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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.
The effects of caloric dilution on meal patterns and food intake of ponies. In order to determine if horses will increase their intake in response to caloric dilution, four pony geldings were fed ad lib a mixed grain diet either undiluted (3.4 Mcal/kg of digestible energy) or diluted (wt/wt) with 25% sawdust (2.6 Mcal/kg) or with 50% sawdust (1.7 Mcal/kg). The mean daily caloric intake was 17,457 kcal (3.4 Mcal diet), 17,546 kcal (2.6 Mcal diet) and 12,844 kcal (1.7 Mcal). The mean time spent eating was 246 (3.4 Mcal), 351 (2.6 Mcal), and 408 (1.7 Mcal) minutes/day. Meal size increased and meal frequency decreased with increasing dilution. The median long survivorship...
Oral lactose tolerance test in foals: technique and normal values. Oral lactose tolerance tests were evaluated in 25 healthy foals (principals) assigned to 4 groups of approximately 1 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks of age. Lactose monohydrate (1 g/kg of body weight [in a 20% water solution]) was administered via nasogastric tube after a 4-hour fast. Plasma glucose concentrations were monitored before dosing (0 minutes) and sequentially for 300 minutes. Six control foals were given a volume of water equivalent to the volume of lactose monohydrate administered to principal foals. After oral lactose loading, mean plasma glucose concentrations of all princi...
Effects of level of dietary protein and exercise on growth rates of horses. Rates of growth were measured in two-year-old (Experiment 1) and nine-month-old (Experiment 2) horses fed high (12 or 14 per cent) or low (6 or 8 per cent) crude protein diets with one of two levels of exercise (0 or 12 km trotting per day at 12 km/h). In the non-exercised horses feed intakes and growth rates were greater on the high than on the low protein diets. Exercise increased feed intakes and growth rates of horses on the low but not the high protein diets, so that in the exercised groups there were no significant differences in feed intakes or growth rates between the horses on the two...
The influence of dietary selenium levels on blood levels of selenium and glutathione peroxidase activity in the horse. Twenty mature geldings, averaging 535 kg, were used to determine the influence of dietary selenium (Se) on the blood levels of Se and Se-dependent glutathione peroxidase (SeGSH-Px) activity in the horse. Horses were randomly assigned within breed to four treatments consisting of five horses each and fed a basal diet containing .06 ppm of naturally occurring Se. Diets were supplemented with .05, .10 and .20 ppm Se, as sodium selenite. Blood was drawn for 2 wk before, and for 12 wk following, the inclusion of supplement Se in the diets. Whole blood and plasma Se concentrations and plasma SeGSH-P...
Equine blood serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations in progressive nutritional hyperparathyroidism. Weekly blood serum samples from 20 yearling horses, divided into equal groups, receiving diets with total calcium to inorganic phosphorus ratios of 1,5/1 and 0,2/1, were analysed for calcium and phosphorus concentrations. This was done over a continuous 23 week period, divided into 2 sub-periods of 16 and 7 weeks each. During the first period complete diets were provided ad lib but were restricted during the second period to accentuate any effects of calcium deficiency and phosphorus excess. Falling calcium levels and rising phosphorus levels during period 1 and a reverse trend during period 2...
Effects of exercise and level of dietary protein on digestive function in horses. Rates of passage of fluid and particulate digesta markers and apparent digestibility estimated by three methods were compared in yearling horses fed high (14 per cent) or low (8 per cent) crude protein diets with one of two levels of exercise (0 or 12 km trotting per day at 12 km/h). Mean retention times (MRT) of the fluid marker (51Cr-EDTA) were shorter than those of the particulate marker (ruthenium-phenanthroline). There were no significant effects of dietary protein level on passage of either marker or on apparent digestibility of dry matter. Exercise increased voluntary feed intake and ap...
Protein requirements of mature working horses. Eighteen mature horses were used to study proteins requirements of working horses. Treatments included intense exercise, medium exercise and maintenance in a 3 X 3 factorial arrangement with three levels of calculated dietary crude protein (CP; 8.5, 7.0 and 5.5%). The horses were on the various exercise-protein treatments for 60 d, then fasted 4 d to evaluate their N status after the treatment period. Exercise had no significant effect on body weight over the feeding and fasting periods. No one exercise or protein treatment expressed the classical low plasma albumin or total protein concentrat...
Feeding and drinking behavior of mares and foals with free access to pasture and water. The feeding and drinking behavior of 11 mares and 15 foals living on pasture with free access to water was recorded during 2,340 15-min focal samples taken over 2 yr. Lactating mares on pasture spent about 70% of the day feeding. Foals began feeding on their first day of life. As they grew older, they spent progressively more time feeding, but still spent only 47 +/- 6% of the time feeding by 21 wk of age. Foals fed primarily during the early morning and evening. While grass formed the major proportion of the diet of both foals and mares, they also ate clay, humus, feces, bark, leaves and twig...
Raising the orphan foal. Orphan foals are best reared by fostering them onto a brood mare of appropriate size. If no foster mother is available, they can be reared on 2 per cent fat skimmed cow's milk fortified with dextrose at the rate of 20 gm per L. This should be slowly increased from 10 per cent of body weight at 1 day of age to 25 per cent of body weight at 10 days of age. The amount should then be held constant until weaning. Alternatively, foals can be reared on milk replacers. Manufacturers' feeding instructions rarely mimic the milk intake obtained by a foal nursing her dam, and problems have been observed i...
Nutritional support of the foal during intensive care. Provision of adequate nutritional support to the sick neonatal foal is a vital part of intensive care; frequently, however, it is very difficult to accomplish. In this article, current recommendations concerning both enteral and parenteral nutrition are discussed.
Gastrointestinal diseases of foals. Few foals escape gastrointestinal disease during the first weeks of life. Diarrhea is an extremely common problem; fortunately, however, it is usually mild and self-limiting. When it is not, the underlying cause is often an infectious agent, such as rotavirus or Salmonella spp. Our understanding of many of the infectious agents causing neonatal diarrhea is far from complete. Gastric and duodenal ulcers are a less common disease of neonatal foals. There has been an apparent increase in the incidence of ulcer disease in foals during the past few years. The most effective way of decreasing seriou...
Paraphimosis in seven debilitated horses. This paper reports seven cases of penile paraphimosis which occurred in both entire and castrated horses in association with general debility. Two cases were discharged after treatment while still suffering from partial paralysis; one was discharged at the owner's request with complete paralysis; three were destroyed and one died during treatment. Identified causes of debility were malnutrition, severe parasitism, glucose malabsorption and salmonellosis.
Changes in the skeletal muscles volume in horses with growth. The area of the largest transverse section and the number of muscle fibres in a unit sectional area (1 mm2) were examined in 8 trunk and 12 extremity muscles of young and adult 16 light horses and 8 ponies. It was found that the area of the largest transverse section was enlarged and the number of muscle fibres in a unit area was decreased, with the advance in age. This result suggests that the development of muscle volume does not depend on the increase in the number of fibres, but depends on the hypertrophy of each muscle fibre.
Social facilitation of feeding and time budgets in stabled ponies. Eight pairs of pony mares were observed. Members of a pair were housed in adjacent stalls and fed hay ad libitum. The behavior of both ponies was recorded simultaneously in the morning (1000 to 1200 h) and afternoon (1400 to 1600 h) for a total of 117 h. The time budget was: 70.1 +/- 8.6% eating; 17.8 +/- 7.4% standing (including stand rest, stand alert and stand nonalert); 5.2 +/- 7.0% pushing hay; 2.9 +/- 1.2% walking; 1.9 +/- 2.9% drinking; 1.3 +/- 1.1% self-grooming; .2 +/- .3% defecating; .06 +/- .1% chewing nonfood items; .06 +/- .03% urination; .06 +/- .1% licking salt; .07 +/- .1% pawi...
The amino acid sequence of equine milk lysozyme. The amino acid sequence of equine milk lysozyme has been elucidated. The study involves the determination of the sequence of the N-terminal region of the whole protein, cyanogen bromide fragments, tryptic and chymotryptic peptides and fragments produced by chemical cleavage after tryptophan residues. The protein consists of a single chain of 129 amino acid residues and has a Mr of 14647. While equine milk lysozyme has the essential features of a c(chick)-type lysozyme, there is only 51% sequence homology with human milk lysozyme and 50% with domestic hen egg white lysozyme. Some of the implica...
Effects of dietary energy supply on serum thyroxine, tri-iodothyronine and insulin concentrations in young horses. The effects of meal ingestion on the circulating concentrations of the growth-regulating hormones thyroxine (T4), tri-iodothyronine (T3) and insulin were examined in weanling Thoroughbreds fed 70% (diet A), 100% (diet B) or 130% (diet C) of their energy and protein requirements. Peak insulin concentrations occurred 1, 2 and 3 h after the ingestion of diets C, B and A respectively. Increases in plasma glucose concentrations preceded the increases in serum insulin concentrations. Serum T4 concentrations increased after the ingestion of diets A and B and decreased after diet C. In contrast, serum...
[Enzootic calcinosis in the horse]. Cases of enzootic calcinosis in breeding mares in a Southwest German highland area are reported. The symptoms increased in the latter part of summer and existed in disturbances of movement, moderate kyphosis, sensitivity to palpation in the flexor tendons and, especially, the suspensory ligament, weight loss in spite of good food intake during summer-time and painful costal percussion; less clinical signs of renal and cardiac disorders were established. The sickness was caused by a high percentage of Trisetum flavescens in the feeding plants.
Coprophagy by foals: effect of age and possible functions. In colts and fillies observed from birth to 24 weeks old, coprophagy occurred from Weeks 1 to 19. Its frequency was greatest during the first two months. Coprophagy was rarely observed in mares and stallions. Foals usually ate the faeces of their mother but were observed to eat their own and those of a stallion and another unrelated mare. Urination by the foal occurred before, during or after 26 per cent of the coprophagy incidents. It is hypothesised that foals may consume faeces in response to a maternal pheromone which signals the presence of deoxycholic acid or other acids which the foal m...
Uraemia in the mare: effects of seasonal variations, of energy level of the diet and individual differences. Uraemia variations in the heavy breed mare were studied in different situations. A study with 35 mares during an entire grazing season was conducted. The mean uraemia varied between 48.5 and 67.5 mg/100 ml plasma, with season and type of grass. The highest values were found with first-cycle pasture grass. Uraemia was lower with winter diets: 28.6 to 36.0 mg/100 ml. A study using 15 mares fed isonitrogenous diets based on hay or straw, and concentrates offered two different levels, between two months before and 8 days after foaling, showed that the physiological stage had a very moderate effect...
Gluconeogenesis from caecal propionate in the horse. The production of propionate in the caecum of the horse has been measured in two Shetland-type ponies fitted with caecal and colonic cannulas and fed on hay or on hay and wheat bran. A continuous intracaecal infusion of 14C-labelled sodium propionate was used and samples were obtained from a cannula at the origin of the right ventral colon. A simultaneous intravenous infusion of [2-3H]glucose was used to measure total glucose entry. On a hay diet which provided 177 kJ/kg body-weight per d, mean caecal propionate production was 19.6 (range 17.2-21.2) mg/h per kg body-weight and on a hay and whe...
Feed preferences of ponies. Preference trials were conducted with mature ponies. In Trial 1, oats were compared with oats plus sucrose. Four of six pony geldings selected oats plus sucrose, but one pony demonstrated a dislike for sucrose and one selected from the bucket on the right side regardless of content. Oats, maize, barley, rye and wheat were compared in Trial 2 using six mature pony mares. Oats were the preferred grain, with maize and barley ranking second and third respectively. Wheat and rye were the least preferred. Even though the ponies demonstrated preference, the total intake at a given meal was not greatl...
The effect of artificial rearing on the growth of foals. Fourteen Quarter Horse foals were used to evaluate the effects of artificial rearing on growth. Seven foals were removed from their dams at 3 d of age and fed a reconstituted 26% crude protein (CP) milk replacer free choice for 1 mo, at which time ad libitum solid feeding began. Controls were weaned from their dams at 2 mo of age and fed a 21% CP concentrate ad libitum until the end of the trial. Variables measured during the 26-wk trial were live body weight, height at the withers and length of body from point of shoulder to point of hip. No significant differences were found between the two ...
Clinical observations on the response of equine hoof defects to dietary supplementation with biotin. Horses with weak hoof horn, which becomes misshapen and crumbles around the lower parts of the hoof walls, pose problems for treatment in practice. The effects of dietary supplementation with a high level of the B-group vitamin biotin (which has proved successful in the treatment of the similar condition in pigs) were investigated in more than 40 cases. Varying degrees of improvement in the hardness, integrity and conformation of the hoof horn were observed in all cases. The signs and progress seen in three typical cases are described. It is concluded that dietary supplementation with 10 to 30...
Effect of feeding on the fate of orally administered phenylbutazone, trimethoprim and sulphadiazine in the horse. Phenylbutazone, sulphadiazine and trimethoprim were administered to three horses on two occasions, recently fed and unfed, and the effect of feeding on the pharmacokinetics of the three drugs assessed. The mean peak concentrations of phenylbutazone and trimethoprim were reduced by feeding by 34 and 75 per cent, respectively. The pharmacokinetics of sulphadiazine were not significantly affected.
An investigation of the effect of hesperidin complex and lemon bioflavonoid complex on growth and development of thoroughbred horses. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Hesperidin Complex and Lemon Bioflavonoid Complex (HC/LBC) on the growth and development of thoroughbred horses. The trial involved twenty-four foals (12 colts, 12 fillies) allotted to treatment shortly after weaning. The study was conducted for a 342-d growing phase and a 153-d training phase, or a total of 495-d. The HC/LBC was included in the test diet at a level calculated to supply the compound at 55 mg X kg body weight-1 X d-1. During the growing phase, average daily gain of colts that received HC/LBC was higher (P less than .05)...
Controls of feeding in horses. Members of the genus Equus are large, nonruminant herbivores. These animals utilize the products of both enzymatic digestion in the small intestine and bacterial fermentation (volatile fatty acids) in the cecum and large colon as sources of metabolizable energy. Equine animals rely primarily upon oropharyngeal and external stimuli to control the size and duration of an isolated meal. Meal frequency, however, is regulated by stimuli generated by the presence and (or) absorption of nutrients (sugars, fatty acids, protein) in both the large and small intestine plus metabolic cues reflecting body ...
