way. It is as though you were to ask me if for a trip by car it is more important to have the motor, the wheels or fuel … A horse’ s primary need— from the moment it is a mono-gastric herbivore— is fiber; forage. Just as in years gone by, it cannot, today, do without an adequate amount of fiber. As we impose upon them other needs: that a foal should grow well and quickly; that a mare raise a foal with the ideal weight by the time it is weaned at 5-6 months; that a young adult should work and practice sports, etc., everything that forage provides will not be enough.
-What do you consider to be the adequate amount of fiber, and how do we reach it?-If a horse’ s diet is only forage, every day they should eat close to 2.5 % of their weight( in the form of dry matter). One must take into account that summer grass or rye grass has over 85 % of water, and pastures between 50-70 %. That is to say, a 350 Kg. foal at the stage after it is weaned, should consume 60 Kg of rye grass or 25 Kg of seasoned pasture. This is not easy if we consider that their need is for every day of the year. Fodder should be palatable, and what is more complicated: it must be there every day, available in time and space. It is common to observe within the different batches of animals being raised, generations that are better than others or even animals that are in better shape than others within the same batch. Probably the fiber available— because it varies according to season and / or because of fodder management situations— will be sufficient for some and lacking for others, and this shall become apparent in the development they achieve.
When we speak of fiber, I refer to‘ effective fiber’. Effective fiber is that which helps maintain the motility and fermentation of the caecum and large intestine. The terms‘ effective fiber’ and‘ long fiber’( one inch or more), are very often used as synonyms. However, there are some feeds which, although they do not possess an adequate particle size, they do have some of the properties of the effective fibers, as, for example: soybean hulls and beet pulp.
-Having talked to us about the importance of fiber, could you throw some light on the importance of energy protein, minerals and vitamins?-Although fiber is a primary need, only in very few cases does it cover all requirements. When a horse consumes adequate fiber content, its digestive system works properly. In order to eat that amount of grass it needs time; it is obliged to chew, and by doing so it generates and swallows saliva which is necessary to regulate the Ph in its digestion. The humid and fibrous content mechanically promotes intestinal transit. This is incredibly good for all horses in whatever condition. Every day the horse’ s organism receives energy, proteins, minerals and vitamins from this digestive process of the forage. Likewise, every day it develops, lactates, grows, reshapes or repairs tissues. For many years I visited farms, and looking into this aspect, I don’ t remember ever having seen a breeding establishment that managed to offer its products the adequate amount of forage every day throughout the 2-3 years it took to raise their litter. If we expect to achieve stable development for the length of time it takes each batch to do so, without the deviations caused by climate variation or management, we should ensure the quality protein and energy input needed for use in physical build-up with minerals and vitamins involved in the metabolic processes.-How does one choose a good feed that contemplates these needs?-In other animal husbandry establishments, the feed quality is defined easily by the relation between the money invested per day and money earned per kg. of meat or milk. In horses this is not so. The important thing is not to grow more, but to grow well. The older I get, the more I understand that the best solutions are to be found in simple things. My recommendation is that you look for a supplier that will guarantee the use of the best raw material that exists. If it is protein, that it should be the best soybean( not sunflower seed or cereals); if energy, that it should be starches processed with the best technology; if highly-digestible fiber, that it should be beet pulp or soybean hull( not wheat bran); if minerals and vitamins, they should be adequate and provided in stable form.
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