6 minute read
Nutrition - including how, when and why is starch useful in the equine diet? Plus gastric ulcers explained
By Baileys Horse Feeds
WHO’S AFRAID OF
Advertisement
STARCH? It’s all in the cooking!
Starch gets a lot of negative publicity these days and, whilst some may be deserved, it is often the way it is fed which is at fault.
Horses are designed to function on fibre and, in their natural environment, where their basic aim is survival, it’s sufficient to keep them going. But having domesticated them and imposed on them the rigours of training and competition, we now find that fibre is not generally enough to provide the fuel they need to perform. We’d also find it hard to deal with the dramatic fluctuations in condition that feral horses and ponies go through in the wild, so alternative energy sources, such as cereals, have traditionally been the answer. That said, there are still plenty of horses and ponies, particularly those of native type, whose systems have adapted to deal with a sparse diet and as such now do almost too well on the modern pasture we now keep them. Starch is made up of chains of glucose molecules and is tightly packed in granules into cereal grains. It is there to provide food for the growing seedling, should the grain (seed) germinate and grow into a new plant rather than being fed to our horse. It provides a much more concentrated source of energy than fibre so the horse only has to eat a relatively small amount to gain the energy he needs. Much of its bad reputation has been gained though, through feeding excess quantities of grain. This can lead to over excitability, as the horse receives too much energy, or to digestive or metabolic disorders, such as stomach ulcers, colic, laminitis or tying up, as the horse’s digestive system struggles to cope with the starch levels. The important thing with starch is that it must be digested in the stomach and small intestine and should not be allowed to pass on to the hind gut. The horse’s stomach is relatively small and not very stretchy so this limits the size of the meals we can give – too large and some undigested starch could flow out and reach the hindgut where it can upset the microbial balance. Hindgut bacteria are sensitive to any change in their environment and do not survive exposure to starch. So, if undigested starch reaches areas of the horse’s gut that it shouldn’t, not only will it disrupt the bacterial populations, so reducing the efficiency of fibre digestion, but toxins produced by the bacteria as they die can lead to diseases, such as laminitis.
Humans find starch easier to digest if it has been cooked – we don’t eat raw potatoes and always cook pasta and rice before we eat them. As research into equine nutrition and feed technology has progressed, we’ve found that cooking vastly improves the digestibility of starch for horses too, helping more starch to be absorbed in the small intestine. The most efficient cooking method has been shown to be micronisation using infra-red energy. Firstly, the grain is soaked to increase the moisture content and swell the starch granules. The grain is then passed under the infra-red heat source and, as water vapour pressure in the grains rises, starch granules swell and fracture – a process known as ‘gelatinisation’. The grain is then rolled to stop the gelatinised starch from binding to the protein in the grain, which would render it indigestible. To achieve maximum gelatinisation of the starch, and thus maximum digestibility, the temperature and length of time for which the grain is exposed to the heat are crucial. An inclusion of well-cooked cereal grains, in a properly balanced mix or cube, can therefore be an ideal source of additional calories for many horses, as long as rations are divided into as many small meals per day, as possible, and the horse also consumes sufficient forage. Many modern feeds contain a blend of energy sources, including cereals, a range of fibre sources and oils, which reduces the reliance on cereals. Indeed, there are now several which contain no whole
cereal grains and can support the hardest work levels, while still being fed in manageable quantities.
www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
Suggested Product...
The ‘original’ fully balanced conditioning feed, Baileys Top Line Conditioning Cubes are still the ‘go to’ option for many as they do exactly as their name suggests. Based on meticulously micronised wheat, they are calorie dense and highly digestible so deliver conditioning calories to where they’re needed, without needing to be fed by the bucket-full. Their quality protein sources help build muscle and top line, while soya oil and elevated levels of vitamins and minerals put a shine on the coat. Boosted levels of antioxidants, including grapeseed extract, support recovery and immunity in the hard working or run-down equine alike, while a yeast culture and Digest Plus prebiotic support gut health and efficiency to complete the package.
SRP around £12.50/20kg. Founder of Remus Horse Sanctuary, Sue Burton, is appealing for support of a new appeal to buy a Bale of Hay, to help feed the many tethered horses in the South East of England.
Based on Ms Burton’s knowledge, the number of tethered horses in Essex alone is likely to exceed several hundred, with many thousands more across the South East. The charity believes there is no justification for tethering a horse, pony or donkey. Yet despite the Animal Welfare Act, many owners still choose to use this method to keep their animals. A tethered horse will quickly run out of grazing within the circumference of its restraint and
APPEAL: FEED A TETHERED HORSE
often have no water. The charity receives telephone calls and messages from members of the public 365 days of the year, reporting horses, ponies and donkeys that are in distress, tethered, malnourished, diseased and worse still, dead. “Our revenue, like so many other charities, has been severely affected by Covid-19. We still need help to recover the shortfall from 2020, let alone supply feed to these poor forgotten creatures. “Equines may be able to live out in all weathers, but this is based on the natural native pony who is loose and can walk to keep warm, walk to find shelter, and trickle feed throughout the day. All of these rights are denied to an animal that is tethered.”
www.remussanctuary.org
Suggested Products...
New V.I.P. Miracle Mare from Nettex is a non-magnesium supplement containing Wheatgerm Extract (WGE) which has been proven to help with challenging oestrus associated behaviour in mares in as little as 48-hours, thereby increasing owners enjoyment of their mares at this time. This key ingredient has prebiotic-like functionality which optimises gut flora balance helping the body’s own mechanisms regulate themselves, which in turn, supports mares that show signs of bad behaviour when in season. www.nettexequine.com
Nutrition plays a key role in horses at all times, especially when a mare is pregnant. Now you can give your horse a helping hand in a natural, entirely organic way with the use of Elite Equine 100% Organic Rosehip Supplement that contains only the finest hand-picked rosehip, dried at temperatures that preserve the powerful, natural antiinflammatory action that it is known for. The high levels of Vitamin C also encourage absorption of iron in the body making it even more valuable for pregnant mares. Elite Equine contains no additives or preservatives and each tub is personalised with your mare’s name, at no extra cost. www.eliteequineuk.com
