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Equine Nutrition Lectures

Monday 29th April 11am SSLB6 Thursday 2nd May 9am SSLB6 Monday 6th May 11am SSLB6 Powerpoints on Stream, plus required reading

227.208 Equine Nutrition

Erica Gee BVSc, PhD, Dip ACT Room 1.21
E.K.Gee@massey.ac.nz 2013

Acknowledgement: Dr Simone Hoskins

Who am I?
Senior lecturer in Equine Science Equine nutrition and reproduction E.K.Gee@massey.ac.nz

Learning objectives
Evaluate the diet of a horse Explain the main principles of feeding horses Discuss the benefits and potential problems of pasture based diets for horses Discuss the effects of nutrition on health and well-being of horses

Lecture outline
The basics of feeding horses (and why the horse is not a cow!) The role of fibre Assessing fatness and adequacy of diet Pasture as a nutrient source Where problems occur & how to prevent them by feeding practice Why feeding is both art & science

Prior knowledge assumptions

Equine GI tract anatomy Equine GI tract physiology Nutrients & nutrient digestion Protein & amino acids Lipids Carbohydrates & fibre Vitamins & minerals Some knowledge of equine management, behaviour, breeds etc

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The digestive system

Foregut
Mouth Oesophagus Stomach Small intestine

What is happening in the small intestine?

Enzymes, bile, other digestive juices Feed passes through in 30-90 minutes Digestion Soluble carbohydrates (sugars and starch) glucose What enzyme is rate limiting for starch digestion? Most protein from grains Oils and fats Calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, K

The equine digestive system

The hindgut
Caecum Large colon Small colon Rectum

What happens in the hindgut?

Giant fermentation vat Bacteria break down fibre volatile fatty acids (VFA) B vitamins Fermentation takes days
Quality Water reservoir

Features of GI tract
Lips, tongue, teeth
High degree of selectivity Fibre grinders

Large intestine & caecum

Big capacity Slow passage Mucus & motility Bends & flexures Microbial fermentation Absorption VFAs, H2O, NH3, vits
Acetic, butyric & proprionic

Stomach
Small capacity, fast passage Cardiac sphincter = one way valve Normally rarely empty & highly buffered

Small intestine
Relatively fast passage Urea secretion terminal ileum

Gall bladder

Designed for high fibre diet low in soluble carbohydrate & no sudden changes in diet

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Natural feeding behaviour

14-18 hours per day grazing Covering 10-15 km per day Grasses preferred with some legume/ browse

The domesticated horse

The equine athlete

Sources of energy
Horse at pasture
75 to 80% of energy from VFAs (ie hindgut digestion

Horse in heavy work (fed lots of grain)

obtain 70 to 75% of their energy from starch and oil digested in the small intestine

How do we know a diet is adequate?

The horse can
Perform as desired Maintain appropriate body condition and weight

Assessing fatness/adequacy of diet

Humans Weight Skinfold thickness BMI Waist circumference Bioelectric impedance analysis, MRI and CT And the horse? Weight Condition score

Excess dietary energy not desirable

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Body condition scoring

Condition Scores: Texas A&M

1 POOR Horse is extremely emaciated. The backbone, ribs, hipbones and tailhead project prominently. Bone structure of the withers, shoulders and neck easily noticeable. No fatty tissues can be felt. 2 VERY THIN

Condition Scores: Texas A&M

5 MODERATE Back is level. Ribs can be felt but not easily seen. Fat around tailhead beginning to feel spongy. Withers are rounded and shoulders and neck blend smoothly into the body. 6 MODERATELY FLESHY May have a slight crease down the back. Fat on the tailhead feels soft. Fat over the ribs feels spongy. Fat beginning to be deposited along the sides of the withers, behind the sholders and along the neck. 7 FLESHY A crease is seen down the back. Individual ribs can be felt, but noticeable filling between ribs with fat. Fat around tailhead is soft. Noticeable fat deposited along the withers, behind the shoulders and along the neck. 8 FAT Crease down back is prominent. Ribs difficult to feel due to fat in between. Fat around tailhead very soft. Area along withers filled with fat. Area behind shoulders filled in flush with the barrel of the body. Noticeable thickening of neck. Fat deposited along the inner buttocks. 9 EXTREMELY FAT Obvious crease down back. Fat is in patches over rib area, with bulging fat over tailhead, withers, neck and behind shoulders. Fat along inner buttocks may rub together. Flank is filled in flush with the barrel of the body.

Horse is emaciated. Slight fat covering over vertebrae. Backbone, ribs, tailhead and hipbones are prominent. Withers, shoulders and neck structures are discernible. 3 THIN

Fat built up about halfway on vertebrae. Slight fat layer can be felt over ribs, but ribs easily discernible. The tailhead is evident, but individual vertebrae cannot be seen. The hipbones cannot be seen, but withers, shoulder and neck are emphasized. 4 MODERATELY THIN

Negative crease along back. Faint outline of ribs can be seen. Fat can be felt along tailhead. Hip bones cannot be seen. Withers, neck and shoulders not obviously thin.

Optimal body condition

Varies with discipline Individual variation Evidence for optimal body condition
Racehorses Endurance horses

Overall weight and body condition score

What is normal? Depends. Age Sex Purpose Season Breed Etc etc etc

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Body weight
In humans excessive body weight may be associated with
Cardiovascular disease Type 2 diabetes Sleep apnea Osteoarthritis

Fat animals?
Not desirable in meat producing animals Overfat heifers have decreased lifetime milk production Cats and dogs associated with increased risk for diabetes

Visceral fat is important.

And a fat horse?

Excessive fatness and obesity is a growing problem
Predisposed to laminitis, metabolic disease Risk factor for hyerlipidemia Athletic performance Heat tolerance Exacerbate osteoarthritis Reproductive performance??? Developmental orthopaedic disease???

Condition scores for athletes

BCS for broodmares

Start of breeding season:
<5/9 lower pregnancy rates cf 5 <5/9 longer time to conceive (more cycles) Slightly lower pregnancy maintenance rates than fatter mares after 90 days

Review lecture 1
Monogastric hindgut fermenter Designed for high fibre/low starch diet Body condition score reflects adequacy of DE intake Many horses are overweight: can exacerbate problems like arthritis, associated with laminitis, metabolic disease, fizzy behaviour etc

Aim for BCS 5-7/9 (3.5-4.5) for maximum reproductive efficiency

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Typical body condition scores

Dressage 2.5-3/5 Endurance 1.5-2/5 Eventing ~2/5 Show horses 2.5-3/5 Race horses 1.5-2.5/5

What horses evolved to eat

Evolved on prairie/ rangeland 10-20 km per day travel Native grasslands
Big variety in mostly perennial species Predominantly grasses, but also herbs & legumes Unselected for digestibility or performance

1.5 trim, poor-moderate 2.5 fleshy, mod-good 3.5 heavy, good-fat

Diet
Highly fibrous, high in minerals, low protein Energy mainly from VFAs not glucose

Pasture too good?

But horses evolved as pasture grazers didnt they??

Modern pasture ok for modern horses?

No, modern pastures designed for ruminants
High sugar, low fibre Not great for pasture ornaments

Yes, modern pastures are great for some

Rapid growly young horses, pregnancy, lactation, horses in hard work

Yes, poor/older pastures are great for some

Pasture chemical composition

% DM Soluble sugars Hemicellulose Cellulose Lignin Protein Lipid Ash Leafy RG 14 16 21 3 15 9 8 Seeding RG 10 26 27 7 6 5 6

Whats wrong with high soluble carbs/ low fibre?

MAY result in: Digestive disturbance, rapid fermentation Hindgut acidosis, risk factor for
Laminitis Colic Azoturia, Exertional Rhabdomyolysis etc

Waghorn et al, (2007) NZSAP Occ.Publ. 14.

Behavioural problems Metabolic disorders, insulin resistance Developmental Orthopeedic Disease?

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Nutrition and laminitis

Pasture-associated laminitis
Fructans Soluble sugars

Can pasture be ok as sole diet?

It can be too good Pasture can provide enough energy & protein Similar growth of TB youngstock on NZ perennial ryegrass pasture as pasture + grain overseas However, macro & micro minerals? But can be difficult to assess quantity/ quality

Grain overload
Undigested grain in hindgut, rapid fermentation

Pasture vs requirements
Pasture/ hay PRG/WC NZ Leafy spring Stalky summer USA Bermudagrass Kentucky BG Native Meadow (h) Native Prairie (h) Requirements* Maintenance Growth 4-6mo MJ DE/kg DM 12 8 10 9 7 7 MJ DE/kg DM 8 12 g CP/kg DM 230 100 125 175 87 64 g CP/kg DM 80 145

Pasture problems
Too little Too much Damage to pasture and soil Overgrazing Encouraged growth of weeds eg docks Horse sick paddock: faecal rejection

*NRC (1989) Nutrient requirements of horses (USA)

Pasture
Not just for exercising Nutrient content variable Faecal rejection and overgrazing Horse sick pastures
Infective parasite larvae

But all horses need forages!

Forage basis of diet: min 1.5% BW as DM Essential for hindgut fermentation Pasture, hay, preserved forages
Grass, alfalfa/lucerne, clover Quality importance Smell, colour, dust, stem:leaf

Not energy dense Variable energy, digestibility and palatability with maturity Variable nutrient

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Conserved forages for horses

Hay (soaking vs not soaking)
Grass vs legume mix: Lucerne, clover, pea-vine, herb high protein, Ca leaf:stem, smell, dust, mould, damp, weeds etc

Pasture and macrominerals

Ca:P min ratio 1.5:1 vital
Forages tend to be high Ca, grains high P

Chaff (chopped legume hay or oat straw)

Commonly lucerne, red clover, oaten, pea-vine

Hage, baleage, silage

Lucerne and chopped oat hage custom made for horse Conventional pit pasture silage not recommended (beware secondary fermentation, clostridium) Baleage/ haylage lower risk

K - reqts easily met by forages Na - specific reqts not known, adaption to Na restriction, pasture likely to be limiting? Cl - specific reqts unknown, adequate when Na reqts met with NaCl

Pasture vs requirements mins

g/kg DM mg/kg DM

Nutritional-secondary hyperparathyroidism NSHP

Millers, Bran or Big Head Disease
From diet with low Ca:P, low [Ca], oxalates (kikuyu grass) High P levels or oxalates can impair utilization of Ca which result in low blood Ca levels. Stimulation of parathyroid gland which results in Ca removal from bones Often caused by high feeding levels of wheat bran (Ca:P ratio, 1:12), tropical grasses like kikuyu (oxalates)

Pasture PRG/WC Tall Fescue Reqts.* Maint. Growth 4-6 months

Ca 3.3-4.2 3.0 Ca 2.4 5.66.8

P 3.0-3.8 3.1 P 1.7 2.2-3.4

Cu 7.5 6.3 Cu 10 10

Se 0.02 0.02 Se 0.1 0.1

*NRC (1989), Hoskin & Gee (2004)

Microminerals
Mg - deficient pastures causing Mg tetany in ruminants ok for horses?
Behavioural problems w spring pasture, low Mg? Lots of supplements sold Research required

Microminerals
Co*, pastures inadequate for ruminants ok for horses Cu, important for growth, developmental orthopaedic disease prevention, potential interaction with other minerals, NZ soils deficient I*, deficiency = goiter, abnormal oestrus Mn*, Mo* not deficient in NZ pastures? Se, NZ soils deficient = white muscle disease, nutritional myopathy, toxicity w overdose supplements Fl* Zn*, Fe*?
* Not specifically determined for horses

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Vitamins
Fat & water soluble vits high in fresh forage
Hay storage reduces vit content Soaking hay leaches vits

But
We usually dont know the nutrient content of pastures or hays for horses!

B & K synthesised by hindgut bacteria

But absorption may vary High fibre diet needed Deficiencies may occur w low fibre pasture, acidosis, concentrate feeding

D, need ultraviolet light (stables & covers) Vit C synthesised in hepatic tissues Biotin supplementation above adequate enhanced hoof growth in some horses

Review lecture 2
Pasture is a good, cheap source of nutrition for horses, especially young horses, broodmares PRG good energy and protein, marginal Ca?
NB usually dont know the nutrient content Energy content can be too high

Ryegrass staggers
Lolitrem B in high endophyte grasses Yes, affects horses too Usually late summer after drought when grazing very low Remove from pasture, hay Low or no endophyte pasture? Horse friendly pasture? Blood tests Mycotoxin binders
Over-react to external stimuli Muscles tremors, uncoordinated gait

NSH oxalates bind Ca, altered Ca:P

BigHead

PRG may have low fibre and high sugar during rapid growth that not all horses do well on
GI disturbances, behaviour

Overgrazing, lawns and troughs, faecal contamination and parasites

Feeding the equine athlete

Why not pasture alone?

As energy requirements increase the ration needs to become more energy dense
Maintenance: eats about 2% BW per day as DM Can consume up to max 3% BW per day as DM Pasture has low energy density BUT must consume at least 1.5% BW as forage each day for GI health

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What other energy sources are there?

Grains (oats, barley, maize) Premixed feeds (grains, chaff, minerals and vitamins often) Fats and oils Superfibres (Protein)

Meeting energy requirements: carbohydrates

Oats Barley Maize Palatable Energy varies Starch digested in small intestine -amylase limiting: no more than 2.5kg per meal! GI disturbances common

Meeting energy requirements: carbohydrates

Processed grains
Loose Pelleted Extruded

Are grains bad?

No! Energy dense, variable protein, often low in minerals and vitamins Quality variable Affordable Problems with too much grain
Rapid fermentation of undigested grain in hindgut Behaviour

Sweetfeeds
Added sugar

Complete and premixed feeds

Must be fed as directed Same for balancers

Problems with grain: grain overload

Undigested soluble CHO in hindgut Proliferation of lactic acid producing bacteria
Change pH

How much grain to feed?

Limit of 2.5kg per meal/500kg

Death of gram negative bacteria

Endotoxin in cell wall Any disruption in mucosa allows endotoxin to be absorbed Laminitis and endotoxaemia

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Grain meals
Sugar high after meal Linked with
Hot and excitable behaviour Stereotypies Muscle problems in susceptible horses Development orthopaedic disease in youngsters

What if grains make the horse too hot?

Try other energy sources
Fermented forages Other sources of highly digestible fibre
Sugar beet pulp Soya hulls

Fat-fortified feeds and fat supplements

Vegetable oil Stabilised rice bran

Alternative energy sources

Fats and Oils

Incorporated in many prepared feeds Up to 10% DE (even up to 25% of total MJ) Energy dense so smaller volume required Vegetable oils more palatable, introduce slowly Performance benefits?
Calmer Improved fat oxidation; glycogen sparing

Fats and Oils

Incorporated in many prepared feeds Up to 10% DE (even up to 25% of total MJ) Energy dense so smaller volume required Vegetable oils more palatable, introduce slowly Performance benefits?
Calmer Improved fat oxidation; glycogen sparing

Protein Supplements
Often overdone! Usually as the energy content increases the protein also increases Most protein supplements 20-25%CP Quality of protein in important
lysine for young horses

Usually expensive

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Minerals and vitamins

Often overdone! Complete, premixed and balancer feeds Ca:P ratio (NB grains) Iron not required Selenium important
Toxicity: acute and chronic

Other supplements
Often not much information Overdone? Creatine, carnitine, branch chain amino acids Antioxidants

Diet evaluation
Check energy content
Usually too much (fat, fizzy horse), or too little (thin, lethargic horse)

Evaluating the diet of a horse

Check forage content and quality of feedstuffs

At least 1.5% BW as forage DM each day

Check protein content Minerals and vitamins

Basic rules
50 to 100% diet as forage Horses eat between 1.5 and 3% of their bodyweight as dry matter each day Small stomach Important hindgut bacteria No more than 2.5kg grain at any time Small feeds often Feed by weight not volume Change feeds slowly (hindgut bacteria) Feed as individuals

Optimal nutrition
May optimise performance Wont improve genetic potential Wont make up for poor training

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Feeding behaviour issues

Horses are not nutritionally wise! Feed shortage = abnormal behaviour High concentrate:roughage / low roughage availability = abnormal behaviour Stabling w. ad-lib hay = similar behaviour to grazing pasture Feeding time budget constant despite herbage availability Herbage shortage, horse needs to extend feeding budget but doesnt = undernutrition Herbage excess, horse needs to restrict feeding budget but doesnt = overnutrition

Dietary problems in the equine athlete

Effect of feed type on time spent behaving abnormally in horses

Feed n Pasture Stable Tie-stall Tie-stall Tie-stall Tie-stall 6 5 5 4 4 4 Grass Hay Hay Hay Hay Pellets Lucerne/ maize cobs Feed level Ad-lib. Ad-lib. Ad-lib. Maint. Maint. Maint.
(Cuddeford, 1996)

High fat and fibre diet

Effects on behaviour
Controlled studies conclude:
Calmer, more inquisitive Reduce stress and intensity of startle reaction Lower heart rates More tractable Fewer stereotypies

% of time spent feeding 58 55 64 60 10 12

% time in abnormal activities 0 2 <1 2 58 66

Equine glucose tolerance/ insulin sensitivity

Big variation in equine ability to tolerate a glucose load (or starchy feed)
Hot breeds (TB, Arab) more tolerant than cold breeds (heavy) But excitable behaviour after grain feeding of hot breeds Ponies insulin insensitive - possible adaptation to cope with starvation in harsh conditions + dependence on high fibre diet with low glucose availability

Feeding tips
1. Feed high fibre (pasture/ forage) 2. Feed little & often 3. Make dietary changes gradually (esp. with concentrates) 4. Feeding concentrates after roughage = slower intake & passage of concentrate, utilisation of conc. + potential net protein value of diet 5. Feed by weight not volume according to nutrient requirements 6. Fresh water should always be available, even when grazing lush pasture

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Typical diets
12 year old pony 450kg (430480. Prone to being overweight when not in work.) Currently: hunts twice weekly.
3kg red clover/ryegrass hay Balancer pellets for minerals and vitamins Sugarbeet if pasture quality/quantity decreases Oats if reqd

Typical diets
5yo Standardbred gelding, full training 480kg
Paddock trained Approx 6kg premixed feed 1-2kg fermented forage 1-1.5kg lucerne/oaten chaff Electrolytes Mineral mix Apple cider vinegar Garlic

Summer: Jenny Craig paddock

Balancer pellets for minerals and vitamins Grass hay (stalky)

Summary
Optimal nutrition for optimal performance Each horse is an individual and needs to be fed as such Forage is more than a filler Grains arent always bad but there are alternatives Aim for a balanced dietthere can be too much of a good thing

Questions?

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