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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