Explore all the information onHorse Nutrition
Welcome to the page about Horse Nutrition of Engormix; a source of knowledge on Horse Nutrition.
According to researchers at Michigan State University, horses eating mostly diets composed by grains or pellets could require more dental care than other equine consuming grasses or hay. The researchers, who used seven horses for the study, have employed motion capture techniques to follow the movement of horses' jaws. The animals were previously checked by an equine dentist to be sure that no horse had any abnormality which might have influenced their normal chewing. Researchers...
The world's growing obesity problem has alarmed physicians and public health officials, and veterinarians have recently focused their attention on fat dogs and cats. Now, a team of researchers in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Virginia Tech has determined that horses are also facing serious health risks because of obesity. Fifty-one percent of the horses evaluated during the pioneering...
Hay, the staple winter diet of domesticated horses for over a thousand years, has come in last in a university study exploring equine preferences for conserved forage. The winner in the carefully controlled study was baleage with a moisture content of 65 per cent, followed by grass which was baled and wrapped when drier (haylage), and then hay. The research was carried out Dr Cecilia Müller and Dr Peter Udén, of the Department of Animal Nutrition and Management at the Swedish...
Developing and maintaining a successful consulting business in the equine industry requires knowledge, experience, credibility, ethics, aptitude, commitment, dedication, enthusiasm and a willingness to go the extra mile. The client base of an equine consulting business will most likely contain a blend of individual breeders, trainers, owners and support companies such as feed and supplement manufacturers and suppliers. Regardless of what type of client you are working with or trying to add...
A mineral proteinate is a chelated mineral complex formed by reacting a mineral salt with a specifically prepared mixture of amino acids and small peptides. The chelate that results from the binding of the mineral and amino acid carries no electrical charge, and remains stable in the presence of pH changes in the gastrointestinal tract. Because of this electrical neutrality, the mineral in organic complex form is theorized to be more bioavailable to the animal, and utilize a different...
The equine industry continues to grow and diversify, with more events, disciplines and activities for horse owners than ever before. The amount of horserelated information available to owners has also grown incredibly. There are popular press publications targeted to every age and aspect of horse ownership, a great number of books about horses on the shelves at bookstores, and the internet offers access to a vast amount of information on topics related to raising and feeding horses. Despite...
Current status of the horse industry The horse industry entered the new millennium during a period of strength and popularity not seen since possibly the beginning of the previous century. This upward trend followed several years of a declining horse population beginning in the mid-1980s. The general decline of the horse industry following a serious economic downturn was reflected in high horse slaughter during this time, with over 300,000 horses per year being...
It is well established that horses require an adequate and balanced diet to grow, reproduce and exercise for a wide range of purposes. The affluent lifestyle in developed countries has increased the popularity of horses for racing, equestrian and leisure activities. This has resulted in horses being kept on smaller grazing areas in the urban fringe areas of cities or boarded in training stables and barns of equestrian centers. A more intensive form of management has developed with the need...
Knowledge regarding selenium nutrition in horses lags far behind other livestock species and humans, especially in regard to health and optimal immune function. In dairy cattle, there is a well-accepted relationship between selenium status and udder health. In humans, there are active research efforts relating selenium to decreased cancer risk and enhanced immune function. In the horse, there are relatively clear data linking selenium deficiency to nutritional muscular dystrophy in foals,...
The statement, “I want a low carbohydrate feed for my horse”, has become popular in recent years. The reasons, or potential reasons, for wanting a low carbohydrate horse feed could be many. One possibility is a simple carry over from the current human dietary trend of reducing carbohydrate intake. The Atkins Diet is one popular means of reducing carbohydrate intake in human meals. With millions of dollars spent on media advertisements for restaurants with ‘Atkins...
Introduction If you really can’t figure out the problem, then surely ‘it must be the feed’. Many of us in the nutrition and feed manufacturing business have felt the frustration of having our formulas and our feeds blamed for a myriad of problems on the horse farm and in the training stable. Many people engaged in the production of horses attribute miraculous healing and preventative qualities to feed and/or feeding management. This is all too...
Introduction Manipulation of the pattern of fermentation by the use of feed additives (for example ionophores and microbial products) with the aim to improve animal performance has been achieved in many species of farm animal. However, the level of improvement can be limited by a lack of fundamental knowledge concerned with the mode of action of feed additives and limitations over the application of technology (Whittemore, 2000). In 1982, Alltech Inc. introduced...
Horse nutrition differs substantially from the feeding of other livestock species. Whereas in other species, producers ask the question “will it help?” before feeding a supplement, individuals in the horse industry tend to ask “will it hurt?” when making a decision as to whether or not to feed a supplement. As a result, the practice of feeding nutraceuticals is relatively common in the equine industry. What are nutraceuticals? The...
Introduction The last update of the National Research Council’s publication ‘Nutrient Requirements of Horses’ was published in 1989 and contains data from studies published through 1988. A number of trials have been conducted in the past 14 years that add significantly to that body of literature. Additionally, the focus of nutritionists worldwide has changed with increasing concerns about the impact of animal feeding on the environment. With new...
Diarrhea in suckling foals is a major cause of wastage and veterinary expense in horse breeding farms. The diarrhea that occurs at 9 to 14 days of age is apparently a natural adjustment to the establishment of environmental microbes in the hindgut of the foal and is of little consequence to most foals as it is generally resolved with little or no medical intervention. This diarrhea is generally self-limiting and will subside without treatment in 2 to 4 days. The use of probiotics may help...