4 – Feeding

Question 1

What is the feeding behaviour of horses?

Answer 1

• Grazing species
  o Wild horses spend at least 12hrs/day eating
• *should feed at least 2 meals a day
  o Ideal would be free choice feeding
  o Minimize pH fluctuations
• Need to allow horses to eat with their heads LOWERED (natural grazing position)

Question 2

What are the 3 basic needs for a horse’s diet?

Answer 2

• Forage
• Water
• Salt

Question 3

Forage

Answer 3

• NEED good quality
• ~2% of its BW in dry feed per day
  o Average 500kg horse=10kg of feed (divide by 2)
• *majority of feed should be forage
• Ex. hay, pasture, or processed feeds

Question 4

Hay types

Answer 4

• Grass: timothy, brome, rye, fescue, orchard
• Legume: alfalfa
• Mix

Question 5

Hay quality is dependent on

Answer 5

• Stage of growth
• Leaf:stem ratio
• Degree of cure at time of cutting and baling
• *should inspect for dust, mold, soil, weeds, toxic plants
• *nutrient levels vary, so it’s important to know the values

Question 6

Pasture

Answer 6

• Native or seeded
• Minimum 2 acre/horse
• Practice good pasture management to prevent over-grazing

Question 7

What are some examples of processed feeds of forage?

Answer 7

• Hay based: alfalfa, timothy
• Cubes
• Pellets

Question 8

Water

Answer 8

• Most important nutrient
• ALWAYS needs to be available
• *minimum daily requirement is 5L/100kg of BW
  o Thermos-neutral temperatures
  o Minimum of 25L/day for average horse

Question 9

What does water intake vary with?

Answer 9

• Size of horse
• Temperature/season
• Feed intake (amount)
• Type of feed (forage vs. concentrate)
• Physiological state (pregnant, lactating)

Question 10

What levels of TDS, sulfates, and nitrates should water contain?

Answer 10

• <5000ppm TDS
• <500ppm sulfates
• <100ppm nitrates

Question 11

Does water=snow?

Answer 11

• NO
• Cannot meet water requirements of horse
  o 6-10x volume of snow must be ‘eaten’ to meet water requirements
  o Use energy to heat snow (body warmth, condition and overall health
• *MUST provide clean, potable water

Question 12

Salt

Answer 12

• Necessary
• Free choice (blocks) or in ration (top dressed)
• Provide electrolytes to maintain homeostasis

Question 13

The basic needs for horses change with increased metabolic demand: examples

Answer 13

• Growing
• Pregnant or lactating
• Cold weather (staying warm)
• Exercise
• Breeding stallions

Question 14

What are different types of concentrates?

Answer 14

• Grains
• Extruded feeds
• Protein supplements
• Minerals
• Vitamins
• Ration balancers
• Body specific supplements

Question 15

Grains

Answer 15

• Adds energy +/- protein
• Oats, sweet feed, barley, corn
• Processing may increase digestibility
• NOT a necessity, but useful with a HIGH metabolic demand

Question 16

What are some processes of grain that increase digestibility?

Answer 16

• Cracked
• Rolled
• Crushed

Question 17

What are the 2 types of extruded feeds?

Answer 17

• Complete feed
• Supplemental feeds

Question 18

Extruded feeds: complete feed

Answer 18

• Used when forage quantity or quality is LOW or when forage cannot be fed

Question 19

Extruded feeds: supplemental feeds

Answer 19

• High fat, starch or protein feeds to add calories
• For different ‘diseases’ or life stages
  o Ex. more starch for senior horses

Question 20

Protein supplements

Answer 20

• Soybean or milk based
• Part or in addition to concentrate ration
• *make sure not mixing multiple different supplements

Question 21

What horses are protein supplements generally given to?

Answer 21

• Lactating mares
• Geriatrics
• Debilitated horses
• Elite performance horses
• Orphan foals: milk replacers

Question 22

Minerals

Answer 22

• Blocks
  o Salt
  o Salt and iodine
  o Mixed mineral
• Powders
  o Used as a top dress on concentrate ration

Question 23

Vitamins

Answer 23

• Powders, liquids, pastes
• B complex, C and E=MOST COMMONLY SUPPLEMENTED
• *Vit E=most IMPORTANT (free-radical scavenger)

Question 24

Ration balancers

Answer 24

• Extruded pellets or powders
• Contain concentrated vitamins and minerals
• Intended to be added to a pasture or hay diet

Question 25

Body system specific supplements: examples

Answer 25

- Joint health - Hoof health (Ex. biotin) - GI health

Question 26

Fibre

Answer 26

- May be used when traditional forages are scarce or as a base for feeding powdered supplements - Examples o Beet pulp (need to let it expand before feeding, other get CHOKE) o Bran o Grain hulls o Extruded fibre supplements

Question 27

What should feeding programs be based on?

Answer 27

- Age - Weight and BCS - Activity level - Management (extensive vs. intensive) - Available feeds: season, geography - *all should be forage based and make feed changes GRADUALLY

Question 28

Cold weather and feeding

Answer 28

- Below 5degrees C horses need MORE forage to MAINTAIN body temperature and weight - Usually increase amount HAY - Concentrated feed may help horses with POOR DENITION

Question 29

Feeding mares and foals

Answer 29

- Add 0.5-0.75% BW concentrates to mares diet in LAST trimester of gestation and during early lactation - Dams milk is sufficient for foal during first 6-8 weeks of life - Creep feed offered at 0.5-1% foal’s BW/day (max 5 lbs)

Question 30

Feeding growing horses

Answer 30

- Usually consume 3% of BW/day - Free choice hay is BEST - Weanlings can be feed creep feed at 1% BW/day - *feed horse under 2 years SEPARATELY from rest of herd (but if only 2 horses, it is better to have them together than separated)

Question 31

Feeding horses in work

Answer 31

- Increase concentrates to add energy and protein - Offer free choice feeding or multiple meals o Reduce risk of gastric ulcers

Question 32

What are the common issues with geriatric horses?

Answer 32

- Poor dentition: slow intake and risk of choke - Poor appetite - Increased nutrient requirements - *good quality SOFT FEED

Question 33

What are the 2 reasons why geriatric horses have poor appetite?

Answer 33

- Iatrogenic: pergolide (ex. treatment for PPID) - Pain: arthritis, loose teeth, EOTRH (very painful condition of INCISORS)

Question 34

Feeding for weight loss

Answer 34

- Avoid all concentrates and treats - Weighed meals: NO free choice of hay - GRADUAL reduction in feed offered - Start at 2% BW/day o Reduce gradually to 1.5% BW/day o Reductions should occur over 2-3 weeks o Stop reducing feed once weight loss is noticed

Question 35

Feeding following starvation

Answer 35

- Refeeding needs to be SLOW and GRADUAL - Initially restrict NSC to <20% - Diet should be primarily hay and a supplement (grass or alfalfa hay)

Question 36

What might aggressive refeeding result in?

Answer 36

- Refeeding syndrome o Potentially FATAL shift in fluids and electrolytes

Question 37

What are the examples of diseases that may respond to diet changes?

Answer 37

- PSSM (polysaccharides storage myelopathy) - RER - HYPP - Equine asthma - EMS, PPID, obesity - Vit E related diseases

Question 38

Body condition score

Answer 38

- Monitor SUBCUTANEOUS FAT DEPOSITS to determine changes in health and feeding - *record on medical record - Scale of 1-9

Question 39

BCS 1-3

Answer 39

- Very thin - Seeing ribs

Question 40

BCS 4-6

Answer 40

- Ideal (5 for most breeds)

Question 41

BCS 7-9

Answer 41

- Extremely fat and fleshy - Worry about laminitis and metabolic syndrome

Question 42

Neck crest score

Answer 42

- Scale of 0-5 - 0: no visual appearance of crest - 1-2: ideal - 5: crest is so large it droops to one side (ex. fat donkeys, if in horse=usually when really fat and then lose weight)