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HORSE NUTRITION CAN BE SIMPLE ©
ARTICLE BY : DR JENNIFER STEWART - BVSc , BSc , PhD EQUINE VETERINARIAN AND CONSULTANT NUTRITIONIST
EQUINE VETERINARIAN AND CONSULTANT NUTRITIONIST JENQUINE
Many of our medical conditions have diet and nutrition in their cause , prevention and management - and it ’ s no different with horses . Common challenges that veterinarians and owners face ( including stomach ulcers , colic , tying-up , laminitis , hoof conditions , leg and joint problems and performance issues ) can be helped or even prevented with correct nutrition .
There are a few rules of thumb that
can help us reduce many veterinary conditions and keep our horses stronger and healthier .
The simple rules when feeding all horses are : 1 . plenty of ad lib roughage / forage and then more 2 . low starch / sugar concentrates and feeds 3 . appropriate quality and quantity of protein 4 . omega 3 fatty acids are important for all horses 5 . vitamin E supports immune function 6 . hooves and feet of many horses benefit from biotin 7 . supplements can cause clinical and sub-clinical problems
1 . ROUGHAGE AND GUT ULCERS : Stomach ulcers can affect any horse at any age and spending 6 hours with no roughage / forage increases stomach ulcer risk x 4 . Chewing produces saliva which is very high in bicarb and helps neutralise the approximately 40 litres of stomach acid horses produce throughout the day .
Chewing produces saliva and to eat 1kg of hay : - horses make 3000-3500 chewing movements and produce up to 45 litres of saliva a day . - ponies make 5000-8000 chewing movements ! - Chewing 1kg of concentrate / hard feed only requires 800-1200 chews = less saliva and increased risk of stomach ulcers .
Medications can help ulcers heal , but recent studies have shown they can reduce absorption of calcium and other minerals .
The general rule if pasture is limited is a 50:50 mix of lucerne and grassy / meadow / oaten hay – available 24 hours a day . You should always include some lucerne , especially before work when reflux increases stomach acid levels , The high protein and calcium levels in lucerne buffer the acid and horses fed lucerne have a lower risk of ulcers . If not at pasture , horses / ponies need around 6kg a day for a 300kg pony , 8kg for a 400kg galloway and 10kg for a 500kg horse .
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JANUARY / FEBRUARY ISSUE 2021