Gestating and Mature Equine

Question 1

Do horses salivate?

Answer 1

only when chewing

Question 2

Do horses have enzymes in their saliva?

Answer 2

no

Question 3

trickle feeding

Answer 3

small meals/grazing throughout the day (10-15hours) rather than large meals at specific times

Question 4

VFAs in horses

Answer 4

acetate, proprionate, butyrate

Question 5

Are horses foregut or hindgut fermenters?

Answer 5

hindgut fermenters

Question 6

Can horses digest starch?

Answer 6

very limited ability to digest starch [in the small intestine]

Question 7

In what part of the intestine are minerals and trace minerals?

Answer 7

small intestine

Question 8

stomach capacity

Answer 8

8-15L (relatively small)

Question 9

fibrolytic

Answer 9

breaking down fiber [in the hindgut of the horse]

Question 10

Most important nutrient?

Answer 10

water

Question 11

Common cause of impaction colic?

Answer 11

not drinking enough water!

Question 12

Factors that increase water needs?

Answer 12

high temperature, hard work, lactation

Question 13

Approximately how much water should a horse drink a day?

Answer 13

5-15 gallons (2 quarts for each pound of hay)

Question 14

Forage to BW Ratio

Answer 14

1lb forage : 100lbs body weight (MINIMUM)

Question 15

Digestible fiber

Answer 15

needed for energy for the microorganisms in the cecum and large colon

Question 16

Indigestible fiber

Answer 16

necessary for GI motility, pH, and function

Question 17

4 Auscultation Compartments ofthe Horse GI

Answer 17

Upper Left = pelvic flexure
Lower Left = left ventral colon
Upper Right = base of cecum
Lower Right = body of cecum

Question 18

borborygmi

Answer 18

gut sounds

Question 19

What % of horse feed is for energy?

Answer 19

85%

Question 20

3 Sources of Energy in the Diet

Answer 20

carbohydrates, fat, protein

Question 21

Do horses use protein very well?

Answer 21

no

Question 22

Function of Fat in the Horse Diet

Answer 22

increase energy density (at no more than 2-6% of ration)

Question 23

Does alfalfa cause bloat?

Answer 23

no

Question 24

2 Problems with Wet Forage

Answer 24

1. Mold
2. Combustion (aka fire)

Question 25

Minimum dry matter (DM) percentage?

Answer 25

85%

Question 26

Relationship between Maturity and Protein levels in Forages

Answer 26

more mature = lower protein content

Question 27

Alfalfa hay bloom cut off

Answer 27

20% (anything harvested should be less)

Question 28

Forage percent of body weight per day?

Answer 28

2% of BW/day

Question 29

When can foals start eating hay?

Answer 29

2 months (this is when they can start digesting fiber)

Question 30

Ways to increase digestible energy in cereal grains?

Answer 30

rolling, cracking

Question 31

3 Types of Cereal Grains

Answer 31

corn, oats, barley

Question 32

Why does corn cause a problem for horses?

Answer 32

high in protein, low in fiber, not very digestible in small intestine, cecum has to ferment and causes a lot of gas build-up = colic

Question 33

Safest (and tastiest) cereal grain for horses

Answer 33

oats (but they're also variable)

Question 34

NFC

Answer 34

non-fiber carbohydrates most important energy source in equine diet

Question 35

What percent of an equine diet is protein?

Answer 35

8-10%

Question 36

Do foals need more or less protein?

Answer 36

more (for development and exercising)

Question 37

Most common ways for horses to get protein?

Answer 37

alfalfa and/or soybean meal

Question 38

Problems with too much protein in equine diet?

Answer 38

unabsorbed AAs increase fecal odor, additional substrate for fermentation to produce some nasty stinky compounds

Question 39

Most common fat supplements in the equine diet?

Answer 39

vegetable/corn oil, rice bran

Question 40

Ca:P

Answer 40

2:1

Question 41

Percent grain by body weight per feeding

Answer 41

0.5% BW/feeding

Question 42

What's more common in gestating mares - over or under feeding?

Answer 42

overfeeding

Question 43

Problems with Overfeeding Gestating Mares

Answer 43

1. Changes to Glucose/Insulin Metabolism 2. Metabolic Syndrome Precursor 3. Oxidative Stress 4. Lower IgG in foal

Question 44

What are low levels of IgG in the foal typically a result of?

Answer 44

overfeeding! (not passive transfer failure)

Question 45

4 Supplements for the Gestating mare

Answer 45

1. Selenium 2. Vitamin E 3. Copper 4. Arginine

Question 46

How often should a foal nurse?

Answer 46

every 20 minutes or suckle 5-7 times per hour for about 2 minutes each time

Question 47

What comes first - bone mineralization or bone growth?

Answer 47

bone growth

Question 48

When is foal/weanling at greatest risk for developmental orthopedic disease (DOD)?

Answer 48

3-9 months

Question 49

Secondary Nutritional Hyperparathyroidism

Answer 49

result of to much phosphorus, not enough calcium enamel of the teeth is the last bone matrix to show osteoporosis