Hay, it’s what’s for dinner

Nutrition for your horseDr. Sandy Tasse

Saratoga Equine Veterinary Services

What are we going to feed?Types of Feed

Grain vs. forageWhole grains vs. pelletsSupplements/filler/treats!

Amount and frequency of feeding

Who are we going to feed it to?A horse

Hind gut fermenterYour horse

Body condition scorePerformance levelDeficiencies/Problems

The horse’s ownerWhat is practical?What is affordable?

Six Nutrients Horses Need1. Water

• Most important for sustaining life!• Avg. horse should drink 6-8 gallons/day• Need may increase by 3-4xs in hot weather, due to

hard work, or in a lactating mare• Drink approx 2 quarts for every pound of hay

consumed

FatProvides energy/calories to do workUsually provided at 8-12% in feedHelps blood glucose remain stable

CarbohydratesMain building block is glucose30% of feed is in carbsStarch and sugar converted to glucose in small intestine and absorbedFiber converted to volatile fatty acids by microbe fermentation in large intestine

ProteinNeeded for muscle developmentBuilding blocks are amino acidsMost adult horses require feeds with 8-10% proteinSoybean meal > Cottonseed meal as a source of protein in feed (soybean meal has higher amounts of lysine)

VitaminsFat soluble and water solubleUsually have adequate amounts in the diet unless feeding a poor quality hay or horse is abnormally stressedVit E if pasture is deficientVit A if feeding beet pulp

MineralsCalcium and phosphorus 2:1 ratioSodium, potassium, and chloride are lost in sweat, and may need to be replaced

Types of FeedForagesTo determine the nutrient content, have hay tested by a forage testing lab (contact your local county extension office)

Legumes• More leafy and have increased amounts of protein, calcium,

and energy• Alfalfa and clover

Grasses• Fine stems, seed heads, and longer leaves than legumes• Timothy, bluegrass, ryegrass, bermuda grass, and fescue

Grasses can be fed naturally by turning out on pasture for grazingHay and alfalfa bales are grasses that are cut, dried, and then baled

If not done properly, can lose nutrients, or have wet, moldy hayBoth pasture and baled hay can be deficient in nutrients if the soil where it is grown is deficient

GrainsOats are the most common

• Lower digestible energy value and higher fiber content than other grains

• Good palatability• Can be expensive

Corn• Twice as much DE as oats, lower in fiber• Energy dense feed that is easy to overfeed• Good palatability

Barley• Moderate fiber and energy content• Has hard hulls that should be processed for easier

digestibility

Wheat• Not usually used due to high cost• Higher energy than corn• Low palatability unless used in a grain mix

Sweet feedUsually a mix of oats, barley, and corn

• Whole or coarsely crushed and visible

Has added proteins, minerals, and vitamins• Added as a pellet to the above grain mix

High levels of molasses• Improves palatability, reduces bulk, makes grain sticky, which

prevents “sorting” of the feed by the horse

DOES NOT contain enough roughages (crude fiber) to be considered a complete feed

Although not a complete feed, sweet feed DOES have its place:

Racehorses, working horses, or any horse at a high performance level may need the extra calories from sweet feedHigh palatability- good for encouraging sick, stressed, or picky horses to eat (can mix some into the feed they are not eating)Provides longer chewing time than pelleted feed, which improves digestion and relieves boredomEase of feeding: readily available in bags at most feed stores, can be a good additive if having to feed poor quality hay

Pitfalls of Sweet feedHigh molasses

• Prone to caking and spoiling during warm months, as well as attracting flies

• Freezing in the winter• Horses still may be able to sort out grain and pellets

Not recommended for horses with metabolic related problems (Metabolic Syndrome, insulin resistance, Cushings) because of the high carbohydrate levels

Pelleted feedsNuggets or kibble, that is formed by taking all of the grain, protein, vitamins, and minerals, and grinding them up. Heat and moisture are then used to form the ground powder in to pellets.

Usually available in 4 types of feed:Grain mix (Purina Ultium)Complete feed (Equine senior feeds)Roughages (hay cubes)Supplements (daily wormer)

Complete feedsHave all of the horse’s nutritional requirements in the pelleted rationGood for older horses that can’t chew hay or have teeth missing or horses that need to put weight on or have trouble keeping weight onConsumed much more quickly than hay, so horse can become bored the rest of the day

Purina vs. Triple Crown vs. Blue Seal Senior Feed

145 IU170 IU140 IUVit E5000 IU6000 IU3500 IUVit A0.65%0.6%0.4%Phosphorus0.6-1.15%0.9-1.4%0.6-0.8%Calcium5.5%10%5.5%Fat0.56%0.7%0.7%Lysine16%17%17%Fiber14.5%14%14%Protein

Blue SealTriple Crown

Purina

Hay/Alfalfa cubesMade of 100% alfalfa, a mixture of alfalfa and grass, or a mixture of alfalfa and whole corn plant

• Similar to alfalfa hay in nutrient content• 19% protein, 1.44% calcium, 0.22% phosphorus

Also good for horses that can not chew hay • Better intake and less waste

Less dust than hay, may help horses with dust allergiesCan be used as an extra feeding to put weight on or relieve boredom

• But also must be fed restricted, as horses will consume more cubes than they will hay, and will become overweight

Supplements

Generally only needed if feed is deficient or horse has some type of diagnosed problemMore is not always better

Money could be spent better elsewhereCan lead to nutritional imbalances

What works for one horse may not benefit another horse with different dietary needsMany many types available, so can tailor to the needs of your horse

Joint SupplementsHorses that may benefit:

Older, arthritic horsesYounger horses with early onset arthritis due to hard work (used in conjunction with joint injections)A horse that has had trauma or surgery on a joint

Focus: to support the health of the joint tissue, including cartilage and synovial fluidCommon ingredients: glucosamine, chondroitin, hyaluronic acid (HA), MSM, yucca, ascorbic acidMost studies of these products have been done on humans, and we can’t be sure the results carry over to horses

Hoof SupplementsHorses that may benefit:

Horses with soft, shelly hooves that may have problems holding a shoe onHorses that get thrush oftenHorses that have hooves that crack or get abscesses frequentlyHorses with a history of a hoof disease, such as laminitis or white line disease

Focus: improving the quality of the hoof horn, leading to stronger hoovesCommon ingredients: biotin, methionine, lysine, zinc, copper, calcium carbonate, flaxseedKeep in mind: supplements influence only new hoof growth, so may take months to see results

Digestive SupplementsHorses that may benefit:

Horses under stressHorses that are ill or had surgeryHorses on medications that may alter normal gastro-intestinal flora (antibiotics)Horses with a history of chronic colic or diarrhea

Focus: Aim to keep the normal gastro-intestinal flora alive and happy to reduce the chance of colic or diarrhea developingCommon ingredients: probiotics (Lactobacillus), prebiotics (sugars), yeast culture, dehydrated alfalfa meal (fiber)Storage can be a problem, as many of these contain live organisms that can be easily damagedAgain, most studies have been done on humans, and we can’t be sure it translates to horses

Skin and Coat SupplementsHorses that may benefit:

Horses with dull, dry coatsHorses with flaky, greasy, or itchy skin

Focus: support the production of keratin, collagen, and other building blocks of the skin and hairCommon ingredients: pyridoxine (B6), biotin, flaxseed, riboflavin, lysine, zinc, folic acid, niacinamide, calcium panthothenatePoor skin and hair coat can be an indication of an underlying problem, and not a primary problem itself

Three Popular AdditivesRice Bran

@1-2 lbs/day for underweight or high performance horses½ lb/day to improve coat and hoof

Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil)Breeding horses: may increase sperm production, increases the immunity of mares milk, also good for growing foalsHorses with osteoarthritis or respiratory allergies

Beet pulpUnderweight horses or older horses that have trouble chewing hay

Rice BranMade from the brown layer that is removed from a rice seed to make white riceRice bran is usually in pelleted or powdered form, a rice bran oil is also available (95% fat)High in calories- 1200 calories/lb, high in fat- 20% oilAlso contains fiber, starch, and proteinUsually has vitamin E and gamma oryzanol added (helps muscle repair and building)Has a much higher phosphorous level than calcium- needs to have added calcium to have proper 2:1 ratio (or buy a fortified version)Need to make sure it is stabilized, otherwise it will go rancid in less than 1 week

Omega 3 Fatty AcidsOmega 3 and 6 are “essential FA”

FA that cannot be synthesized by the horse at all or in sufficient quantities, so they must be added to the dietWhen oil is digested, FFA are incorporated into cell membranes

Grains contain oils that are mostly Omega 6 and little Omega 3

Omega 6- pro-inflammatory- benefits the immune system during infection and sicknessOmega 3- anti-inflammatory- helps decrease pain and swelling

Hay contains less Omega 3 than fresh grassSuggested ratio of Omega 6 to 3: 10:1Unknowns:

Do Omega 3s increase production of free radicals? Should we give a Vitamin E supplement with it?Don’t know enough about Omega 6s to condemn them

Oil Additives and Omega 3s

199:10.2%19%Sunflower84:10.7%3.6%Corn29:10.8%20%Rice bran7:17%18%Soybean2:112.9%28%Canola1:1531%100% fish oilMenhaden 1:453%36%Flaxseed

Omega 6:3 ratio

% Omega 3 in oil

% oil in seedOil source

Beet PulpThe material left behind when table sugar is extracted from sugar beetsContains a lot of fermentable fiber, fairly easy to digest

May result in more efficient digestion to help horses maintain body weight

Not high calorie- only slightly more than a good quality hay10% protein, 18% crude fiberDoes not cause a sharp rise in blood glucose like grain does andbecause it does not contain large amounts of soluble carbs like grain, it can be safely fed in larger amounts

Can be used to replace 50% of the forage in a horse’s rationNo vitamin A- may need to supplementSome may have added molasses to increase palatabilityNSC 12%- used in formulating high fiber, low carb diets

Usually soaked before feeding because it is very dry (5% moisture)Does not necessarily have a higher incidence of choke than other pelleted or cubed feed

Fitting Beet Pulp into the classification of feeds

When reading feed bag labels:Forage- fiber content higher than 18% crude fiber (hay, soybean hulls, ground corn cobs)Energy feed- <18% crude fiber and < 20% crude protein (grains, rice bran, fat, molasses)Protein supplement- <18% crude fiber and > 20% crude protein (soybean meal, linseed meal, brewers yeast, dehydrated milk)Beet pulp- 18% crude fiber and 10% protein

• Somewhere between grain and hay

Nutritional Deficiency SupplementsVitamin E

Prevents free radical damage to tissues or lipid peroxidation (by attaching to the fatty layer in cell membranes)Important for the proper function of nerves and muscles

• Diseases such as Equine Degenerative Myeloencephalopathy, Equine Motor Neuron Disease, and EPM, are caused by low vitamin E or will have worse clinical signs with low vit. E

Supplied from forage, little is added to grain and storage of feed can greatly reduce levels of vit. ENormal maintenance dose: 1000-2000 IU/day6000-9000 IU/day to treat a diseaseUseful for horses that are not on pasture, getting poor quality hay, or are on a complete feed, and for foals up to 2 years of age, pregnant mares, or hard working horses

SeleniumA trace mineralHorses require 1mg/day from diet, 3-4mg/day is goodAlso toxic in high amounts- Alkali diseaseDeficiencies- white muscle disease in foalsAs many as 46 states may be soil deficientBoth deficiency and toxicity can cause unthrifty appearance and dull hair coat

Both vitamin E and Selenium levels can be confirmed by testing the levels in the blood of the horse

CalciumMost well known for its association with bone, although also plays a role in muscle contraction and regulates enzymesShould be in proper ration w/phosphorus in the equine diet: 2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus (1:1 min)

• Ratios as high as 6:1 may be acceptable in the growing horse as long as there is adequate phosphorus in the diet

Magnesium will help increase Ca absorption, but phosphorus will decrease Ca absorption (rice bran is very high in phosphorus)Legumes (alfalfa and clover) are high in calciumDeficiency- weak bones or shifting leg lameness, may also have softer teeth and hoovesA ground limestone supplement can be added to the diet if ratiosare incorrect or a deficiency exists

How much should be fed?Average horse will eat 1.5-2.5% of its body weight per day

Avg 1000 lb horse will eat 20 lbs of foodAt least 50% should be fed as forage (80% is best = 16 lbs of hay and 4 lbs of grain for horses with no turnout, on a dry lot, or over grazed pasture)

Don’t forget to add pasture grazing into these amounts!

PastureA healthy horse on pasture 24/7 can meet his full 2% body weight energy requirement

Horses can eat 1.1-2.1 lbs of pasture dry matter per hourIf on pasture ½ this time, 1% of b.w. will be required in hay (will get 10 lbs of grass from pasture and 10 lbs of hay per day)If on pasture ¼ of the time, 1.5% energy required from hay (15 lbs hay/day)

• Also works for if on pasture for ½ the time, but pasture is also 50% grazed down, then it is equal to being on pasture ¼ of the time (will still need 15 lbs of hay)

Get out your calculatorsHorse turned out for 8 hours/day and in moderate work

8 hours = 1/3 of 24 hour day (30%) • 70% x 20 lbs = 14 lbs of additional feed needed

Pasture is ¼ grazed down (25%)• 6 lbs of pasture x .25 = 1.5 lbs, so an additional 1.5 lbs of feed

is needed (14 + 1.5 = 15.5 lbs of additional feed needed)15.5 lbs feed, 80% as hay and 20% as grain: 12.4 lbs of hay and 3.1 lbs of grain (If in light work or not working, then all 15.5 lbs can come from hay alone)Hard Keeper horse: may need to bump grain to 40% and hay at 60%, so would feed: 9.3 lbs of hay and 6.2 lbs of grain per day (split into 2 feedings of 3.1 lbs each)

Helpful HintsHave a scale to weigh food instead of estimating (can use a bathroom scale)Have a calculator to make adjustmentsAt least 50% of feed should come from foragesFeeds only contain 0.1% salt, so need to provide a salt or mineral block to ALL horses to meet their 0.25% requirement

A regular white salt block is fine, a mineral one is not needed and may not contain the right mineral balance

Horses not in moderate/heavy work CAN maintain an appropriate body weight and obtain all necessary nutrients on pasture and free choice hay alone.

Frequency of FeedingDepends on your own schedule or your boarding barn scheduleShould at least split grain meals into 2 meals per day

Under weight horses or hard keepers that are getting more grain may need 3-4 meals/dayUnless the horse has a physical/medical reason to restrict feed or is an easy keeper, free choice hay can be provided at all times that they are not on pasture

• Chewing hay keeps your horse from picking up behavioral vices such as cribbing or chewing wood/fences

• Salivation from chewing aids in digestion• For horses that are overweight, feeding a lower quality hay or

first cutting hay, may be a better option than having to restrict hay

Who are we feeding?A Horse

Non-ruminant herbivores (hind gut fermenters)Have evolved as grazers that spend 16+ hours taking in small amounts of grassHorses vs. Humans:

• Horses can not vomit• Horses do not have a gall bladder to store bile (makes high fat,

large meals hard to digest)

36- 72 hours transit time for feed to go from mouth to rectum

Horse Gastro-Intestinal AnatomyStomach- small size in relation to body size (only 2-4 gallon capacity)Small intestine

70 ft longHolds 10-23 gallonsMost nutrients (proteins, some carbs and fat) are digested here, vitamins and minerals are absorbed

Cecum3-4 ft longHolds up to 7-8 gallonsBlind sac that contains bacteria and protozoa to digest fiber and carbs

Large IntestineCompromised of the large colon, small colon, and rectumHolds 20 gallons Fermentation of feed continues as microbes do the bulk of digestive work

• High grain diets can lead to fewer of these good microbes and promotes microbes that cause disease

Water is absorbed60% of the energy a horse gets from his food can come from volatile fatty acids produced by the bacterial fermentation of fiber within the large intestine

Your HorsePerformance level

Pasture pet vs. hard work/trainingAge

Growing horse vs. mature horse vs.older horseBody Condition Score (BCS)

Does the horse need to put on weight, lose weight, or maintain weight?Use weight tape to estimate initial weight and then see gains or losses

Amount of turn-out time, as well as pasture and hay quality

Performance LevelPasture Pet

Pasture +/- hayPleasure/Trail Horse (weekend fun horse)

Pasture, hay, vit/min supplementWorking Daily/Moderate work

Pasture, hay, grain, +/- supplementsHigh Performance/Growing horse

Pasture, hay, grain, supplements, plus other additives/calorie dense feed (rice bran, beet pulp, corn oil)

Body Condition Score ChartThe Ideal Body Condition Score is between 5 and 6-1/2

1. PoorAnimal extremely emaciated; spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber coxae (hip joints), andischia (lower pelvic bones) projecting prominently; bone structure of withers, shoulders, and neck easily noticeable; no fatty tissue can be felt.

2. Very ThinAnimal emaciated; slight fat covering over base of spinous processes, transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded; spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, tuber coxae (hip joints) and ischia (lower pelvic bones) prominent; withers, shoulders, and neck structure faintly discernable.

3. ThinFat buildup about halfway on spinous processes; transverse processes cannot be felt; slight fat cover over ribs; spinous processes and ribs easily discernable; tailhead prominent, but individual vertebrae cannot be identified visually; tuber coxae (hip joints), appear rounded but easily discernable; tuber ischia (lower pelvic bones) not distinguishable; withers, shoulders and neck accentuated.

4. Moderately ThinSlight ridge along back; faint outline of ribs discernible; tailhead prominence depends on conformation, fat can be felt around it; tuber coxae (hip joints) not discernable; withers, shoulders and neck not obviously thin.

5. ModerateBack is flat (no crease or ridge); ribs not visually distinguishable but easily felt; fat aroundtailhead beginning to feel spongy; withers appear rounded over spinous processes; shoulders and neck blend smoothly into body.

6. Moderately FleshyMay have slight crease down back; fat over ribs spongy; fat around tailhead soft; fat beginning to be deposited along the side of withers, behind shoulders, and along sides of neck.

7. FleshyMay have slight crease down back; individual ribs can be felt, but noticeable filling between ribs with fat; fat around tailhead soft; fat deposited along withers, behind shoulders,and along neck.

8. FatCrease down back; difficult to feel ribs, fat around tailhead very soft; fat area along withers filled with fat, area behind shoulder filled with fat, noticeable thickening of neck; fat deposited along inner thighs.

9. Extremely FatObvious crease down back; patchy fat appearing over ribs, bulging fat around tailhead; along withers, behind shoulders and along neck, fat along inner thighs may rub together; flank filled with fat.

Environmental FactorsAmount of turn-out time

Quality and amount of pasture grass ingestedHay quality

Can have it tested by a local forage labSeason/Time of year

Winter might mean lighter work schedule for the horse, but also can mean less quality or no pasture grass when turned outDo not make the mistake of feeding more concentrates to “keep the horse warm”. Forages (hay) fermentation will help “keep the horse warmer” than feeding a large grain or cracked corn meal.

Always make sure the horse has access to fresh, non frozen and non electrified water

Will help limit impaction colicElectrolytes added to water only needed in a heavily sweating horse

AgeGrowing horses

Need more calories, higher amounts of protein in feedDon’t want to over do it and cause horse to grow too fast, will predispose them to having growth related diseases, such as OCDs

• Special “growth” or “foal” feeds are made for this reason

Mature Healthy HorseSimplest to feed/maintain

Older HorseMay have trouble keeping weight on (may be due to age related disease- heart failure/murmors, GI- IBD, or tumors)Teeth may not be in good shape- may be worn down or falling out, making it difficult to chew and digest hay

Problem HorsesThe obese horseThe starving horseThe hard keeper/picky eater

Over weight horses

Many horses are over weight because owners like the appearance or are not familiar with what a healthy horse looks like.

Obesity IS detrimental:• Unable to dissipate heat as effectively during strenuous

exercise• Can become insulin resistant, which can lead to laminitis.• Infrequent work becomes challenging due to the extra body

weight.

Checking for obesityShould be able to feel but not necessarily see ribsNeck should not be bulging or crestyThe girth should not make an indent in the horse’s fat when tightened.The shoulder blade should be visible and be distinguishable from the neck and body.The inner thighs should not touch each other more than ¼ of the way down the inner thigh region when standing square.

Diet and ObesityThere may be other causes, such as lack of exercise or disease, but we will focus on feed.Does this horse really need grain? If not, feed pasture and hay with a vitamin/mineral supplement and a salt block.If horse is working, feed a low starch or weight control pellet.May need a grazing muzzle if horse is turned out on lush pasture or is susceptible to laminitis.May want to avoid richer second cutting hay and not feed alfalfa at all.Consult with your veterinarian for special cases where a weight loss supplement, such as Thyrol-L may help.

Rehab for Rescue/Starving Horses

Must be patient- increase feed slowly and may not see visible results for 6 monthsHorse was probably not getting any grain, so GI- tract is not used to grain, and body in a catabolic state (muscles and proteins being broken down and used for energy)

Alfalfa hay is ideal- low starch (3%) and rich protein (18%) (senior feed still has too much starch for these horses’ depleted digestive tracts to handle)Feed good quality hay/alfalfa hay according to horse’s current body weight for 2 weeks (feed an 800 lb horse that might normally be 1100 lbs: 800 x 2% b.w. = 16 lbs of hay per day)Horse will gain about 1 lb per day

After the first 2 weeks, increase the amount of hay fed slowly over a 2 week period until they are on free choice hayWait to feed grain until 6 months have passed and horse is near appropriate BW

5.5 lbs3100%Day 6-10

2.0-2.25 lbs675%Day 4-5

1.25-1.5 lbs650%Day 1-3

Amt. Hay/meal

# meals/day% caloric requirement

The Hard Keeper/Picky EaterFirst, try to determine why the horse is a hard keeper

Dental exam, condition of his teethBad habits that use energy- weaving, pacing/stall walkingUnderlying medical condition- due to age or genetics (bloodwork may be helpful), parasites/deworming programDoes he live in a adequate environment? (shelter, blanket, does he get bullied?)Increase in work load/travel, or pregnancy

Why is the horse a picky eater?Is the feed fed palatable or been changed recently?Is the feed spoiled or poor quality/lacking nutrients?Dental exam to eliminate oral cause of pain +/- considering gastric ulcers

Feeding the Hard KeeperIf can’t find a cause for weight loss, or the cause is not curable (ie missing teeth or heart condition), then need to adjust dietChange to a senior complete feed (make sure you read the label- will most likely need to feed much more than you were feeding straight grain)If the problem is poor teeth:

Feed almost all the horses’ daily requirements in the form of a complete feedGive hay just to relieve boredom, though the horse may not be taking much inTry a softer hay, such as alfalfa or Dengie (chopped hay)

If the problem is working hard/or energy lost through bad habits (stall walking)

Slowly increase amount of feedAdd oil to the feed to increase caloriesMay want to feed beet pulp in addition

If the problem is poor quality hay/pasture or a deficiency

Adding a specific supplement or a general vitamin and mineral supplement to the feed may be all you need

SummaryStick to the basics

If you do not have a problem horse, feed 2% b.w. with at least 80% of the feed being hay, with a vitamin supplement and salt block

Only supplement what is neededRemember you get what you pay for in the brand of feed you buy

Cheaper feeds may have the same ingredients but have less research behind them, be less palatable, or be less digestible than more expensive feedsFind your horse’s “happy medium”

Thanks for listening!Any questions?