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Nutrition: Who decides what your horse eats?
NUTRITION
Who decides what your horse eats?
Have you ever wondered who really decides what your horse eats? Equine nutritionist HOLLY MILLS has some interesting insights.
We are all familiar with nutrition tables on the back of feed bags that tell us how much of that particular feed a horse needs in order to receive their required daily vitamins and minerals. But who is it that crunches the numbers and puts hard figures around these requirements? You will be comforted to know that the figures are not plucked from thin air, but are drawn from expert analysis and scientific research. The National Research Council of the National Academies (NRCNA) publishes its recommendations in its aptly named Nutrient Requirements of Horses. This is a US-based reference that horse feed companies and nutritionists worldwide are very familiar with.
The NRCNA examines the varying nutritional needs of horses as they develop, perform and age. They also offer guidance on common disorders that are influenced by nutrition, as well as environmental factors.
In the case of a complete feed (one with a balanced nutrient profile that satisfies the horse’s daily requirements), feed companies typically formulate a blend of ingredients that meet the nutrient needs set out by the NRCNA. But how does a feed company know what nutrients are in their feed? Reputable feed companies will use laboratory testing to scientifically assess a product’s nutrient profile. This data forms the basis for the nutrient table that should then be printed on the product’s packaging.
Basic dietary building blocks
Proteins Fats Carbohydrates Vitamins Minerals Water
As far as quantities go there is no magic, one-size-fits-all figure for these categories because horses are individuals with individual needs. Their physiology, age, breed, workload and health all affect how much of each nutrient they require to maintain optimum health. And of course, in each of these key categories (with the exception of water), there is a sub-set of different nutrients (vitamins being a good example) that each perform specific functions. The complexity of horse nutrition is precisely why the role of equine nutritionist exists!
Common diet missteps
If your feed room is starting to resemble a feed store, then it may be helpful to get an expert opinion on which products are really doing the heavy lifting in your horse’s nutrition. Sometimes the expectation is that a nutrition advisor will keep adding products to the diet, but often the reverse is true. Diets can be overly complicated, in which case our advice is to simplify the horse’s current diet and reduce the number of products blended into each meal - because nutritionally speaking, some products perform the same function (for example, a vitamin supplement added on top of a feed that already contains the required quantity of those vitamins). At best, the horse excretes excess vitamins without using them. At worst, some vitamins and minerals have an adverse interaction when fed in excess.
The diet that under-delivers
Another easy misstep is to feed a complete feed at less than the recommended rate (the rate that sets out the quantity needed to supply the horse with the correct amount of vitamins and minerals). So, if an owner halves the amount of daily feed, then the horse is being short-changed. We see this occurring in seasons where the horse has become over-conditioned and the natural inclination is to reduce the hard feed. Whilst it is essential to keep a horse from becoming over-conditioned, there are ways to achieve this goal without depleting the horse’s essential nutrients. Easy solutions to this problem include:
Topping up the reduced ration with a low-dose vitamin and mineral
concentrate; or
Gently transitioning to a different complete feed that is less conditioning and therefore seasonally more appropriate.
Additionally, most feed companies accommodate steps up and down through their various formulations, so that it is fairly simple to ‘feed the need’. Seeking expert help can help you to navigate seasonal fluctuations.
FACING PAGE: Exploring your horse’s nutritional requirements and feeding options is time well spent. ABOVE: A horse’s workload affects the quantity of each nutrient needed to maintain optimum health.
Consult an expert to ensure your brood mare is receiving adequate nutrients.
The latest and greatest?
New feeds and supplements enter the market all the time. But just because something is new does not mean it is necessarily more advanced than what’s already on offer, or that it’s better suited to your horse. There are plenty of feeds that have stood the test of time and are still worthy of consideration for inclusion in your horse’s diet.
If you see a new feed at the feed store, read the label to find out what its purpose is, and then compare the ingredients to those you are currently feeding. A wise move is to check with an equine nutritionist for their opinion on whether or not the new product measures up to your current feed, or offers any additional advantages.
The feeding guide
The feeding rate on feed bag labelling is an estimate to guide you towards the correct quantity based on your horse’s weight, workload, and, in the case of a feed for development and/or breeding, their stage of life.
There is only finite space on the labelling, which means there’s typically not enough room to drill down to the feeding rates that might be better suited for specific breeds or for health concerns. If you feel that your horse is not responding to a feed as expected, then an equine nutritionist may be able to help determine what is missing, specific to your horse’s individual needs.
Getting the best value
There are many factors that influence the feed owners choose for their horse and budget undoubtedly comes into play for many of us. But there is a smart approach to getting the best value from your feed bill.
A low-cost feed with a high feeding rate might end up to be more expensive overall when compared to a more concentrated blend with a lower feeding rate. It comes down to a cost per day comparison that is not too difficult to tackle with the help of a calculator. Happily, most mobile phones have an in-built calculator so you won’t run the risk of being mistaken for an accountant at the feed store!
There is also a more obvious question with low-cost feeds: why are they less expensive? Check the ingredients to see what may have been left out in order to produce a feed with a budget price tag. This is not necessarily a red flag, more a heads up that you might need to include a vitamin and mineral supplement to balance your horse’s ration.
As far as feeds go, there are standouts in the lower price range that might suit a variety of horses. This is when consulting with an expert can help pin down exactly what your horse needs specific to their age, environment, workload, and condition - not to mention any inclination towards fizzy behaviour! Your consultation might reveal benefits to scaling up to a better feed formulation, or it might give you the confidence and peace of mind that comes from knowing that what you are currently feeding is on target.
You won’t know if you don’t ask, and there are many free advice services available. Make a start today on your horse’s nutrition journey. It’s a fascinating area of their well-being that is well worth the time spent exploring.
Holly Mills (BAnimSc) is the equine nutritionist with Mitavite. Visit their website to find out more about their free nutrition consultation.
