Basic equine nutrition

A sound nutritional program is important to ensure that horses are happy, healthy, and perform to their best. When teaching an audience about equine nutrition, it basic equine nutrition best to start with the digestive anatomy and physiology because it directly relates to what, how, and when a horse is fed.

Search for:. The FeedBank is a reference database providing nutrition information on components in the equine diet. Listing in the FeedBank does not imply endorsement by Mad Barn. Compare Feed. Regenerex is a joint and inflammation supplement from Basic Equine Nutrition.

Basic equine nutrition

A balanced diet is just as essential to your horse's health as it is to yours. No matter what your horse's age, these nutrients are essential for good health and strong bones and muscles. Adequate water intake is essential for the absorption of other nutrients, digestion, and temperature regulation. Although you may not be able to force a horse to drink, you can make drinking water more tempting by:. Offering fresh water daily rather than topping off buckets and troughs. Using bucket heaters or tank de-icers to prevent water from freezing. Increasing thirst with salt blocks or electrolyte supplements if your horse doesn't drink enough. Soaking forage in water to increase water intake if needed. Adult horses may drink 30 or more liters of water per day, although the amount varies depending on your horse's size and activity level. More water will be needed during periods of heavy exertion, when it's hot or if a mare is lactating. Protein keeps your horse's muscles and tissues healthy and its coat sleek and shiny.

Rice bran is a newer fat supplement on the market.

Kylee J. Duberstein, Ph. Johnson, Ph. How do you properly feed a horse? With so many feed, supplement and hay choices available, many people find themselves wondering exactly what their horse needs for good health and nutrition. Many horse-feeding opinions and myths make deciding what to feed even more difficult.

Nutrition is the foundation of a healthy, happy horse that performs to the best of its ability. The article is made up of ten different sections, or keys, each covering a separate but related topic within equine nutrition:. Ideally, this comes in the form of fresh grass. If grass is not available, free-choice grass hay is the next best choice. Keeping hay in front of horses at all times allows them to most closely mimic their natural grazing behavior.

Basic equine nutrition

However, enzymatic digestion of carbohydrates, protein, and fats is also of major importance. This occurs in the small intestine, which is the primary site of absorption of sugars, amino acids, long-chain fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Any of the nutrient sources that escape small intestinal digestion and absorption are passed on for microbial degradation in the large intestine, where byproducts of microbial fermentation, such as volatile fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins, are absorbed. Fermentation is altered by the type of substrates available as well as by body temperature and pH.

Bj drive in menu

This program also allows you to select certain forages and other feedstuffs under "Dietary Supply" — click on "New" to change feedstuff to determine how much of your horse's requirements are being met by a particular feed or combination of feeds you must input the weight of each feedstuff being consumed. There are currently a number of "safe" feeds marketed to the horse industry. For example, "safe" feeds often use ingredients such as beet pulp and soybean hulls, which have a high composition of digestible fiber, a low starch content and avoid use of ingredients such as corn, which is high in starch. Adequate water intake is essential for the absorption of other nutrients, digestion, and temperature regulation. Williams, Ph. Complete Forages. Duberstein, Ph. Carbohydrates will most likely be the largest part of the horse's diet. These feeds are manufactured with ingredients that are high in digestible fiber and low in sugars and starches. Vitamin D is obtained from sunlight, so only horses that are stalled for 24 hours a day need a supplement with vitamin D. Depending on the feed brand, fat quantity can range from 2 to 12 percent. Protein, which is necessary for body growth and maintenance, is a nutrient that is poorly understood by many horse owners. It is an omega-6 fatty acid because it has a final carbon double bond in the sixth position. Compare Feed.

Kylee J. Duberstein, Ph.

Mad Barn. It is calculated by subtracting plant pigments, esters, and aldehydes from crude fat. Methionine Methionine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that is important for making keratin - a protein in hooves and hair. It is calculated by subtracting plant pigments, esters, and aldehydes from crude fat. It is found in salt sodium chloride. Most horses receive a sufficient amount of key minerals, including magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and chloride, from forage and feed. Lysine Lysine is typically considered the first limiting amino acid in equine diets. It is involved in immune function, metabolism, and making collagen and elastin. Arginine Arginine is important for the immune system, reproductive health, circulation, and creatine production. A buildup of lactic acid and gas may lead to digestive upset in the horse, similar to colic.