Shipping Fever in Horses:  Horses that are trailered for long periods of time—more than three or four hours—are at increased risk for developing a respiratory infection commonly known as “shipping fever.” Owners who plan to transport horses can take steps before, during, and after the trip to minimize the chance of a horse developing this infection. It can easily derail training, competition, or breeding plans for several weeks.

Before the trip:

• Be sure the horse is in good health. Don’t ship horses that are already sick. Horses that have been subjected to unusual stress such as a difficult competition may have had challenges to their immune systems that can make them more susceptible to illness.
• Have the horse rested, hydrated, and well-nourished in the days before the trip so that he is in the best condition to resist disease.
• Know the horse’s normal temperature, pulse, and respiratory rate.
• While it might seem like a good idea to administer antibiotics to horses before travel, research has shown that giving bronchodilators or antibiotics does not prevent all cases of shipping fever.
• Be sure that horses are current on vaccinations against respiratory viruses such as influenza and equine herpes virus. Vaccines should be administered two to three weeks before the horse travels to maximize antibody response because the stress of travel may suppress the immune response if administered just before shipping.

During the trip:

• Provide ventilation in the trailer. Breathing warm, damp, dusty air for several hours can set up a perfect scenario for respiratory tract irritation.
• If you are going to provide your horse with a hay net, soak the hay before traveling to remove dust particles. Damp hay can mold quickly. You will need to provide fresh dampened hay at least once a day on multi-day trips.
• Every three or four hours on a long trip, stop for half an hour to let the horses rest. Many horses won’t drink or urinate while the trailer is moving, and rest stops allow them to relax a bit.
• If the horse is tied in the trailer, unsnap lead shanks or cross ties at rest stops so the horse can lower his head and stretch his neck. This natural head-down position allows fluids, bacteria, and dust particles to drain from the upper respiratory tract.
• On long trips, check pulse, respiration, and body temperature to detect possible illness as soon as possible. Pulse and respiration will probably be a bit faster than normal because of stress. If body temperature rises, this is a warning flag for infection.

After the trip:

• If possible, turn the horse out in a small paddock for an hour or longer after unloading. This allows him to relax, stretch, and graze before going into his stall.
• Monitor vital signs for several days and check the horse regularly for a fever, cough, or nasal discharge. Check with a veterinarian if any horse shows signs of illness after travel.

In conclusion, do you have a specific question about Shipping Fever in Horses? Contact J & J Hay Farms today at 770-887-0440!

Article Source: Kentucky Equine Research

Out of Work Horses: Management Strategies. How can you safely shift a horse from near-daily exercise to a life of leisure, even if temporary? Appropriate nutrition is a key consideration during this transition.

Moving from stall to pasture:

Has your horse been kept in the barn all or most of the time while actively training and showing? Make the switch to pasture gradually. Start with half an hour of grazing two or three times a day. Make sure to provide plenty of hay when the horse is in the stall. Increase pasture time in half-hour increments for several days. Next, add an hour or two to each grazing session until the horse is able to be out all the time.

The horse’s digestive system is complex. Any horse relocated abruptly from stall to full pasture is at high risk for colic or laminitis. At any time during the shift, if the hooves feel warm to the touch, or the horse shows signs of pain or reluctance to move, put the horse in the stall and contact your veterinarian immediately.

Some horses are so sensitive to the sugars in grass that they can never have unlimited access to pasture. These equines can still benefit from a few weeks or months of full or partial turnout if they are muzzled or placed in a drylot with an adequate supply of hay.

Feeding:

To stay in show condition and perform the work he has been asked to do, your horse has probably been given top-quality hay and one or more feedings of concentrate (pellets or sweet feed) daily. Without the demands of training, he will require the same basic nutrients but will need much less energy. Ideally, you can take a week or two to taper his schedule, slowly decreasing both his work and his grain ration.

Gradually switching to a balancer pellet or a vitamin and mineral supplement will supply essential nutrients without the calories found in a concentrated feed. Kentucky Equine Research has developed several vitamin and mineral supplements. Continue to give your horse whatever dietary supplements he is accustomed to, such as hoof and joint products, but check ingredients to avoid over supplementation when feeding more than one product.

You should still provide hay whenever the horse spends time in the stall. Something to munch on will alleviate boredom, keep gastric ulcers at bay, and prevent gorging on grass at the next turn-out. Free-choice access to water and salt is essential at all times.

Pasture safety:

Before turning your horse out the first time, take a quick tour of the fenceline and field to check for debris, holes, loose boards or wire, and insecure gate latches, and correct any problems before using the field. Bell boots and galloping boots can help guard against injury as the horse gets used to his freedom.

Depending on the season, fly spray will give a few hours of relief from insects; consider using mesh fly sheets, face masks, and leg covers for longer-lasting comfort. Changing seasons may eliminate insect problems, but horses with white faces may need sun protection year-round. Sunscreen or fly masks with muzzle extensions can prevent painful sunburn.

Hoof care:

Many people feel it is advantageous for horses to go barefoot if they are going to be inactive for several months. Will your horse benefit from having his shoes pulled? Consider these things as you make this decision.

• Horses that are newly barefoot will probably be somewhat tender for a week or so until the soles begin to toughen. If possible, turn out in a field with grass or dirt rather than a rocky area. Pasture the horse with amiable companions to avoid forcing him to run or kick to defend himself.
• Hoof shape will change without the support of a shoe. Probable changes include spreading of the heel, flaring in the quarters, and chipping at the toe and sides of the hoof. These changes are normal. Unless they are excessive, they’re nothing to worry about.
• Whether the horse is shod or barefoot, basic hoof care should not change when the horse is out of work. Hooves should be inspected and picked at least daily, and the schedule of farrier visits should be maintained. Toes tend to grow faster than quarters and heels. Going more than about six weeks between trimmings can change the angle of the pastern. This can lead to unnecessary strain on the tendons and ligaments in the lower leg.
• Horses that have therapeutic shoeing for navicular syndrome, laminitis, or other hoof problems may need to remain shod. Discuss with your farrier whether to leave the idle horse shod. In addition to remove only the rear shoes, or to pull all the shoes until the horse returns to work.
• Maintain horses on a high-quality hoof supplement, if necessary.

Other management:

Even though he is not working, your horse still needs daily attention. A light grooming gives you a chance to find and treat injuries or skin conditions. For example, dew poisoning or rain rot. Face masks and grazing muzzles should be removed at least once a day to check for rubbed areas. A regular schedule of deworming, vaccinations, and dental care should be followed just as though the horse were still in training.

In conclusion, do you have a specific question about Out of Work Horses: Management Strategies? Contact J & J Hay Farms today at 770-887-0440!

Article Source: Kentucky Equine Research

 

What Is the Effect of Restricted Hay Intake Before Exercise in Horses? The goal of this study was to compare ad libitum and restricted (1% of body weight for a three-day period) hay intake on metabolic responses of Thoroughbreds. They were subjected to high-intensity exercise.

Free-choice hay intake averaged 9 kg (20 lb). Three days of restricted hay intake (10 lb per day) resulted in a 2% decrease in body weight. It was compared with free-choice feeding. During a sprint exercise test, oxygen consumption was higher in horses fed restricted hay. Oxygen deficit and peak plasma lactate were higher during exercise in horses fed ad libitum hay.

The reduction in body weight associated with restricted hay feeding coincided with greater oxygen consumption during exercise. In addition, a corresponding decrease in anaerobic energy expenditure and accumulation of blood lactate. As lactate accumulation can contribute to fatigue during high-intensity exercise, short-term (3 to 4 days) restriction of hay intake may be beneficial for racehorses.

This report of KER’s 2001 research was published in Proceedings of the 17th Equine Nutrition and Physiology Society Symposium.

In conclusion, do you have a specific question about your horse’s health or What Is the Effect of Restricted Hay Intake Before Exercise in Horses?? Contact J & J Hay Farms today at 770-887-0440!

Article Source: Kentucky Equine Research

Analyzing Horse Hay: Low in Zinc and Copper? Whether it’s fresh grass in a meadow or high-quality baled hay, forage is one of the most natural and nutritious feedstuffs available for horses. The best forage contains many of the vitamins and minerals needed for health and vigor, but not all.

“Many horsemen take the time to have hay analyzed. This speaks volumes for their commitment to the nutrition of their horses. Occasionally, test results reveal that hay is low in zinc, copper, sodium, and possibly other minerals,” said Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Analysis:

“Depending on where the hay is grown, it might also be low in selenium. Because testing for selenium is expensive, some horsemen choose not to have hay analyzed for that macromineral. Similarly,  it is well known that vitamin content decreases significantly after hay is cut and stored. Therefore vitamin supplementation is warranted.”

It is tempting to buy separate mineral supplements—such as zinc and copper—to make up for the nutritional shortfalls in hay. However, employ caution. Too much of one or the other may throw off the balance between the two minerals. The solution lies in something much simpler: a balancer pellet or a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement.

“If horses absolutely cannot withstand the calories provided by a well-fortified feed—and many easy keepers cannot—a balancer pellet or vitamin and mineral supplement works wonders to provide essential nutrients,” said Whitehouse. “Nutrients are concentrated. So these feedstuffs have low feeding rates, about 1-2 lb. (0.45-1 kg) for balancer pellets and mere ounces for vitamin and mineral supplements.”

The chief difference between the two products involves protein content, said Whitehouse. “The balancer pellet contains enough protein to fortify certain classes of horses beyond maintenance. This includes low-level performance horses and some breeding animals,” she explained, “whereas the supplement contains only vitamins and minerals, and no protein.”

Finally, forage is low in sodium. Horses should have access to loose salt or a salt block and fresh, clean water at all times.

Steaming Hay One Component of Managing Equine Asthma: According to one recent study*, steaming hay, a common strategy for managing horses suffering severe equine asthma, may not help relieve the clinical signs of asthma in all horses.

“Strategies such as soaking or steaming hay, housing asthmatic horses outdoors, and other allergen-avoidance techniques, in addition to medications recommended by veterinarians, are important means of managing this condition,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a Kentucky Equine Research nutritionist.

Management:

Crandell uses the term “management,” as there is no cure for this progressive and potentially debilitating condition. The underlying mechanics of equine asthma remain unclear, as researchers are still unsure which pro-inflammatory cytokines contribute to the condition. Is it interleukin 1β, a classic fall guy for most bodily inflammation, or interleukin 5, the inflammatory mediator currently being examined to create an “asthma vaccine”? Are other cells or mediators involved?

Past studies suggest that soaking hay lowers dust and molds. However, vitamin and mineral content might be negatively affected. Steaming hay, on the other hand, preserves the protein and mineral content of the hay with the effective reduction of respirable particles.

To determine the effectiveness of steaming hay, French veterinary researchers Orard and colleagues recruited horses with and without severe equine asthma. Both groups were offered steamed and dry hay for 5 days, with a 26-day washout period between the trials. All horses underwent assessment for their asthma clinical score, tracheal mucus accumulation, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid analysis (a “lung wash”), and mRNA expression of various inflammatory mediators.

Effectiveness of Steaming Hay:

Feeding steamed hay significantly decreased the mold content, as expected, and mucus score significantly increased when feeding dry hay. However, the clinical score of equine asthma found no significant influence.

“Above all, this goes to show that no single method will alleviate clinical signs in all horses,” Crandell said. “Managing a horse with equine asthma often requires multiple adjustments, which can include steaming hay. Not all horses in this study showed improvements. However, many horse owners have successfully used this tactic to help their horses breathe easier.”

As a result, the researchers concluded, “Steaming significantly decreased mold content but inconsistently influenced the respiratory response of sEA [severe equine asthma] affected horses when fed hay. Based on lavage fluid analysis cytology and cytokine profiles, its relevance might be controversial as a non-medicinal therapy for sEA-affected horses.”

The authors of the recently revised Consensus Statement on Equine Asthma** advise that any method of decreasing environmental exposure to known allergens like mold and dust from hay may help. In addition, they also recommend using omega-3 fatty acids to facilitate the management of equine asthma.

“Kentucky Equine Research offers EO-3, which contains 9,450 mg of marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids per serving, including DHA and EPA. This product is top-dressed onto the feed to support horses with equine asthma,” Crandell said.

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Resources:

*Orard, M., E. Hue, A. Couroucé, et al. The influence of hay steaming on clinical signs and airway immune response in severe asthmatic horses. BMC Veterinary Research. In press.

**Couëtil, L.L., J.M. Cardwell, V. Gerber, et al. 2016. Inflammatory airway disease of horses—Revised  consensus statement. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 30(2):503-515.

 

How Much Hay To Feed Horses: Where To Begin. Horses thrive on diets rife with forages, whether it is a medley of pasture grasses, baled hay, or another forage product, such as hay cubes, hay pellets, or haylage. They are capable of processing huge quantities of forage to meet their nutritional demands, but where does a horse owner start in determining how much forage to feed?

An estimate can be made based on the horse’s age, body weight, and physiologic state. Here’s a quick reference table to illustrate expected forage consumption by horses.

Forage Consumption:

Class of horse	Amount of forage, percent of body weight	Forage, percent of diet
Maintenance	1.0-2.0	50-100
Pregnant mare	1.0-2.0	50-85
Lactating mare (early)	1.0-2.5	33-85
Lactating mare (late)	1.0-2.0	20-60
Weanling	0.5-1.8	30-65
Yearling	1.0-2.5	33-80
Performance horse	1.0-2.0	33-80

Using the information in the table, let’s work through an example: suppose you have a new mature gelding in your care. He’s going to be a walk-trot trail horse once or twice a week. The weigh-tape estimates his weight to be 1,150 lb (520 kg). Based on his future workload, he would be classified as a maintenance horse or a low-level performance horse.

“Using the table, we would estimate that this gelding should consume 1.0-2.0% of his body weight in good-quality forage per day, which would be about 11.5-23 lb (5.2-10.5 kg),” explained Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research.

If forage constitutes his entire diet (and he receives no other feedstuff, such as a concentrate), he should be at the upper end of that range, Whitehouse said.

While a forage-feeding program can begin with just this information, feeding horses is part science and part art. Fine-tuning the diet may be required, as multiple factors have a role in determining forage intake.

Forage Intake Factors:

• Forage quality. High-quality hays contain more calories and more nutrients, so more or less can be fed based on a horse’s nutritional needs;

• Forage selection for the individual horse. All horses deserve hay that is free of dust, mold, and other impurities, but not all horses require nutrient-dense hays; others need average hay. This is largely based on metabolism (easy vs. hard keepers); and

• Digestive-health concerns. Horses are meant to chew on forage for much of the day; not doing so can cause gastrointestinal problems, including gastric ulcers.

All-forage diets do not contain optimal levels of vitamins and minerals, so it is important to supplement with a suitable product.

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Resources:

Article by: Kentucky Equine Research

Electrolytes and Muscle Function: What’s the Connection? Electrolytes are necessary for normal muscle contraction and relaxation. “When electrolytes become depleted or imbalanced, fatigue and muscle cramps can result,” says Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research (KER).

Muscles contract with the help of an electrical charge. This contraction, in physiological terms, is called an action potential and is essential to create movement. Electrolytes are electrically-charged-minerals. They facilitate action potentials. Electrolytes can carry a positive (cation) or negative (anion) charge, and dissolve in body water to create a solution that can conduct electricity, although the solution itself is electrically neutral.

The Science:

Sodium is outside of cells. Similarly, potassium is inside of cells, along with calcium and magnesium. Major anions in the body include chloride, bicarbonate, and phosphates. The body tightly regulates the concentration of each electrolyte. Because electrolytes help conduct electrical charges, balance is a key component of proper muscle function.

A horse’s sweat is heavily concentrated with electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium). For this reason, heavily sweating horses lose substantial amounts of electrolytes during prolonged exercise. If losses are great enough, a disruption in the balance of electrical charge both inside and outside of a muscle cell can upset normal contraction and relaxation processes.

For example, excessive losses of calcium and magnesium can cause the main nerve to the diaphragm to fire in sync with the heart, a condition known as “thumps.” Thumps occurs in extremely dehydrated horses. In addition, significant loss of potassium can contribute to muscle cramps.

Feeding Strategies:

“Proper diet and supplementation are the best ways to help a horse stay in electrolyte balance and recover from strenuous exercise,” says Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., longtime nutritionist for KER. Studies have shown that horses that received an electrolyte supplement prior to endurance-type exercise drank more water, lost less weight, and maintained higher blood sodium and chloride concentrations compared to unsupplemented horses.*

Key feeding strategies include providing a horse with plenty of water alongside the regular diet. If exercise is to take place during hot, humid conditions, provide electrolytes and extra water the night before the event.

Top-dress on feed or mix elextrolytes into a paste (try water, applesauce, or yogurt). This will help the horse start off fully hydrated. In addition, give electrolytes at regular intervals. Electrolytes are water soluble. Feeding too much at once will simply result in excess being excreted.

Above all, remember to always provide a salt block and plenty of fresh, clean water. Hydrated horses in electrolyte balance are much better able to maintain exercise, control body temperature, and perform compared to dehydrated horses.

Australian horse owners should look for these research-proven products.

In conclusion, do you have questions about Electrolytes and Muscle Function? Contact us at J & J Hay Farms by clicking here!

Resources:

Article by: Kentucky Equine Research

*Düsterdieck, K.F., H.C. Schott, S.W. Eberhart, K.A. Woody, and M. Coenen. 1999. Electrolyte and glycerol supplementation improve water intake by horses performing a simulated 60 km endurance ride. Equine Veterinary Journal Suppl. 30:418-424.

Starch and Inflammation: Considerations for Old and Overweight Horses. Body-wide inflammation contributes to the development of acute and chronic diseases in horses such as laminitis or metabolic syndrome. High-starch meals appear to induce inflammatory responses in certain young, old, and overweight horses. However, at differing time points and severities.

Research:

Researchers at Sam Houston University recently explored the pro-inflammatory responses of middle-aged versus old horses. As well as lean versus overweight horses following meals rich in nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC).^* Steam-rolled barley fed horses at a rate to provide 1.2 grams of NSC per kilogram of body weight daily. In addition, they received grass hay, ration balancer, salt, and water.

Inflammation was evaluated at various time points in the study by measuring blood levels of the inflammatory mediator interleukin (IL)-1β.

When considering the effect of body condition in middle-aged horses, overconditioning—a body condition score between 6.5 and 8 on a 9-point scale—was associated with an immediate postprandial increase in IL-1β on day 1. In contrast, leaner horses with a body condition score of 4 or 5 did not have this increase in IL-1β until 14 days after being fed the high-starch diet. Further, older horses between 20 and 23 years of age also had increased IL-1β levels directly after consuming the high-starch diet.

“This study builds on previous work that assessed pro-inflammatory response to diet. Older and overweight horses have a more immediate and elevated inflammatory response, which could be linked to underlying conditions such as the inflammaging process,” explained Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.

Feeding Management:

Given the results of this study, the feeding management of older and overconditioned individuals should emphasize lower nonstructural carbohydrate intakes. This is according to the researchers.

Take care in how calories are provided to horses on low-starch diets. “High-fat diets could also result in similar immune responses depending on the fatty acid composition of the diet. Kentucky Equine Research continues to conduct research on how long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, such as those found in EO-3, can reduce the production of pro-inflammatory eicosanoids and cytokines, which are inflammatory mediators,” Whitehouse said.

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Resources:

Article by: Kentucky Equine Research

 ^*Suagee-Bedore, J., N. Shost, C. Miller, L. Grado, and J. Bechelli. 2021. Age and body condition influence the post-prandial interleukin-1β response to a high-starch meal in horses. Animals (Basel) 11(12):3362.

Hay for Horses: A Question of Quality. Ask horse owners to describe a perfect flake of hay, and the diversity of responses may astonish. The owner of a plus-size pony may mention a blend of local pasture grasses, sweet-smelling and pillowy to the touch; another might specify densely packed alfalfa, bright green and laden with leaves. A third owner may extol the nutritional virtues of early-maturing timothy, with its long blades and barely-there seed heads.

Given the assortment of responses, it is safe to say that different management situations call for different hay. Italian researchers recently described three case studies in which hay caused unexpected problems in horses.*

Wounding potential of plants:

Impurities in hay are problematic on many levels, according to Catherine Whitehouse, M.S., a nutritionist with Kentucky Equine Research. “Some hays are harvested when plants are too old and stalky or extremely weedy. When those weeds include toxic plants, hays transition from unworthy to wholly unacceptable, to be avoided at all costs.”

Somewhere in the middle lie those plants that are not poisonous but are nevertheless capable of injuring the horse. Particularly the soft tissues of the mouth and the esophagus.

In the first case study presented by the researchers, three horses with no pasture access began to refuse their forage, a low-quality meadow hay. The owners also noticed blood-tinged drool falling from the horses’ mouths. On physical inspection, the oral cavities of all three horses revealed painful, bloody lesions.

Examined Hay:

They examined the hay. It contained the seed heads of yellow foxtail (Setaria glauca) and barnyard grass (Echinochloa crusgalli). Samples of plant material removed from the gingiva of the horses matched these plants. With time and new forage, the horses recovered.

Yellow foxtail and barnyard grass both possess awns, stiff bristles that develop on the grain-sheaths of certain grasses. While awns may be soft and pliable when grasses are young, as plants mature, they become stiff and sharp, capable of piercing soft tissue and becoming wedged in the throat. Migrating awns may burrow and lodge deeply in tissue, leading to abscesses.

Examples of other injurious plants include cocklebur, stinging nettle, and thistles. “Many horses relish the taste of thistles. However, eradicate thistles from pastures whenever possible,” recommended Whitehouse.

“Purchasing hay from reputable growers who understand the needs of horse owners is the first step in protecting your horse from weeds and other unwanted vegetation,” Whitehouse explained. “The second step is visual inspection of the hay prior to feeding. Ultimately, it’s up to the owner to determine what he puts in front of his horse.”

Aggravation of irritated tissue:

Forage constitutes the basis for most equine diets. In the absence of pasture, hay often becomes the forage of choice. Occasionally, though, a health problem precludes the feeding of hay.

In the second case study, the researchers recount instances in which hay proved unsuitable for two horses, both of which had trouble swallowing, a condition called dysphagia: one horse was diagnosed with esophageal diverticulitis and another horse with selenium deficiency and related degeneration of the masseter muscle, the muscle responsible for closing the mouth.

Veterinarians assumed long-stem forage made swallowing more painful. They offered the horses hay pellets softened into a slurry. Appropriately, a balancer pellet to fulfill vitamin and mineral requirements was also offered to the horses. When choosing fortification, select a scientifically formulated balancer pellet or a research-proven vitamin and mineral supplement.

“Dysphagia often requires a short-term change in diet due to the irritating nature of some long-stem forages, especially mature, stemmy hays,” explained Whitehouse. “Alternative forage sources such as pellets are fitting substitutes. Make all changes in diet gradually whenever possible.”

Free fecal water syndrome:

Two horses were identified with signs suggestive of free fecal water syndrome. Veterinarians provided treatments to reduce signs, including probiotics and steroid therapy. None of the treatments worked, however. The diets of both horses included about 22 lb (10 kg) of meadow hay and 3 lb (1.4 kg) of high-starch concentrate daily.

For example, rework both diets. The amount of long-stem meadow hay was divided in half and provided by a different supplier with a notable uptick in quality. Replace the remaining half  with ground or pelleted meadow hay. The horses grazed more than they had. Up to 4 hours each day. Replace the high-starch concentrates with low-starch fibrous mixes. Increase the number of concentrate meals from three to four. With these diet changes, the horses showed improvement in free fecal water.

As a result, the researchers summarized that “feeding different kinds of forages leads to different patterns of microbial populations in the hindgut, and remodulating the diet may change these clusters of bacteria, positively affecting the predisposition of individual horses to free fecal water syndrome to digest the fiber, and improving their fecal characteristics.”

Gastrointestinal health revolves in part on the consistency of diet. Moderate the effect of dietary changes. The hindgut buffer maintains the pH of the cecum and colon. EquiShure is a  hindgut buffer. It supports gastrointestinal health.

In conclusion, do you have questions about Hay for Horses: A Question of Quality? Contact us at J & J Hay Farms by clicking here!

Resources:

Article by: Kentucky Equine Research

^*Cavallini, D., L. Panazzi, E. Valle, F. Raspa, D. Bergero, A. Formigoni, and I. Fusaro. 2022. When changing the hay makes a difference: A series of case reports. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science 113:103940.

Aged Horses: Digestion of Grain and Hay. In the mid-1980s, research on digestion in Quarter Horse and Thoroughbreds over the age of 20 revealed something. Senior horses had reduced apparent digestion of protein, phosphorus, and fiber relative to younger horses. Both groups were fed pelleted alfalfa (lucerne). In fact, the digestive profile for these aged horses was very similar to that reported for horses that had 90% of their large colons removed.

Trials:

Two subsequent digestion trials on aged horses still showed reductions in digestibility. However, the differences, especially in protein, were not as apparent. In the first trial, horses were fed hay plus a commercial sweet feed or one formulated specifically for aged horses. After an adaptation period, fecal analysis showed differences in apparent digestibility. The senior feed yielded better digestibility of protein and calcium. The difference could have been related to higher intake of these nutrients in the senior feed.

In the second trial, aged mares were fed hay and a commercial sweet feed. In addition, daily injections of equine somatotropin. For these horses, analysis showed that apparent digestion levels of protein, phosphorus, and calcium were within normal limits.

Comparing Results:

Comparing results of digestion trials that used different feeds, horses, and conditions is somewhat risky. Sarah Ralston, V.M.D., Ph.D., the investigator who performed all the trials, said. However, the trend toward increased digestibility from older to more recent research has several possible explanations.

One potentially significant difference between the studies was that some of the horses in earlier studies were in thin body condition and had poor dental condition. Horses in the more recent studies were in fair to good body condition with no major dental abnormalities.

Advances in deworming products might be another factor that has contributed to more efficient nutrient digestion. With fewer parasites and less scarring of the intestinal surface, more recent generations of horses could be expected to have better digestion of protein, phosphorus, and fiber.

This idea has been borne out by some current findings on digestion of nutrients by older horses. Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., equine nutritionist at Kentucky Equine Research, said, “Today’s older horses do not automatically require changes to their main diet if they are in good health and body condition. This is because no statistically significant differences in the apparent digestibility of energy, neutral detergent fiber, crude protein, fat, calcium, and phosphorus have been found as long as horses are otherwise healthy.”

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Resources:

Article by: Kentucky Equine Research