AQHA MAGAZINE July / August 2021 | Page 30

PG . 28
AQHA HORSE HEALTH
to making a cake , you need flour , eggs and coca etc to make a chocolate cake . If you run out of cocoa , chocolate cake production stops . You might be able to make other cakes with the left-over ingredients , or you might have to throw them out . Either way , chocolate cake production ceases . In horses , unusable protein is converted to fat .
Proteins are made of chains of different amino acids . In nature there are roughly 500 amino acids , but just 20 amino acids make up the proteins found in the body . Of these the horse ’ s liver can make 10 from the raw ingredients in the diet . The other 10 must come preformed in the feed . These are called ‘ essential amino acids ’. The horse uses lysine , methionine , threonine , histidine , leucine and arginine in almost every tissue .
Just as a plank that is not in the correct amount to form the sides of a complete barrel will limit the contents of the barrel , a deficiency of any single essential amino acid one will place a limit on cell and tissue creation , building and repair .
Every protein in feedstuffs has it ’ s own combination of amino acids – soybeans and lucerne are high in essential amino acids , but oats and grassy hays are low . This is what makes soy and lucerne good protein sources for a horse .
How much protein does a horse need ? It depends on age , breed , workload and bodyweight – but they all need a number of grams a day – not a percent ! For example if a horse is fed each day 1kg of a 30 % protein feed , it gets 300g of protein a day . If it is fed 2kg each day of a 15 % protein feed it still gets 300g of protein . So % protein is not a basis on which to compare feeds . And is the protein in a feed does not have the correct essential amino acids , it might only be 50 % useable protein . This is why % protein tells you nothing about how well your diet is meeting the amount of protein and the essential amino acid requirements of your horse . Some studies have concluded that performance horses do not need additional protein for health , soundness and performance - but these studies do not take into account the quality of the protein and how much is unusable . And , no matter how balanced the diet , exercise causes a disruption to metabolism . As well as providing the correct proteins
in the daily diet , there are additional opportunities to help your horse be stronger , fitter and support muscle .
When does your horse need it ? Hard training and competitive events cause muscle damage which must be repaired rapidly to alleviate muscular stiffness and delayed muscle soreness , support rapid recovery , allow training to continue and to prepare the horse for the next event . In fact , preparation for the next event or ride begins as soon as the last one is finished . For performance horses , the timing of feeding protein is super important . It is during recovery after work that protein will be working hardest - repairing tiny microscopic rips and tears in muscles , tendons and ligaments , increasing muscle fibre size , creating new blood capillaries etc . The ‘ timing ’ and composition of protein are the most important factors influencing muscle growth because no matter how balanced the diet is , exercise causes a disruption . The performance horse need key nutrients at higher levels as the muscles look for the nutritional support to adapt to work . By ensuring nutrients are available the nanosecond the muscle demands them , we can transition the body to an anabolic state of tissue building - instead of a state of tissue breakdown ( catabolic ). The timing and strategy of pre- and post-work feeding strategies makes a big difference to recovery and increasing strength and fitness .
During exercise blood flow to the working muscles increases and hormones released during exercise program the muscle to increase its nutrient uptake . These remain elevated for up to 2 hours after work – then everything returns to resting levels . By providing the correct balance of essential and branched chain amino acids before and as soon as possible ( ideally within an hour ) after work , we can transition the muscles to building and repair . As well as being a good source of protein in the daily diet , Jenquine all-4-feet provides antioxidants , vitamins and minerals , branched chain and essential amino acids required by working muscles before and after work to maximise the power-to-weight ratio and the response to training . © Jenquine June 2021
DISCLAIMER : All content provided in this editorial is for general use and information only and does not constitute advice or a veterinary opinion . It is not intended as specific medical advice or opinion and should not be relied on in place of consultation with your veterinarian .
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