Hello, again. We've been talking about how the horses digestive system functions and the types of feed options you have available to you. Now we'll talk about deciding on the quantity and quality of feed sources based on the composition of the feeds stuffs, and the horses requirements. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to identify the macronutrients for your horse's needs for optimal performance and health, and you'll be able to make informed decisions about the quality of your horse's diet. Let's get started. The building blocks of a proper diet start with the macronutrients of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These are essential to maintaining life and good health. In addition to the macronutrients, there are also a number of micronutrients that are all required, but in smaller quantities. The micronutrients include vitamins and minerals. We'll discuss these later. But let's begin with the macronutrients. Protein is the predominant component of all the body's tissues. It is needed for structural components of the body such as bones, ligaments, hair, hoof, skin, and soft tissues such as organs and muscles. Protein is also needed for protective tissues to support immune function, hormones, enzymes, and the cardiovascular system. Low protein diets can lead to a general unhealthy appearance, poor appetite, dull hair coat, low stamina, and slow growth. Feeds high in protein include legume hay such as alfalfa grain mixes that are fortified with soybean meal. Feeding too much protein can result in high nitrogen or ammonia in the urine which will produce a notably strong and somewhat toxic odor. This can lead to respiratory problems. High protein diets can also add additional burden to kidney function. And geriatric horses, or horses with kidney insufficiency should be on diets lower in protein. Protein can be supplied through forage, grain, and supplement. You must always pay attention to the type of protein you are feeding. Proteins are made of varying amounts and types of amino acids. Some food sources are very low in certain amino acids. For example, most cereal grains are low in lysine, which is an important amino acid. Carbohydrates provide the primary source of energy in equine diets. When consumed, the body converts carbohydrates to energy and body heat. When excessive carbohydrates are consumed, they're stored as body fat. Carbohydrates come in two forms, non-structural carbohydrates or starch, which is broken down by enzymes and simple sugars, which are absorbed prior to reaching the cecum. These are likely to be found in the cereal grains, such as oats, corn and barley, especially if mixed with molasses, they are low fiber. The structural carbohydrates includes cellulose which is found in the plant cell wall. Structural carbohydrates are resistant to enzymes and must be fermented by the microbes in the cecum and colon to be used as energy. They're transformed to volatile fatty acids. Forages such as grass hays which are high in fiber are likely to contain these structural carbohydrates. A lack of carbohydrates in the diet can create a lack of energy, seen not only in the horses general stamina, but also in stunted growth, weight loss, and poor condition as the body lacks energy for basic metabolic processes. Fats are energy dense and are generally not thought of as a traditional addition to a horses diet in the same way they're added into production animal diets like cattle. Horses can digest fat efficiently and there is a place for fats in horse's diet, especially in performance horses with high energy needs. But because they did not evolve to eat fat, it is recommended that the percentage of fat remain relatively low in the horse's diet. As too much fat introduced too quickly can slow gut motility. Adding in a modest amount of fat may reduce the need for larger volumes of grain needed to maintain condition and stamina. Examples of fat include soybean and corn oil, rice, bran, and flaxseed. Ground is best because whole flaxseed tends to pass right through the horse and does not contribute significantly to absorption. Do not feed fat supplements intended for cows to horses because they might be indigestible or toxic to the horse. Benefits of feeding fats include added energy without excitability, improved energy efficiency, and adaptations to use fats to fuel exercise needs. Recent research of fat supplementation is showing some benefits in reducing inflammatory responses, support of the nervous system tissue, and improved immune function. These benefits occur primarily when the fat source is high in omega-3 versus omega-6 fatty acids. Many commercially prepared grain mixes are now including fats. So it is usually not necessary to supply additional fats to the horse's ration. Fat included in the grain is likely to be the most palatable, balanced, and will have the proper natural additives or antioxidants to stabilize the fat. Basic commercial grains will have approximately 4% fat. If the grain is higher than 4% in fat, it's likely intended to be fed to a horse that needs additional fat in its diet. Vitamins and minerals are often referred to as micronutrients because they are present in minute amounts, but they are essential to the animal's metabolism. Some of these compounds, such as selenium and calcium, can be checked with analysis of the horse's blood or hair, and it is a way to monitor appropriate supplementation. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can lead to stunted growth, overall poor health, poor performance, and specific physiologic disorders. Sometimes these disorders take a long time to appear and they maybe irreversible. One example of a key micronutrient is selenium, which is a mineral often deficient in soils, so forages maybe low that are grown in those soils. A horse deficient in selenium may have muscle cramps and weakness, increase susceptibility to infection, and problems with reproduction. Likewise, too much of a certain compound can cause severe illness, and compete with the normal process of other compound in the body. This is especially true of the fat-soluble compounds which can accumulate in the body, such as vitamin A and D. Another example is calcium and phosphorus, which must be maintained in a proper balance to avoid disturbances in the absorption of each other, and are necessary for normal bone health. If you're worried about salt blocks and loose mixes, some horses are not efficient lickers, so salt blocks don't work well. If your horse is on dry forage, he may need salt supplementation especially if he has exercised and sweats routinely. Salt should be provided in a modest, free choice form and should not be mix with grains or added to water. It is not advisable to force the horse to consume salt. Commercially produced equine salt mixes are available which may contain vitamins and minerals. You can expect the horse to consume about 1 to 3 ounces of salt mix per day. Be on the lookout for the board horse who might consume more than they should. Those horses will often present with diarrhea as the increase salt pulls water into their gut. Requirements differ from individual to individual and are influenced by the horse's body mass, age, workload, and metabolic efficiency. We'll provide some guidelines for a place to start, but your veterinarian can be very helpful in getting you and your horse on the right track. To begin estimating quantifies of a nutrient to feed your horse, you will need to know the approximate weight of the horse. Remember the lesson on using the weight tape? You'll need to know the horse's life stage and performance level and the analysis and weight of the feed stuff. The analysis of grain, meaning the percent protein, carbs, and fats, will be on the feed tag of the bag. Hay may come with an analysis or you may have to ask for it, or you can have samples of hay tested to find out the protein and mineral content. This information will help guide you as to whether you need to supplement the hay with grain or a vitamin mineral source. Here are some of the recommended quantities of nutrients needed for adult maintenance. For forage, also known as dry matter, the minimum requirement is 1.5% of body weight. The typical foraging take is about 1.8- 2% of body weight, and the maximum forage intake should be 3- 3.5% body weight. In a thousand pound horse, this equates to roughly 20 pounds of hay a day. The recommended forage intake amount increases with increased demands, especially in performance and pregnant horses, and could be as much as 5% of body weight. A minimum protein level of 8% in forage is adequate for average horse use. The percentage provided in forage will vary between harvesting methods and types of forage, with the legumes such as alfalfa being hire than grass such as timothy. Protein recommendations vary from 8-12% for average riding horse needs. For performance or pregnant horses, a high quality high protein forage such as alfalfa based hay with 12 to 20% protein should be considered as part of their hay ration. A horse's diet should based around the amount of forage consumed and overall appearance and energy levels. Concentrates or grains can be thought of as an addition to meet energy requirement of the horse that can not be met with forage alone. This maybe because of the horse's metabolism or low quality forage or perhaps a horse who cannot properly chew coarse hay. The following are guidelines for concentrates which will vary from individual horse to horse, with different breeds, temperaments, caloric output, and use. In short, every horse will have his or her own needs. It is vital to monitor the horse over time for weight, overall health, and energy levels and then adjust the grain ration up or down. Again, consulting with your veterinarian to determine whether or not grain is necessary in the diet, and if so, how much is a good idea. Red alert, any changes up or down to grain rations or changes to types of grain must be done gradually over a one to two week period to give the horse's digestive system a chance to adjust to the changes. If changes are not made gradually, the horse may suffer from a digestive upset, which could be serious or life threatening colic. Here are some general guidelines. For adult maintenance, the recommended range of grain to be fed is 0 to 1.5% of total body weight. Any addition to grain to the diet should be made gradually. For reproduction and performance, the recommended grain intake amounts can increase to up to .5 to 2% of body weight. The protein level required for adult maintenance is 8 to 12% for adults in average use. The fat level is usually around 2 to 4% in standard grain mixes. All of these grain mixes will also include a balance of basic vitamins and minerals. For reproduction and performance, a protein level of up to 18% may be needed. Additional fat sources may boost may boost the fat to 6-12%. Many grain mixes may include additional vitamins and minerals such as selenium. So let's put together a good diet for our average Mr. Ed, a light breed horse weighing 1000 pounds and being riden for pleasure. Ed might do well with a high quality grass or old hay with approximately 12% protein fed at about 16 pound overall divided into 3 meals a day. Depending upon the analysis of the grass hay, a commercial ration balancer could be fed at 1 to 2 pounds a day to meet the vitamin and mineral requirements of the horse based on the analysis. Add free choice water and a few hours of time on a grass pasture for fiber, sunshine, fresh air, grazing, free roaming, exercise, and socializing. Mr. Ed may not need supplements unless he's been specifically tested for a deficiency, or a nutrient has been identified as lacking in the forage. Mr. Ed's veterinarian may make recommendations for supplementation if there are changes in what Mr. Ed is asked to do. Now that Mr. Ed has been fed, watered, and turned out, we've reached the end of this module addressing hydration and basic equine nutrition. Be sure to check out the resource section to find more information. Next week, we'll address the standards of care that are the basis equine welfare worldwide. We'll look at the standards for stall size, bedding, footing choices, and we'll develop the safety plan for your stable. We look forward to seeing you next week.
