Proper Horse Nutrition and Body Condition Scoring

2013-01-01T22:19:00.000-05:00

EQUINE DIGESTION

A correct and balanced nutrition is very important for a proper horse care. They are non-ruminant animals, they have one stomach, therefore they use microbial fermentation in a part of the digestive system known as the cecum (or caecum) to break down the cellulose.

Horses have unique digestive systems that are designed to process good-quality forages. In order to feed our horses properly to meet their maintenance, work, growth and reproduction requirements, we must have an understanding of the equine digestive tract and horse feeds.

"Not only must we supply proper amounts of certain minerals and protein a certain horse requires, but also be aware of energy in the diet and how it affects the horse's metabolism. We must understand how the way we feed horses affects growth, maintenance and performance."

Equine Body Condition Scoring

2012-09-13T12:51:00.000-04:00

All horse owners should be aware of where their horse scores relative to body condition. The ideal body condition is subjective, body condition scoring has been developed to provide basic guidelines for evaluating a horse's condition.
A combination of visual appraisal and manual appraisal (feel) are used to estimate body condition.

Body condition scores in the five to six (moderate to moderately fleshy) range are preferred for most horses.
However, the activity level of the horse should be considered. Horses with body condition scores of less tha four, or greater than six, may have an increase risk of metabolic or nutritional disease, and their poor body condition may have a negative impact on their general welfare.

BODY CONDITION SCORES
Score 1: POOR
Animal is extremely emaciated. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, hip joints, and lower pelvic bones project prominently. Bone structure of withers, shoulders and neck are easily noticeable, and no fatty tissue an be felt.

Score 2: VERY THIN
Animal is emaciated, with a slight fat covering over the base of spinous processes. Transverse processes of lumbar vertebrae feel rounded. Spinous processes, ribs, tailhead, hio joints, and lower pelvic bones are prominent. Withers, shoulders, and neck structure are faintly discernible.

Score 3: THIN
Fat buildup about halfway on spinous processes. Transverse processes cannot be felt, but spinous processes and ribs are easily visible. There is a slight fat cover over the ribs. The tailhead is prominent, but individual vertebrae cannot be identified visually. Lower pelvic bones are not distinguishable. The withers, shoulders and neck are accentuated.

Score 4: MODERATE THIN
Slight ridge along the back, and a faint outline of the ribs is visible. Tailhead prominence depends on the horse's individual conformation, but fat can be felt around it. Hip joints are not visible, and the withers, shoulders and neck are not obviously thin.

Score 5: MODERATE
Back is flat and the ribs are not visually distinguishable, but can be felt easily. Fat around the tailhead feels spongy. Withers appear rounded over the spinous processes, and the shoulders and neck blend smoothly into the body.

Score 6: MODERATELY FLESHY
The horse may have a crease down the back. Spongy fat can be felt over the ribs, and fat over the tailhead is soft. Fat deposits are developing along side of the withers, behind the shoulders, and along the crest of the neck.

Score 7: FLESHY
The horse may have a crease down the back. Individual ribs can be felt, but there is noticeable filling between the ribs with fat. Fat around the tailhead is soft, and fat is deposited along the wthers, behind the shoulders and along the crest of the neck.

Score 8: FAT
The horse has a crease down the back. It is difficult to feel the ribs. Fat around the tailhead is very soft. Areas along the withers and behind the shoulders are filled with fat and there is noticeable thickening of the neck. Fat is deposited along the inner thighs.

Score 9: EXTREMELY FAT
There is obvious crease down the back. Patchy fat appears over the ribs. There are bulging fat deposits around the tailhead, along the withers, behind the shoulders and along the neck. Fat deposits along the inner thighs may rub together and the flank is filled with fat.

2012-09-01T12:48:00.000-04:00

Different Forage Types, Different Advantages

Forage, a horse's natural feed, should be chosen to meet as much of a horse's protein, energy and fiber needs as possible. Forage types can be combined to provide the best program for each individual horse. Be sure to provide between 15 and 30 pounds of forage to each horse daily.

Pasture
Good pasture is the ideal forage for many horses. Horses on pasture move around and eat small amounts of grass continuously, the way nature intended for proper functioning of the digestive tract. However, pasture is not always available and doesn't supply enough nutrients for some horses. Pasture can be used to meet some or all of each horse's forage needs.

Grass Hay
Good-quality grass hay is the single feed with the best balance of protein, energy, and fiber for horses. Choose grass hays that are bright green in color, free of dust and mold, and cut in early stages of development. Allow horses between 1.5 and 3% of body weight (about 15 to 30 pounds) of good-quality grass hay per day.

Legume Hay
Alfalfa and clover are examples of legumes. They contain more protein, energy, calcium and vitamin A than grasses. The inclusion of some legumes (20-50%) in rations for growing and working horses and broodmares takes advantage of these additional nutrients. Legume hays should be clean and bright colored and cut at early to mid-bloom stage.

Cubes/Pellets - FORAGE FIRST Alfalfa and Timothy/Alfalfa Hay Cubes or FORAGE FIRST Hay Replacer (pellets) are consistent, good-quality partial or complete forage sources for horses. The cubes provide a higher leaf-to-stem ratio, more concentrated nutrients, and less waste compared to most long-stemmed hays. Cubed products are ideal for traveling and can be soaked for senior horses with dental problems. Hay Replacer can be used to extend, supplement, or replace forages.

2012-08-09T14:13:00.001-04:00

FEEDING BROODMARES

Over an 11-month gestation period, the mare faces varying nutritional needs. Overfeeding or underfeeding during the course of the reproductive cycle can impact foal development and reproductive efficiency.

The objective of a feeding program for mares is to provide all required nutrients and keep the mare at a desired body condition. Mares should be moderately fleshy, but not fat, which means condition scores of 5-7.

Early Pregnancy

To feed the mare properly during pregnancy, it is important to understand how the fetus develops throughout the gestation period. Contrary to popular belief, the fetus does not grow at a constant rate throughout the entire eleven months of pregnancy.

As is plainly visible, the fetus is very small during the first five months of pregnancy. Even at seven months of pregnancy, the fetus equals only about 20 percent of its weight at birth. At this stage in pregnancy the fetus equals less than two percent of the mare’s weight and its nutrient requirements are miniscule compared with the mare’s own maintenance requirements.Therefore, the mare can be fed essentially the same as if she were not pregnant at all.

All too often the well-meaning mare owner greatly increases feed intake after the mare is pronounced
in foal, reasoning that she is now “eating for two.” This is not only unnecessary, but may lead to obesity and problems at foaling time. This is particularly true where pregnant mares have access to high quality pasture during early pregnancy.

Late Pregnancy

During the last three months, the growth of the fetus increases nutrient requirements by up to 20% whilst at the same time the capacity of the mare to eat large quantities diminishes. For mares foaling in May and June, the required increase in nutrient density can be underpinned by good grass; but mares foaling between 30-40 per cent of the daily ration. (pony mares may not need the extra energy and protein)

Lactation

During early lactation, the mare's metabolism will produce milk at any cost. Any reduction in feed energy intake below requirement means that she will lose condition, as she will generally take it off her own back in order to generate energy for milk production; a situation that can be harmful if not addressed quickly.

As with the late pregnant mare, the time of year dictates the feeding regime. Mares foaling between January and April, or those consuming hay or haylage diets, will require significant quantities of stud feeds (up to 60% of the daily ration) to provide the significantly increased requirements for milk production.

Mares foaling in May and June will benefit from the high quality of grass at this time, and will require less hard feed, with perhaps only a supplement for particularly good doers (easy keepers) to make good any shortfalls in the grass micro-nutrient levels.

Recommended supplements: