[The effect of sodium hydroxide-treated roughages in horses: I. Treated lucerne hay as a constituent of a complete ration for foals (author’s transl)].

The study examines the potential impact of integrating sodium hydroxide-treated lucerne hay into the diets of horses, with a focus on observing any effects on the performance and certain blood components of growing foals. No harmful effects were observed, suggesting the need for additional studies to understand if incorporating low-grade treated roughages in horse feed could have any economic benefits.

Research Objective

This research sought to explore the potential for lucerne hay treated with sodium hydroxide to be included in the diets of horses. Specifically, it aimed to understand the effect of such inclusion on the performance and specific blood components of growing foals.

• The investigation was motivated by the need to identify economically viable alternatives to typical horse feed, particularly in instances where higher-grade fodder might be unavailable or unaffordable.

Methodology

The researchers observed and measured the potential impacts of incorporating the sodium hydroxide-treated lucerne hay into the horses’ diet on key performance parameters. This involved:

• Meticulously monitoring the horses’ general health status and performance.
• Regularly analyzing specific blood components associated with health, nutrition, and performance.
• Comparing these effects with the standard, untreated roughage-based feeds.

Findings

No significant adverse effects were observed as a result of the inclusion of treated lucerne hay in the diets of the growing foals. The main findings included:

• The foals demonstrated normal growth and performance rates, suggesting that sodium hydroxide treatment of lucerne hay does not negatively impact these factors.
• No significant changes to the specific blood components tracked were observed, suggesting that sodium hydroxide-treated roughage did not affect the foals’ health or nutrition status adversely.

Implications

The research concluded that it is plausible and potentially advantageous to incorporate sodium hydroxide-treated lucerne hay into horse feed. The implications of this study are as follows:

• Fodder treated with sodium hydroxide could be a cost-effective and healthy alternative to traditional horse feed.
• Further research is necessary to quantify any possible long-term effects of this feed on horses’ health and performance.
• Additional investigation into other types of treated roughage should be conducted to expand the range of alternative feeds available for horses.