Three Tummy-Tantalizing Feed Ingredients

by Kristen Janicki, MS, PAS and Nettie Liburt, PhD, PAS

In most mammals, including equines, the presence of food in the stomach signals the release of numerous acids and enzymes, including hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid reduces the pH of the stomach environment and helps to break down the feed consumed into individual nutrients, such as amino acids, starches, and minerals. Horses, unlike humans, secrete hydrochloric acid continuously even without food present. An empty stomach or extended period without food, usually greater than 4-6 hours, may increase the likelihood of the development of gastric ulcers and other tummy issues.

Mastication, or chewing, stimulates saliva production from the salivary glands in the mouth. Saliva is the key mechanism to begin the breakdown of food and lubrication to allow food to be swallowed. Equally important, saliva also plays an important role in buffering the acidic secretions in the stomach. The chemical make-up of the feed itself partnered with saliva and buffers like the bicarbonate that is released in the stomach help to protect the mucosal lining of the stomach from potential ulcer perpetrators, mainly hydrochloric acid. In fact, certain ingredients can serve a dual purpose by providing nutritive value as well as additional gastric buffering support. Let’s look at the ingredients added to feed to help support the gastric environment as well as provide necessary nutrients in the diet.

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Alfalfa Meal

Alfalfa meal is simply dried alfalfa that has been ground into a meal. Nutritionally, alfalfa meal is a great ingredient as a source of protein, calcium, and fiber. Alfalfa meal itself can help buffer the gastric environment simply by its nutritional makeup of higher protein, calcium, and magnesium content. A study performed by Nadeau and coworkers (2000) at the University of Tennessee used gastrically cannulated horses consuming a diet of alfalfa hay and grain or Bromegrass diet twice a day for 14 days. The researchers found that the horses eating the alfalfa diet had a lower number of ulcers and less gastric acidity versus those eating bromegrass hay (a warmseason grass forage), even though horses consuming alfalfa were also consuming grain and the horses on the bromegrass diet were not. Researchers concluded that alfalfa may have been protective by virtue of its higher calcium and protein content that acted as buffers of the gastric acid. Similar results were noted in horses consuming alfalfa versus Bermudagrass plus a pelleted concentrate, where lower ulcer scores were noted with (Lybbert et al., 2007).

Marine-Sourced Calcium

Calcite is sourced from marine algae and is a form of calcium carbonate. Yes, calcium carbonate is already a common source of calcium in feeds and a major ingredient in over-the-counter antacid supplements. But what makes calcite different from traditional calcium carbonate is in its structure. Calcite has a honeycomb-like structure which gives it greater surface area compared to calcium carbonite. With additional surface area comes increased acid-buffering, gastroprotective potential (Almeida et al., 2012). In addition, marinesourced calcium supplemented to horses has been shown to buffer gastric acid in non-exercising horses for a short period of time of about two hours (Jacobs et al., 2020). Additional research examined the effects of feeding calcite on fecal pH to horses on a diet of grass hay and a controlled starch concentrate. Results demonstrated that horses consuming the feed with calcite had higher fecal pH compared to horses not receiving calcite, suggesting a buffering effect of calcite on the hindgut as well (Liburt, et al., 2021). Vegetable Oils3 A recent study suggests that vegetable fats high in linoleic acid can help to reduce gastric acid output. In humans, dietary supplements containing arachidonic acid precursors (a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid), like linoleic acid, can help to reduce gastric acid output. Researchers fed ponies fitted with gastric cannulas a free choice hay diet supplemented with 45 milliliters of corn oil daily, one of the vegetable oils high in linoleic acid, and measured gastric contents. They found that when ponies consumed the corn oil, gastric acid output significantly decreased, and proposed that corn oil may be an easy and cost-effective way to help protect the gastric environment (Cargile et al., 2004).

Wrapping it up

Feed ingredients can serve a dual purpose of providing essential nutrients to your horse as well as gastric buffering support. Alfalfa meal, marine-sourced calcium carbonate and vegetable oils, have provided some evidence of buffering or reducing the acidic environment of the stomach. If you have questions, reach out to an equine nutritionist or equine veterinarian for help.

Kristen Janicki, MS, PAS is the Associate Digital Brand Manager for MARS Horsecare US/BUCKEYE™ Nutrition, responsible for technical nutrition support, digital and social media, and working collaboratively with the Senior Nutrition Manager in providing highquality nutritional content. Dr. Nettie Liburt is the Senior Equine Nutrition Manager responsible for formulating and developing new products, research and education of the sales team, our dealers, and our customers. Headquartered in Dalton, Ohio, BUCKEYE Nutrition has been manufacturing quality products since 1910. BUCKEYE Nutrition takes feed safety seriously, implementing many programs mandated in human food manufacturing facilities. With the backing of the WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute, a world-leading authority on pet care and widely renowned as an institution of the highest scientific caliber, our equine nutritionists provide scientifically based equine nutritional solutions which guide our formulations and our BUCKEYE Nutrition brand promise of being the highest quality, fixed formula feeds available. BUCKEYE Nutrition is a 100 percent equinefocused company, 100 percent medication-free facility, sourcing 100 percent traceable, pure ingredients for consistency. www.BuckeyeNutrition.com. 800/898-9467.