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The five basic components of a horse's diet: - Water
- Energy
- Protein
- Minerals
- Vitamins
Water Water
is often overlooked as a dietary requirement but a deficiency in water
can cause serious health problems such as dehydration, alkalosis, colic
or even death. Did you know that a horse can lose basically all of its
body fat and half of it body protein and still survive, but a loss of
only 15% body water can be fatal? Make sure your horse has access to
clean fresh water all the time. As long as the horse has access to
fresh water, he will drink enough to meet his requirements. On average
a horse will drink up to 10-15 gallons per day but lactating mares or
performance horses can drink as much as 30 gallons within 24 hours. If
you find yourself filling buckets more than twice a day put a second or
third bucket in his stall. And remember reduced water intake leads to
reduced feed consumption so if he is not drinking, he is not eating
either. [Back to Top] Energy The
fuel needed for maintaining normal body functions and normal body
temperature is supplied by energy. A horse's requirements for energy
are greatest during lactation, growth and work. Carbohydrates and fiber
are the main sources of energy in horse feeds with fats being a
secondary source. Grains are the most common source of carbohydrates.
The energy status of a horse is fairly easy to evaluate by looking at
his overall body condition. A horse should be maintained at all times
in a moderate condition with the ribs covered but still able to be felt
and the top line relatively flat when viewed from the side. Thin horses
are more susceptible to disease and parasites and they will not perform
as well. Fat horses also exhibit decreased performance. One of the most
noticeable effects of excess weight on a horse is increased sweating.
The body is unable to get rid of any extra heat being produced because
the extra layer of fat provides increased insulation. Overweight horses
may also exhibit respiratory difficulties and joint problems in some
cases. The only way to correct obesity is to make sure the dietary
energy intake is less than the energy utilization. In other words your
horse should not be taking in more energy than he is burning off. The
best way to do this is to decrease feed intake gradually and increase
exercise. [Back to Top] Protein Proteins
are complex compounds made up of amino acids. These amino acids are
used by the body to build and maintain several tissues, but
mainly muscle tissue. The horse's age and stage of development,
weight, growth rate, and breed determine the amount of protein required
by a horse. Young growing horses should not be fed an excess of protein
(more than 2x the required amount is considered excess) as high protein
has been associated with certain developmental orthopedic disease.
Excess protein fed to performance horses is broken down and used as an
energy source. When protein is used as energy it is very inefficient
and produces extra body heat that can inhibit performance.
Grass hay and unfortified grains are often low in protein. Deficiencies
in protein can lead to reduced growth, weight loss, reduced performance
and endurance, rough or coarse hair coats and slow hoof growth.
To compensate for the low protein in certain feeds Front Runner 10% or
30% Supplement can be fed mixed with home grown grains to form a
balanced ration or alone as a low calorie concentrated source of
protein, vitamins and minerals. [Back to Top] Minerals A
horse's mineral requirements are very complex and often
misunderstood. In most cases it is not so much the amounts of
mineral that is important but the balance between them. In some cases,
an excess of one mineral can lead to a deficiency in the second.
Calcium is a good example of this. The total Calcium to
Phosphorus ratio should be greater than 1.5:1 and less than 4.0:1 grams
of Calcium/grams of Phosphorus.
[Back to Top] Vitamins Healthy
horses meet their vitamin requirements from their feed and
forage. Pasture is an excellent source of vitamins. For example
pasture provides carotene which is converted by the body to Vitamin A.
Younger horses, performance horses and horses under greater than normal
stress due to disease or the environment may require additional vitamin
supplementation. Front Runner offers several choices for vitamin and
mineral supplements. The Front Runner Horse Block is an alternative in
situations where pastures may be of diminished quality such as in the
fall and winter or during droughts. The block provides free choice
protein, vitamin, and mineral supplementation and is suitable for all
classes of horses. If your horse is on an all pasture or unfortified
grain diet, you should consider the block as a source of essential
vitamins and minerals. [Back to Top] |
