery period is poorly understood. In an experiment using an animal model (the horse), metacarpal breaking strengths (MBS) estimated via transmission ultrasonics were examined during the last 12 weeks of gestation and for 40 weeks after parturition. MBS increased during the last 6-10 weeks of gestation in mares fed amounts of calcium (Ca) recommended by the National Research Council; maximum MBS coincided with the week of parturition. In contrast, MBS in mares fed 20% less Ca remained relatively constant during ...
The effect of roughage source on exercise performance and metabolism in thoroughbred horses. The effects of roughage source on metabolism and exercise capacity were investigated using 6, previously conditioned, mature thoroughbred horses in a cross-over experiment. The horses were assigned to either non-alfalfa or alfalfa roughage diets which were isocaloric. The diets were fed for 2 weeks, after which the horses were exercise tested and then fed the alternate diet. Horses were exercised on a high-speed treadmill using a rapid incremental test. Arterial blood samples were collected for blood gas analysis and acid base measurements and venous blood samples for lactate and red blood cel...
Gastric pH monitoring in healthy, suckling pony foals. Gastric pH was monitored in neonatal foals from birth to 3 months of age. Background pH decreased, especially during the first week of life. Milk had complex effects that depended on pH prior to sucking, confounded by the age of the foal: nearly neutral background pH tended to be acidified after milk intake; moderately acid background pH tended to be neutralized; low background pH was only slightly increased by milk. Absolute magnitude of the effects of milk decreased with age. Existence of a proulcerative intragastric environment in preweaning foals is postulated, but this must be considered ...
Preliminary investigations into factors that affect plasma aldosterone concentrations in horses. The effect of feeding diets with low, adequate and high sodium contents on plasma aldosterone concentrations in horses and ponies was evaluated using human immunoassay kits. The effect of moderate to high intensity exercise of up to six minutes duration on plasma aldosterone concentrations in three thoroughbred horses was also investigated. On an adequate sodium diet plasma aldosterone concentrations increased to a peak around four hours after feeding. Little daily variation was found in the pre-feeding aldosterone concentrations over three days. Feeding additional salt resulted initially in n...
Nutrient intake of horses in thoroughbred and standardbred stables. Twenty-five Thoroughbred (TB) and 25 Standardbred (SB) stables were visited to determine their feeding practices. The ingredients of the main feed of the day for a mature gelding of average size in full training were weighted at each stable. Nutrient content of diets was calculated using published data for the individual ingredients. Results are expressed as mean +/- sd. The estimated body weight of TB horses was 493 +/- 34 kg and 437 +/- 32 kg for SB horses. There was considerable variation in diet composition and nutrient intake between stables. The TB trainers fed 11.0 +/- 2.4 kg and SB tra...
Focal gingival hyperplasia in a horse. A diagnosis of gingival hyperplasia in a 22-year-old Quarter Horse gelding was confirmed by histologic examination. Clinical signs included difficulty eating hay, and a large, intraoral soft tissue mass measuring 13 x 8 x 4.5 cm. The mass was located in the mucosa on the lingual aspect of the caudal left portion of the mandible, ventral to the base of the tongue, and covered the second and third lower molars, extending rostrally along the buccal mucosa to the premolars. The left maxillary second and third molars were overgrown with sharp edges. Lateral radiography of the mandible revealed abse...
Maturation of insulin and glucose responses to normal feeding in foals. Postprandial insulin and glucose concentrations were measured in 3 Arabian and 3 Thoroughbred foals at 1 day, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months of age. Prefeeding serum insulin concentrations were similar in foals at 1 day (25.9 +/- 5.1 pmol/L), 1 week (32.4 +/- 5.8 pmol/L), and 1 month (38.2 +/- 7.9 pmol/L), but had increased significantly to 131.0 +/- 20.2 pmol/L at 3 months of age (P < 0.05). There was significantly increased serum insulin secretion after a feed in foals at 3 months of age (P < 0.05) when compared with that at younger ages. Prefeeding serum glucose concentrations ranged fr...
Miscellaneous conditions of the equine head. Nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism is associated with horses that are fed diets with an imbalance of calcium and phosphorus or diets containing oxalates. Clinical signs include a shifting lameness, with tenderness of the joints, reluctance to move, or a stiff, stilted gait. Some horses may have broadening of the nasal bones, enlargement of the maxilla and/or the mandible, or a ridge over the nasal bones. Diagnosis may include physical examination findings; analysis of feed; and clinical pathologic data, which may include normocalcemia, normal to increased serum phosphorus, and increased...
Some aspects of perinatal maturation and adaptation. Physiological challenges facing the perinatal individual are huge. This is partly because of the marked and abrupt change from the intrauterine to the extrauterine environment, but also because the physiological responses to that change depend upon systems whose maturation is affected markedly by birth. Perinatal maturation appears, therefore, both to precede and accompany the physiological adaptations required for neonatal survival. This review does not provide a comprehensive coverage of perinatal physiology but directs attention towards evaluating constraints on foetal and neonatal thermoge...
Pyrrolizidine alkaloidosis in a two month old foal. 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...
Clinical view of disturbances in equine foetal maturation. This review summarises comparative aspects of equine pregnancy and birth. The allantochorion covers the entire endometrial surface of the mare's uterus and the placenta is microcotyledonary and epitheliochorial in structure. The foetus has, therefore, to pass through the allantochorion at birth. The umbilical cord has amniotic and allantoic portions and remains intact after delivery, enabling an arterial venous circulation to be maintained for several minutes. Maternal IgG does not cross the placental barrier and passive transfer post-natally is essential for immune status. Gestation in Thorou...
Neurologic evaluation of the equine head and neurogenic dysphagia. Neurologic evaluation should be performed in horses with diseases of the head. Although neurologic examination should focus on assessing behavior, mental status, and cranial nerve evaluation, evaluation of neurologic function of other body regions should be performed. Neurologic evaluation of the head can be performed expediently by practitioners to provide useful diagnostic and prognostic information. The numerous causes of dysphagia can be classified as obstructive, painful, or neurogenic. Common causes of neurogenic dysphagia are summarized, and methods for initial diagnosis and management ...
Clearance of infused triglyceride by resting horses. 1. Clearance of infused lipid was observed in six mature resting horses, 2 to 6 hr after receiving a meal of alfalfa hay. 2. Intralipid, a 10% triglyceride emulsion, was infused at a rate of 0.2 ml/kg into the jugular vein. 3. Blood samples were obtained for 80 min post-infusion and assayed for plasma triglyceride concentration. 4. Clearance rate of the infused lipid was very slow (mean t1/2 = 269 min). 5. The clearance rate of the infused lipid in these horses was much slower than has been observed in other species. 6. The slow clearance of infused triglyceride in horses may suggest an inabil...
Chronic selenosis in horses fed locally produced alfalfa hay. Chronic selenosis (alkali disease) was diagnosed in horses of western Iowa, a region associated with marginal to adequate soil selenium. Two locally produced alfalfa hays (Medicago sativa L) were identified as the primary source. Difficulty in selecting diagnostic specimens to evaluate potential chronic selenosis cases is complicated by the wide range of tissue concentrations reported in previous cases, conflicting correlation of sample selenium concentrations in the literature, and different recommendations on specimen selection and diagnostic value. These problems arise form the similarity i...
Comparison of the ability to bind lipids of beta-lactoglobulin and serum albumin of milk from ruminant and non-ruminant species. The interaction of sheep, horse, pig, human and guinea-pig whey proteins with fatty acids has been studied. Using gel filtration and autoradiography, it was found that sheep beta-lactoglobulin and serum albumin from all species had the ability to bind fatty acids in vitro. Sheep beta-lactoglobulin, isolated from milk, had approximately 0.5 mol fatty acids bound per mol monomer protein, and albumin from sheep, horse and pig contained approximately 4.5, 2.9 and 4.7 mol fatty acids/mol protein respectively. However, beta-lactoglobulin from horse and pig milk had neither fatty acids physiologicall...
Study on the energy and protein metabolism in horses. The present study focused on energy and protein metabolism in pregnant and lactating mares, including the suckling and weaned growing horses, in order to determine feed availability, as also the energy and protein requirements. The authors found that the feeding diets, consisting of alfalfa hay, oats and compounds, had different availability values in terms of energy and protein, according to animal physiological conditions and age. Thus, the pregnant mares utilized the metabolizable energy (ME) and digestible crude protein (DCP) intake in average proportions of 64.5 +/- 3.2%, 54.6 +/- 3.0%, r...
Naturally occurring selenosis in Wyoming. A review of Wyoming State Veterinary Laboratory records for 1947-1987 revealed no substantiated cases of naturally occurring selenosis. However, older reports attributed thousands of animal deaths to selenium each year in this area. Beginning in August 1988, cases of suspected selenosis and selenium deficiency were solicited from veterinarians and producers by announcements in various statewide livestock publications. As of August 1991, 4 cases (all horses) of naturally occurring selenosis have been confirmed. Clinical signs were most often referable to epithelial damage, e.g., hoof lesions an...
Nutrient utilisation by the hindlimb of thoroughbred horses at rest. Nutrient uptake by the hindlimb was investigated utilising the arteriovenous difference technique in 5 Thoroughbred horses fed to maintenance a diet of 100% roughage or 52% oat grain and 48% roughage. Arterial blood was obtained from a catheter inserted into the carotid artery while venous blood was simultaneously collected from a catheter placed into the iliac vein via the medial saphenous vein. The arteriovenous difference for glucose was significant and represented a mean extraction of 10 +/- 1% with no effect of diet. If fully oxidised, glucose uptake (corrected for lactate and pyruvate ar...
Experimental equine leukoencephalomalacia, toxic hepatosis, and encephalopathy caused by corn naturally contaminated with fumonisins. A study to evaluate the effects of dietary fumonisin B1 was conducted using 6 ponies (4 test and 2 control). A ration naturally contaminated with fumonisin B1 was fed in 3 phases: 1) 44 ppm fumonisin B1, 2) less than 1 ppm fumonisin B1, and 3) 88 ppm fumonisin B1. All ponies were monitored daily, weighed weekly, and limit fed at a rate of 0.8% body weight plus hay. Feed intake was measured daily, and a serum chemistry panel was completed once or twice weekly. Four to 7 days after initiation of the trial (Phase 1), all 4 test ponies had decreased feed consumption, and selected serum chemistry p...
Effect of carnitine supplement to the dam on plasma carnitine concentration in the sucking foal. The changes in carnitine in plasma and milk during the first 3 months of lactation were studied in 14 broodmares and their foals. Six of the mares (Group S) were given a supplement of 10 g carnitine split between the morning and evening feeds, starting 2 weeks before birth. At birth the plasma carnitine concentration in Group S mares was about twice that in Group NS mares (no supplement). In both groups the concentration initially declined in the days after birth. Whilst this trend was reversed in Group S mares, the concentration in Group NS mares remained at a reduced level for the remainder ...
Equine fasting hyperbilirubinemia. It appears that different mechanisms responsible for fasting hyperbilirubinemia may be operative in different mammalian species (and subspecies). An increase in bilirubin production does not seem to occur in the horse, but a decrease in the hepatic uptake of bilirubin has been supported by a number of studies. Even though the delay in plasma elimination could also result from a decrease in hepatic blood flow, this possibility does not seem to play a major role since the hepatic uptake of compounds with low intrinsic hepatic clearance (e.g., ICG and bilirubin) appear to be affected more during ...
Clinical assessment of selenium status of livestock. Assessment of the selenium status of livestock is an important aspect of production medicine, but variations in reported values between laboratories and between methods may be > 30%. Reliable interpretations require considerable experience with an assay and an extensive database from field and research case samples of a variety of species. The Michigan State University Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (MSU-ADHL) has offered Se analyses by acid-digestion and fluorometric detection since 1982. This laboratory expects serum Se values (nanograms per milliliter) of livestock to increase gradu...
Basis for regulation of selenium supplements in animal diets. Selenium was discovered 174 yr ago but, until 1957, was given little notice by biologists or was vilified as an agent that caused toxicity in grazing ruminants and horses in the northern Great Plains. After its status as an essential nutrient was established, Se received intense scrutiny, and hundreds of papers have been published dealing with its metabolic functions and the consequences of a Se deficiency. Because regions of Se deficiency are so extensive in the United States, great efforts have been made to gain Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Se supplementation of animal die...
