The effects of caloric dilution on meal patterns and food intake of ponies.

The research study investigates how ponies eating pattern and food intake are influenced when their diet is diluted with sawdust. Four ponies were fed either a normal diet, a diet diluted by 25% with sawdust, or a diet diluted by 50% with sawdust. They found that the ponies ate more volume and spent more time eating when their diet was diluted, but did not consume enough to maintain their previous caloric intake when the diet was diluted by 50%.

Methodology of the Research

• For this study, four pony geldings were selected. They were given a mixed grain diet under three different conditions:
• The diet was undiluted, having 3.4 Mcal per kg of digestible energy,
• The diet was diluted with 25% sawdust, resulting in 2.6 Mcal per kg, and
• The diet was diluted with 50% sawdust, resulting in 1.7 Mcal per kg.

Results and Findings

• The study showed an average daily caloric intake of 17,457 kcal for ponies on the 3.4 Mcal diet, 17,546 kcal on the 2.6 Mcal diet, and 12,844 kcal on the 1.7 Mcal diet.
• The ponies spent an average time eating of 246 minutes on the 3.4 Mcal diet, 351 minutes on the 2.6 Mcal diet, and 408 minutes on the 1.7 Mcal diet.
• As the diet was more diluted, ponies increased their meal sizes but had their meals less frequently.

Effect of Caloric Dilution on Ponies

• Ponies responded to caloric dilution by eating more volume to maintain their caloric intake when the diet had 25% dilution (sawdust).
• When the dilution was increased to 50%, the ponies’ intake increased but was not sufficient to maintain the original caloric intake.
• Despite this, the ponies were able to maintain their body weight even as the diet was diluted by up to 50% with sawdust.