Feeding Horses: What Every Vet Should Know Dr. Marty Adams, PAS Equine Nutritionist Southern States
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Feed the Individual The latest edition of Nutrient Requirements of Horses, published in 2007 recognized what horse owners and horse professionals have known for a long time, that some individual horses and particular breeds require more or less calories than they should if we just base their feeding program on body weight or exercise. NRC Requirements Calculator: http://nrc88.nas.edu/nrh
Estimation of Digestible Energy (DE) Requirements for Mature Horse (500 kg or 1100 lb) NRC, 1989-16.4 Mcal DE maintenance NRC, 2007-15.2 Mcal DE no work, minimum Horses and ponies in confinement or sedentary lifestyle, also draft breeds NRC, 2007-16.7 Mcal DE no work, average Horses with moderate voluntary activity 10% over NRC 2007 no work, minimum estimate NRC, 2007-18.2 Mcal DE no work, elevated Horses with nervous temperaments and high level of voluntary activity 10% over NRC 2007 no work, average estimate
Advantages of NRC 2007 Digestible Energy Requirements for Maintenance Allows consideration for differences in: Management Conditions (stalls versus paddocks) Temperament (easy keeper versus hard keeper) Age(young, increased activity versus old, decreased activity) Breed (draft and pony breeds with lower requirements versus light horse breeds with greater requirements) Sex(stallions, increased activity versus geldings and mares)
Digestible Energy Requirements (Megacalories/day) CLASS OF HORSE 400 kg 500 kg (880 lb) (1100 lb) 600 kg (1320 lb) Maintenance (no work, average) 13.3 16.7 20.0 Late Pregnancy (11 months) 8.6 21.4 30.0 Early Lactation (1 month) 25.4 31.7 38.1 Weanling (6 months) 12.4 15.5 18.6 Light Work 16.0 20.0 24.0 Moderate Work 18.7 23.3 28.0 Heavy Work 21.3 26.6 32.0 Intense Work 27.6 34.5 41.4
Digestible Energy of Horse Feeds Feed Mcal/kg Mcal/lb Forages 1.6 2.4 0.8 1.1 Cereal Grains 2.8 3.4 1.3 1.6 By-Products 2.5 3.0 1.1 1.5 Fat/Oils 9.1 4.1 Commercial Feeds 2.0 3.7 0.9 1.8 Values on DM basis
Weekly Work Examples for Light, Moderate, Heavy and Intense Exercise Categories Exercise Category Mean Heart Rate Description Types of Events Light 80 bpm 1-3 hours/wk Recreational and show riding Moderate 90 bpm 3-5 hours/wk School and show riding, polo, ranch work, training, breaking Heavy 110 bpm 4-5 hours/wk Ranch work, polo, show, race training Intense 110-150 bpm 1 hour/wk speed work or 6-12 hours/wk slow work Racing (all types) 3- day eventing
Dietary Crude Protein Requirements of Horses (1989) Nursing Foals: 16% Weanling: 13% Yearling: 11.3% Long Yearling: 10.1% Long Yearling (training): 10.8% Mature Horse (no work, avg.): 7.2% Mature Horse (intense work): 10.3% Stallion (breeding): 7.9% Pregnant Mare (1st 9, 8-9, 11 mos.): 8.9%, 9.0%, 9.5% Nursing Mare (1st 3, 2nd 3 mos.): 12%, 10%
Required and Actual Crude Protein and Lysine Intake 1 for Mature Horse (1100 lb BW) fed Grass Hay 2 and Legends Show & Pleasure 3 and Performance Horse Feeds 4 at Four Activity Levels Exercise Level Legends Show & Pleasure or Performance (lbs/day) Grass Hay (lbs/day) Crude Protein (grams required/grams actual) Lysine (grams required/grams actual) None 5.0 11.0 630 / 649 27 / 29 Light 6.0 13.5 699 / 780 30 / 35 Moderate 8.0 13.5 768 / 890 33 / 40 Heavy 10.0 13.5 862 / 990 37 / 44 1 Crude protein and lysine requirements from Nutrient Requirements of Horses, 6 th Revised Edition, 2007.. 2 Grass hay contains 8% crude protein, 0.35% lysine and 0.85 Mcal/lb Digestible Energy (as fed basis). 3 Legends Show & Pleasure Horse Feeds contains 11% crude protein, 0.5% lysine and 1.5 Mcal/lb Digestible Energy (as fed basis). 4 Legends Performance Textured Horse Feed contains 11% crude protein, 0.55% lysine and 1.6 Mcal/lb Digestible Energy (as fed basis).
Quality Estimates for Types of Hay for Horses 1 High Quality Average Quality Low Quality Legume Crude Protein (%) 18-23% 16-17% Below 15% Total Digestible Nutrients (%) 60-65% 56-66% Below 55% Digestible Energy (Kcal/lb) 1200-1000 1000-900 Below 900 Mixed Crude Protein (%) 15-18% 11-14% Below 10% Total Digestible Nutrients (%) 57-62% 55-57% Below 55% Digestible Energy (Kcal/lb) 1000-950 950-850 Below 850 Grass Crude Protein (%) 12-14% 9-11% Below 7% Total Digestible Nutrients (%) 57-60% 54-57% Below 50% Digestible Energy (Kcal/lb) 950-900 900-850 800 or less Estimated Daily Intake 2.0-2.5 1.5-2.0 1.0-1.5 (% of body weight) 1 Values are expressed on 100% dry matter basis.
Recommended Daily Grain and Forage Levels for Horses (% BW) Class Grain Forage Maintenance 0-0.5 1.0-2.0 Light Work 0.5-0.75 1.0-2.0 Moderate Work 0.75-1.0 1.0-2.0 Intense Work 1.0-1.25 1.0-1.75
Recommended Daily Grain and Forage Levels for Horses (% BW) Class Grain Forage Pregnant Mare 0.5-1.0 1.5-2.0 Lactation-Early 1.0-1.25 1.0-1.75 Lactation-Late 0.75-1.0 1.0-1.5 Nursing Foal 0.5-1.0 Free-Choice Weanling 1.0-1.5 1-1.5 Yearling 0.5-1.0 1.0-1.5
Meeting Daily Digestible Energy Requirements of 1100-lb Horse in Intense Work (34.5 Mcal/day) Low Quality Hay 0.8 Mcal/lb Hay fed at 1.5% of body weight 1100 x.015 = 16.5 lb 14 lb of Triple Crown Complete or Legends Performance Horse Feed (1.55 Mcal/lb) to meet DE reg. Feeding rate is 2.8% of body weight (limit is 2.5%) High Quality Hay 1.0 Mcal/lb Hay fed at 1.5% of body weight 1100 x.015 = 16.5 lb 12 lb of Triple Crown Complete or Legends Performance Horse Feed (1.55 Mcal/lb) to meet DE req. Feeding rate is 2.5% of body weight
Meeting Daily Digestible Energy Requirements of 1100-lb Horse at Maintenance no work, min. (15.5 Mcal/day) Low Quality Hay 0.8 Mcal/lb Hay fed at 1.5% of body weight 1100 x.015 = 16.5 lb 2 lb of Triple Crown Lite Horse Feed (1.15 mcal/lb) DE requirement met Feeding rate is 1.7% of body weight High Quality Hay 1.0 Mcal/lb Hay fed at 1.2% of body weight 1100 x.01 = 13.2 lb 2 lb of Triple Crown Lite Horse Feed (1.15 mcal/lb) DE requirement met Feeding rate is 1.4% of body weight
Maintenance Diet for Mature Mare 1 Type of Forage Legume or High Quality Grass Hay Average Quality Grass Hay 1 First 8 months of pregnancy. 2 EquiMin Horse Mineral Block. Concentrate (lb/day) 0 2 2-3 3 Forage (lb/day) 16-18 13-16 3 Triple Crown 12% (hay >8% protein) or 30% Supplement (hay <8% protein).
Daily Grain Amounts Needed for Broodmares Fed Hay Free-Choice 1100 lb BW 1100 lb BW 1300 lb BW 1300 lb BW Avg. Quality Hay High Quality Hay Avg. Quality Hay High Quality Hay Pregnant (first 8 mos.) 3 1 0 2 4 3 0 2 Pregnant (last 3 mos.) 7 4 5 3 8 4 5 3 Lactation (first 3 mos.) 14 4 12 4 16 4 14 4 Lactation (last 3 mos.) 9 4 6 3 10 4 6 3 1 If feeding 3 lbs or less daily use Triple Crown 12% or 30% Supplement. 2 EquiMin Horse Mineral Block. 3 Legends Grow & Perform or Triple Crown Growth. 4 Legends Mare & Foal or Triple Crown Growth.
Feeding Examples to Restrict Growth Rate Weanling - 371 lb (4 months old) - Mature Wt. 1100 lb 13.2 Mcal DE req. 4 lbs/day Legends Mare & Foal or Triple Crown Growth 5.5 lbs/day low quality grass hay 25% reduction in caloric intake No pasture or turnout Feed for 6 weeks or more until physitis is gone and gradually increase grain and hay for normal growth rate (1.8 lbs/day) Yearling 707 lb (12 months old) Mature Wt. 1100 lb 18.7 Mcal DE req. 5 lbs/day Legends Grow & Perform or Triple Crown Growth 9 lbs/day low quality grass hay 25% reduction in caloric intake No pasture or turnout Feed for 6 weeks or more until physitis is gone and gradually increase grain and hay for normal growth rate (1 lb/day)
Feed Regulation The feed industry involves: Milling Processing Mixing Formulating Collection and Processing of grains and bi-products Safety regulations Feed control is a state and not federal function. The guide for the feed industry is the official publication of the AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials).
Feed Regulation All commercially produced feeds must be registered at the state level. In most states this requires supplying a copy of each feed tag or label and paying a yearly fee. Most state feed laws allow ingredient substitutions so that reformulations can be made without having to register the same type of feed each time. These are called generic listings or collective terms, and there are lists of acceptable substitutes for certain ingredients.
What is Required on a Feed Tag? Product and Brand Name Purpose Statement Guaranteed Analysis List of Ingredients Feeding Directions Net Weight Name and Address of Manufacturer
Product Name and Type Information should adequately describe what species the feed is intended for Information should adequately describe the form of the product (pellets, textured, etc.)
Purpose Statement Describes more specifically what the feed is to be used for (general or specific) Maintenance Mare Foal Breeding
Guaranteed Analysis Required Guarantees Minimum Crude Protein% Minimum Crude Fat%, Maximum Crude Fiber% Calcium% (min. & max.) Phosphorus% (min.) Minimum Zinc, Copper & Selenium (ppm) Minimum Vitamin A (IU/lb) Optional Guarantees Additional nutrients beyond guaranteed analysis
Optional Guarantees Listing of optional nutrients usually implies: Manufacturer has confidence in quality control Formula is fixed or ingredients remain the same Product is made with higher standards or tighter specifications (controlled starch and sugar content, added vitamin or trace mineral content, feed allergy screens, etc.)
Feed Ingredients Collective terms Allows for ingredient substitution Least cost formulation can be done continually Specific ingredients and amounts unknown Specific ingredients Fixed-ingredient formulation listed ingredients and order or amount of ingredients remain the same (ingredients are not required to be listed in decreasing amounts) Non-fixed ingredient formula listed ingredients change and order or amount of ingredients may change
Collective Terms Used Forage Products Suncured alfalfa meal, ground grass Processed Grain By-Products Corn flour, wheat bran, aspirated grain fractions Animal Products Dried buttermilk, fish meal, dried whey, hydrolyzed hair, hydrolyzed leather meal
Collective Terms Used Grain Products Oats, corn, barley, wheat, rice, grain sorghum Roughage Products Soybean hulls, dried beet pulp, peanut hulls Plant Protein Products Soybean meal, peanut meal, cottonseed meal, canola meal, flaxseed meal
Crude Protein Test for crude protein measures nitrogen, not protein quality or digestibility Shoe leather and soybean meal could have equal crude protein values Look for high quality sources and amino acid guarantees (lysine, threonine) for growing horses
Crude Protein and Lysine Levels of Plant Protein Products Product Crude Protein Lysine Soybean Meal 48% 3.17% Canola Meal 36% 2.0% Peanut Meal 48% 1.77% Flaxseed Meal 34% 1.16% Cottonseed Meal 37% 1.91% Alfalfa Meal 22% 0.97%
Crude Fat Measures total lipids (fat and oils) in feed Sources could be animal or vegetable Vegetable fats are more digestible Fat level greater than 2.5% implies added fat (soy oil, corn oil) or use of high fat ingredients (rice bran, whole cooked soybeans)
Crude Fiber Underestimates actual fiber content As fiber content increases, feed energy content decreases Digestible fiber ingredients (soy hulls, beet pulp) have higher calorie content than indigestible fiber ingredients but lower than grains Indigestible fiber ingredients (called fillers, like peanut hulls) have lower calorie content than hay
Examples of Collective Feed Ingredients for Roughage Products Good Quality Sources: Dried Beet Pulp Soybean Hulls Dried Citrus Pulp Dried Apple Pectin Pulp Poor Quality Sources: Peanut Hulls Oat Hulls Ground Straw Cottonseed Hulls Rice Hulls
Digestible Energy Content of Feed Ingredients (kcal/lb) 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Peanut Hulls Grass Hay Alfalfa Hay Beet Pulp Soybean Hulls Oats Barley Corn Rice Bran Vegetable Oil
Example of Horse Feed Tag with Less than Required Guarantees and Collective Feed Terms in Ingredients List
Example of Horse Feed Tag with Less than Required Guarantees and Specific Feed Terms in Ingredients List
Example of Horse Feed Tag with More Than Required Guarantees and Specific Feed Terms in Ingredients List
Soluble Carbohydrates WSC v. ESC NSC (non-structural carbohydrates) = Starch + WSC WSC ESC = Fructans Sugars and starches digested in small intestine first cause glycemic response Fructan content highest in cool season grasses =founder/laminitis low in warm season grasses, legumes and grains Low fructans and ESC Calm and Cool
Soluble Carbohydrate Analysis Southern States has soluble carbohydrate values for its horse feeds analyzed by an independent laboratory Sugar and starch values for Select, Reliance, Legends and Triple Crown horse feeds are available Southern States has low starch feeds with fixed ingredient formulas for problem horses of Horse Feeds
Feeding the Problem Horse Insulin Resistance from Equine Cushing s Disease and Equine Metabolic Syndrome DOD in growing horses Tying Up Disease (Type 1 PSSM) Colic and laminitis Excitability All related to soluble carbohydrate level of diet
Cooperative Research Farms International animal nutrition research organization feed companies from US, Canada, France, Netherlands & Germany Southern States is an original member and has been active for over 50 years Equine nutrition research studies at major US universities
Both contain feeding guidelines for life stage and clinical disorders Both will be sent to you by e-mail pdf files Southern States Guide contains horse feed information Laminated travel copy of SS Guide will be sent later in the year to you
Let s s Work Together! Please contact us if you have questions about feeding recommendations and other horse feed related issues. www.equussource.com and www.southernstates.com