Archive for the ‘Horse Nutrition’ Category
Regular (white) salt or rock salt is best for horses. Many people use a mineral block; however, the amount of block consumed is so variable between horses that it is not a good idea to provide minerals other than sodium chloride (salt) in a block.
Each type of hay has certain characteristics that you should be familiar with.
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Timothy Hay
Timothy hay is one of the most popular hays fed to horses. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether it has to be shipped long distances. Timothy must be harvested in the pre- or early-bloom stage to ensure a high nutrient content. The first cutting usually has a higher weed content, and quality decreases after the second cutting, so the second cutting is usually the best to feed.
Bermudagrass Hay
Bermudagrass hay is used mostly in the southern United States. Common bermudagrass does not grow tall enough for hay production, but coastal bermudagrass can be used. The same stand of grass can be cut four or five times a year. It is as nutritious as timothy hay, and its value can be increased by growing it with a legume.
Oat Hay
Oat hay is an excellent feed for horses. The choice between alfalfa and oat hay depends on price per unit of energy or protein and the type of horse being fed. Depending on the area of the country in which it is grown, oat hay can be low in protein and contain only marginal calcium, phosphorus, and carotene.
Alfalfa Hay
Alfalfa hay is one of the best hays fed to horses. Several characteristics of alfalfa make it an excellent hay for horses.
- It is highly palatable.
Most horses will readily consume alfalfa hay. However, because of its high palatability, intake must be restricted to keep horses from overeating and becoming colicky.
- It is high in energy.
Alfalfa hay has 120 percent more energy per unit in weight than oat hay. Therefore, it takes less hay to meet a horse's nutrient needs when feeding alfalfa hay. However, the high-energy content may lead to overfeeding and to a fat horse.
- It is high in protein.
Alfalfa hay is high in good-quality protein. Crude protein values can be as high as 18 to 19 percent. People once thought that feeding alfalfa hay to horses caused kidney damage because of increased urination and ammonia production. We now understand, however, that excess protein in alfalfa is converted into energy compounds, and the nitrogen produced in this conversion must be eliminated as ammonia.
- It is a good source of vitamins and minerals.
If cured correctly, vitamin C content will be high. The calcium:phosphorus ratio is about 6:1 and must be considered when feeding young, growing horses.
There are generally five to eight cuttings from an alfalfa field each year when irrigated, four to five when not irrigated. The first cutting will have more weeds and grass; the second cutting is usually clean with small stems. The third cutting is good hay, and the fourth and fifth cuttings begin to have more stems and fewer leaves. As more stems are present, the quality of the hay decreases and palatability declines.
Clover and Grass Hay
Clover hays are similar to alfalfa hays because they are legumes. Clover hay is usually mixed with grass hays. There are five kinds of clover hay: red, common white, crimson, alsike, and landino. White and landino clovers are usually grown for pasture. The other three contain 14 to 16 percent crude protein. Red clover causes "slobbers" in horses. Slobbers is excessive salivation that does not hurt the horse.
Learn More about Hay for Horses
Marcia Hathaway, PhD, University of Minnesota Department of Animal Science
Top 10 Nutrition Tips
- Always supply unlimited quantities of clean, fresh water.
- Maximize forage intake.
- Minimize concentrate consumption.
- The Calcium to Phosphorous ratio (Ca:P) should be between 3:1 to 1:1.
- Supplement minerals and vitamins.
- Balance a horse’s ration in the following order: energy, protein, minerals, vitamins.
- Monitor your horse’s body weight and body condition score.
- Maintain your horse’s teeth in good chewing condition.
- Change feedstuffs gradually.
- Feed each horse as an individual.
Supply Unlimited Quantities of Clean, Fresh Water.
Water is the most important nutrient needed by the horse. A horse should always have access to a fresh, clean supply of water maintained at a tepid temperature to encourage maximum water consumption. A 1,000-pound horse at rest in a moderate or cool environment and eating dry forage will drink anywhere from 10 to 12 gallons of water a day. The need for water will increase with an increase in ambient temperature, humidity, activity and/or a change in physiological condition. Water is typically supplied via automatic waterers, buckets or water troughs. Waterers, buckets and troughs need to be cleaned on a weekly basis, even in winter.
Maximize Forage Intake
Forages, either fresh or harvested, are the ideal source of energy. Forages, such as legumes and/or grasses are the mainstay of a horse’s diet. Most mature horses should be fed a minimum of 1 percent and ideally up to 1.5 percent to 2.5 percent of their body weight in forages each day. Eating 2.5 percent of their body weight in forage would approach the maximum voluntary feed intake for most horses and, depending on the form of the forage, would maintain some gastrointestinal tract-fill at all times. Consuming forages can provide much of the energy needs of the horse, help maintain gastrointestinal tract function and keep your horse from becoming bored. Harvested forages should be provided in a way to minimize the horse's eating directly off the ground, where it would potentially consume sand, dirt, and/or parasites. Hay should not be elevated too high, as it increases intake of molds and dusts that can lead to respiratory and potential teeth problems.
Minimize Concentrate Consumption
Frequently, when more energy than can be supplied via forages is needed, cereal grains such as oats and corn are increased at the expense of the forage component. However, there is a very real and practical limit to how much cereal grain can be fed to a horse without causing serious nutrient-related ailments. A mature horse should be fed no more than 0.3 percent to 0.4 percent of its body weight in cereal grains, per feeding. Alternatively, you may choose to substitute fats, which have been shown to be an excellent source of energy for horses, for a portion of the cereal grains. This way, it is possible to increase the energy density of the feed without incurring many of the negative side effects of too much cereal grain. Although fat is beneficial for growing, hard-working, special needs and senior horses, it is not usually necessary for the maintenance of idle horses. You want to meet the horse’s energy needs but avoid overfeeding, which would result in an unhealthy, overweight horse.
Calcium Phosphorus Ratio
The horse requires a number of different minerals in its diet. Some of the minerals, especially the major minerals, may be supplied in adequate amounts via natural feedstuffs. Common feedstuffs are not usually a reliable source of the required trace minerals, so supplementation would be recommended. Salt or sodium chloride (NaCl) should always be provided free choice as a horse will regulate its own intake. Of particular importance in managing your horse’s mineral needs, is the ratio of calcium (Ca) to phosphorus (P). Because of the interaction between calcium and phosphorus and their differing sites of absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, a minimum Ca:P ratio of 1:1 and an ideal Ca:P ratio of 2:1 is recommended.
Supplement Vitamins
Vitamins are essential nutrients needed in very small quantities and may be provided in adequate quantities via natural feedstuffs, endogenous production by the horse and microbial production in the horse’s gastrointestinal tract. Under certain conditions, it may be necessary to supplement some vitamins in the horse’s diet. For example, mature, rain-soaked and/or older hay may be deficient in vitamins. It is recommended that vitamins be supplemented to most horses.
The Horse's Ration
In general, an economical and nutritionally wise approach to feeding your horse would be to consult a reference such as the National Research Council’s (NRC) Nutrient Requirements of Horses publication (Nutrient Requirements of Horses). Revised NRC nutrient requirement for horses will be available in 2007. It provides information concerning the nutrient requirements for horses of different sizes and in different physiological conditions. It also lists the common feedstuffs and their nutritional content. Ideally, you would have your forage feedstuff analyzed for nutritional content. Using those two major pieces of information -- what your horse needs nutritionally and the nutrient content of the feedstuffs available -- you can design a ration for your horse by meeting its nutritional requirements in the following order: energy, protein, minerals and vitamins. Energy requirements are usually more easily met than protein, vitamins and minerals; hence, special effort should be made to ensure that minimum requirements of these categories are met. Alternatively, you can purchase prepared commercial feeds, such as grain mixes, to supplement selected forages or complete feeds that have been nutritionally balanced to meet your horse’s needs. Using the above information as a basic guideline, it may be necessary to modify the diet of your horse based on individual characteristics to maintain optimal body weight and condition.
Monitor Body Weight and Body Condition
You will need to know your horse’s body weight and body condition score when you are determining its nutritional requirements. Body condition scoring is based on the location and amount of fat stores underneath the horse’s skin -- along the neck, withers, over the ribs, behind the shoulder, around the tailhead and the crease on the back. The descriptive language of what to look and feel for at each of the nine different score levels can be found at:HorseQuest Learning Lesson:How to Body Condition Score Horses The ideal score for each horse will vary, depending on differences in energy expenditure, frame size, physiological condition, diet history and the owner’s personal preference. However, a body condition score of 5 is usually ideal. Visually and physically examining your horse is the best way to establish its body condition score. Assessing your horse’s body condition score on a routine basis allows for dietary adjustments to be made. How much you need to feed your horse will vary over time and is strongly influenced by changes in exercise, environmental conditions and quality of feedstuffs.
Maintain Your Horse's Teeth
Although your horse’s teeth erupt continually for 20 years, they are also continually being worn down by the grinding action associated with chewing of feedstuffs, especially forages. Because the upper and lower teeth are not in complete alignment with each other, over time, sharp points can form on the teeth. If not filed down or “floated,” the points on the teeth can make chewing painful and interfere with how well the feed is chewed. If the discomfort is severe enough, it will reduce a horse’s willingness to eat at all.
Change Feedstuffs Gradually
The horse is a hind-gut, fermenting herbivore that relies extensively on the microbes present in its gastrointestinal tract to be able to process forages. The microbes are a mix of different organisms that work together to the benefit of the horse. If the feedstuffs the microbes are utilizing are changed suddenly, there may be too little time for the microbial populations to adjust to the change. Instead, large numbers of them die, while others flourish, setting up a situation where toxins may be absorbed by the horse, resulting in digestive dysfunction. A gradual change from one feedstuff to another provides enough time for the microbial populations to adjust. For example, when changing either the type of hay or grain that is being fed, replace only about 20 percent to 25 percent of the current feed every other day, so that it takes a week or more for a complete change.
Feed Each Horse as an Individual
All horses have nutritional needs in common. They all require water, energy, protein, minerals and vitamins. How much of each of these nutrients and in what relation to each other will vary with the age, activity level, and physiological condition of the horse. The NRC requirements are the minimum amounts of nutrients for normal health, production and performance. Use them as a starting point to fine tune the needs of your individual horse.
Colostrum: The Foal's Most Important Meal
Colostrum is the first milk secreted by the mare immediately before foaling and up to 24 hours after foaling. It contains extremely high levels of antibodies, which are large protein molecules capable of transmitting immunity against disease. Colostrum is nature's way of allowing the dam to provide her foal with natural immunity. The antibodies can be absorbed through the foal's intestinal lining for approximately 18 hours following birth. However, as early as 12 hours after birth, the permeability of the foal's intestinal lining is starting to alter, decreasing in the foal's ability to absorb antibodies. In addition, the actual level of antibodies in the colostrum declines with time. Researchers have reported a 15 percent reduction in antibody levels in the mare's milk within four to eight hours after foaling.
Because of the decreased antibody absorption by the foal and decreased antibody presence in the milk, colostrum must be consumed within 15 hours after birth (Figure 1). Foals failing to receive colostrum within this time limit will be more susceptible to infectious diseases. Ideally, the foal should stand and nurse within 30 minutes to one hour after birth. Unfortunately, many horsemen panic and attempt to over assist the newborn by forcing the foal to stand and nurse immediately following birth. Unwarranted assistance at this time will result in a stressful situation and a tired foal. Foals should not be expected to hit the ground running. To the contrary, the foal should be permitted to lie, rest and be nuzzled by the mare for at least 30 minutes after foaling. Under normal conditions, a newborn foal attempts to stand under its own power within 45 minutes following birth. Foals that have not stood and nursed within two hours should be bottle fed colostrum.
When hand feeding sucklings, use a sanitized plastic bottle and nipple. Use either an infant's milk bottle, with the top of the nipple notched approximately one-eighth inch, or a lamb's feeder bottle. Thoroughly wash and rinse the mare's teat area with soap and warm water before hand milking. The washing process will disinfect the teats, limit the possibility of introducing disease to the foal and have a massaging effect on the mare's udder.
Before offering the foal its first meal, make certain it exhibits a sucking reflex. Stimulate the sucking reflex by gradually inserting your index finger into the foal's mouth and lightly rubbing the roof of the mouth. With stimulation, most foals will immediately cup their tongue and exhibit the characteristic sucking reflex. When actually feeding the foal, position the bottle and nipple so the foal is forced to suck the colostrum through the nipple. Under no circumstances pour or force-feed the colostrum. Foals that are reluctant to suck or accept bottle feedings may be fed through a tube inserted directly into their stomach. This procedure should be administered only by a qualified veterinarian.
For the first 18 hours, the foal should receive at least 1/4 pint every hour. For the remainder of the first day and through day 13, foals should receive 6 quarts daily spread over eight feedings. The colostrum should gradually be replaced with the dam's milk.
Storing Colostrum
Because the first milk is critical to the newborn foal, horsemen are encouraged to store colostrum. In areas heavily populated with breeding operations, farm managers can cooperate to form colostrum banks. Members in a colostrum bank donate colostrum from milking mares and store it for future emergency use.
Colostrum should be collected only from heavily producing mares or mares who have lost their foals. Generally, foals consume 4 to 6 ounces of colostrum per feeding. Heavily milking mares produce higher levels of colostrum than the foal is capable of consuming during these early meals. On the average, approximately 5 to 8.5 ounces of colostrum could be hand milked from the mare immediately following each nursing. The hand milking process can be continued throughout the first 15 hours after foaling.
Store the colostrum in sterile, aseptic plastic bags and freeze it immediately after collection. Colostrum can be stored for several months to a year, thus permitting its use during the next foaling season. Before feeding frozen colostrum, gradually warm it to room temperature in a warm water bath not exceeding 110 degrees F. Do not microwave colostrum, and exercise caution not to heat it too quickly. Rapid heating denatures protein and reduces immunoglobulin content. Immediately transfer the warm colostrum to a sanitized plastic baby bottle, allow it to cool and feed it as described earlier.
The immunoglobulin content of the colostrum should be analyzed within hours after birth but before hand milking. Inexpensive, easy-to-use immunoglobulin test kits are available. The kits measure immunoglobulin G (IgG) content in colostrum. Several kits also measure IgG content in serum, plasma and whole blood. These kits are used to test the immunity status of the foal 24 hours after birth. Levels of 800 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) are considered to provide the foal with adequate levels of passive immunity. Foals with circulating levels of IgG below 400 mg/dl are considered to have complete failure of passive immunity transfer. Levels above 400 but below 800 mg/dl are considered to have partial failure of passive immunity transfer. Immunoglobulin levels of 800 to 1,000 mg/dl are required for foals in particularly stressful situations. Foals subjected to unsanitary conditions or to many horses entering and leaving the premises will require higher immunoglobulin levels to maintain adequate protection.
Nutrient Content of Mare's Milk
In addition to supplying the foal with antibodies, colostrum also contains high levels of vitamins, proteins and energy. It also has a laxative effect on the foal. Bowel movements for the newborn foal are sometimes difficult because of the sticky nature of the first defecation, commonly called meconium. Foals that have difficulty defecating will appear colicky and exhibit labored respiration. An enema is recommended for foals who have not passed the meconium within the first five to 10 hours after birth. Consult your veterinarian before administering an enema.
Unfortunately, the nutrients contained in colostrum also decrease at a rapid rate. Researchers report that mares' milk proteins and total solids begin to decrease as early as 12 hours after foaling. Table 1 illustrates this dramatic decrease and also compares the mare's milk at foaling and two months following birth.
Research has shown a rapid decrease in total milk solids, milk proteins and milk yield from the 10th day through the fifth month of lactation. At 30 days of age, foals should be consuming at least 0.4 percent of their body weight daily as creep feed to offset the nutritional deficiencies in the mare's milk. At 2 months of age, 50 percent of the nutrients must come from creep feed. Proper management of the newborn foal, from the first meal through the first month of lactation, is essential to its future growth and development. Health and nutritional practices employed during this period are key factors in raising a healthy and productive animal.
Table 1. Composition of Mare's Milk
| Total Solids % | Protein % | Fat % | Lactose % | Calcium (96) | Phosphorus % | Magnesium(96) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Foaling | 25 | 19 | 0.7 | 5 | 80-120 | 45 to 90 | 4-12 |
| 2 Months After Foaling | 10 | 2 | 1.5 | 6 | 80-120 | 45-90 | 6-12 |
Source: Adapted from Feeding and Care of Horses, by Dr. Lon T. Lewis. Lea and Febiger, Penn.: Philadelphia. 1982.
Horsemen faced with raising an orphan foal have two possibilities for providing adequate nutrients. These solutions include bonding the foal to a nurse mare or providing a supplemental milk source using milk replacers. Because the foal's digestive tract is not yet fully developed and populated with cecal bacteria and protozoa, it cannot digest a solid diet. The foal must therefore consume its nutrients in liquid form. As the foal matures, bacteria will be acquired through the mare's milk and from fecal bacteria from the mare and other horses.
Nurse Mares
The easiest and most efficient method of feeding an orphan foal is to use a nurse mare. Select a nurse mare in her first or second month of lactation and give her a thorough physical examination, with special emphasis on the udder. Allow at least one or two weeks for the foster mare to acclimate to the foal. The mare may require physical restraint or tranquilizing during the initial nursing period. Two possible restraints are hobbles or a foster gate that allows the foal to nurse both sides of the mare's udder. Constructing a foster gate is not economical unless the mare is reluctant to allow the foal to nurse for prolonged periods.
Mares will use their sense of sight, smell and sound to identify their foals. Based on these habits, horsemen have two primary approaches to grafting foals onto nurse mares. One approach involves the camouflaging of the mare's senses. Several techniques can be used, including impairing the mare's sight with the use of a hood or reducing her ability to detect odors by introducing a strong-smelling substance such as mentholated petroleum jelly onto the mare's muzzle. The same substance should be placed on the foal's forehead, face, neck and tail. An opposite approach to enhancing the mare's acceptance of a foal involves coordinating her sense of smell with a similar odor on the foal. Using mare's milk, sweat or feces on the foal's body helps improve acceptance of the foal.
Equine Milk Replacers
Because many horsemen do not have access to foster mares, most orphan foals are hand raised. When hand raising foals, do the initial hand feeding with a nipple to ensure proper stimulation of the sucking reflex. Encourage the foal to suck by gently rubbing the roof of the its mouth and tongue with a moistened finger and then introducing the nipple and bottle at an angle. As the foal begins to suck, slowly remove your finger and replace it with the nipple. Nipple feed the foal for four to five days, then offer milk in a bucket.
Locate milk buckets at a level accessible to the foal but not the mare. It is best to place the buckets inside a creep feeder to allow the foal to consume milk continuously. Clean the buckets twice per day and refill them with fresh milk after each cleaning. Contrary to popular belief, supplemental milk need not be warmed.
It is preferable to feed a commercial equine milk replacer to the orphan foal. These supplements are specially formulated to meet the young foal's nutrient requirements. Avoid using cow's milk if possible because the nutrient content is not sufficient to meet these requirements. Milk replacers should contain at least 18 to 20 percent crude protein, 15 percent fat and not more than 0.5 percent crude fiber. Feeding rates are listed in Table 1.
If a commercial equine milk replacer is not available, you can use an emergency source until an acceptable milk replacer can be located. Homemade milk replacers are relatively easy to formulate. They generally consist of low-fat cow's milk (less than 2 percent butterfat content), water, lime water to reduce the incidence of diarrhea and an additive to increase both the energy content and palatability of the milk replacer. Common additives are lactose, sugar or corn syrup. Several milk replacers are listed in Table 2.
Converting to a Solid Diet
Although proper use of equine milk replacers will ensure a normal growth rate, producers should strive to convert the foal's liquid diet to a solid, high quality creep feed. This dietary change can be started at 1 to 2 weeks of age by offering 1/2 pound of a pelleted creep feed or molasses sweet feed in the creep feeder near the milk bucket. Although foals will initially only nibble at the feed, their consumption will gradually increase. As their creep feed intake increases, provide additional levels of feed so that approximately 1/2 pound is always in the creep feeder. Once each day, replace any creep feed not consumed by the foal. Gradually stop supplementation with milk replacers when the foal is adequately consuming 3/4 pound of creep feed per 100 pounds of body weight. Foals also should have unlimited access to a legume or high quality grass forage.
Table 1. Orphan Foal Feeding Program
| Day | Feed | Schedule | Feedings Per Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-18 hr | Colostrum | 1/4 pint hourly | 18 |
| 19 hrs-13 | Equine Milk Replacer | 6 quarts daily | 8 |
| 14-34 | Equine Milk Replacer | Week 3:7-9 quarts | 6 |
| Week 4:4-6 quarts | 6 | ||
| Creep Feed | Week 3: 1/2 to 1 pounds/feeding | 2 | |
| Week 4: 2 pounds/day | 2 | ||
| 35 | Discontinue Milk Replacer | ||
| Continue Creep Feed | 2 pounds/day | 2 | |
| Hay | Free Choice | ||
| 36-66 | Continue Creep Feed | 0.75 pounds per 100 pounds body weight | 2 |
| Hay | Free Choice | ||
| 67-180 | Continue Creep Feed | Increase to 1.5 pounds per 100 pounds body weight | |
| Hay | Free Choice |
NOTE: 1 pint equals 470 milliliters equals 16 ounces
Table 2. Milk Replacer Formulas
| Formula 1 | Formula 2 | Formula 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-Fat Cows Milk | 1 pint | 1 pint | --- |
| Evaporated Cows Milk | -- | -- | 1 can |
| Lime Water | 4 ounces | 2.5 ounces | 2 ounces |
| Sugar | 1 teaspoon | -- | 1 ounce |
| Water | -- | 2.5 ounces | 1 can |
| Lactose | -- | 1 ounce | -- |
Source Adapted from Robert M. Miller.1983.Milk replacer formulas. The Western Horseman,48(2):38
