FEEDING FOR IMPROVED BEHAVIOUR
Calming Fats and Fibre
Fats and Fibre are recognised as excellent feed sources for horses, especially those prone to anxiety, hyper-reactivity or metabolic problems like tying-up or founder. They provide a 'cool' source of fuel, which helps promote good hormonal and metabolic balance. Highly digestible, they are a good alternative to starches and sugars from grain. Sources
Digestion
Fat is found mainly in oils, rice bran, coconut meal, linseed and sunflower seeds, and high-fat supplements like EquiJewel. Fibre is found in most feeds, including grains and grass, but good sources inc lude lucerne hay and beet pulp in particular. Up to 20% of the horse's ration can come from fats, and fibre in the form of forage shoud ideally make up at least 50% of the ration (or 1-3% of the horse's bodyweight daily). Low quality fibre reduces the digestibility of all feeds in the gut, so needs to be avoided where possible.
Fats have up to 2.5 times the digestible energy of carbs or protein. Energy from fat is released slowly, with no glucose spikes. As it is digested entirely in the small intestine, it does not generate any heat as waste energy. Fat-added feeds are usually low in soluble carbohydrates, which are implicated in hyper-reactive behaviour and anxiety. Fibre also has a low glycemic index, and releases energy slowly as it is digested in the hind gut. Fibre fermentation uses a lot of water, and promotes drinking, as well as bloodflow to the gut., keeping it active and healthy.
Metabolic Processes
Physiological Effects
Dietary fats are converted in the small intestine to body fat, or used immediately as energy sources for aerobic activity (pleasure riding and endurance). Fats cannot be converted to glycogen, the fuel used for more intensive anaerobic activity. Glycogen is, however, produced from the fermentation of fibre in the hindgut, which makes Volatile Fatty Acids that are transported to the liver and then either converted to glucose (liver glycogen) or converted to body fat. 'Super fibres' like beet pulp have similar energy balances to grains, but are more conducive to digestive and metabolic balance. Thus, both fats and fibre provide a lot of energy without 'fizz'.
Fat stored in the body is a source of leptin, a hormone that is released into the bloodstream which helps break the stress feedback cycle of the HPA (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland) axis, which is the source of hyper-reactive behaviour. Feeding high fat snacks triggers a wave of leptin in the system that inhibits CRH, a stress hormone, and so reduces anxiety. As such, a small fat-dense meal prior to training may assist with relaxation and confidence.
Indications
Dietary fat, when combined with lecithin, also helps reduce spontaneous activity in horses. It also helps the body make use of its existing fat stores as a cool source of energy for aerobic exercise. Omega 3 fatty acids also improve blood flow and help the body process lactate, reducing muscle pain and associated distress during anaerobic activity. High intake of fibre leads to abundant glycogen stores, the best anaerobic fuel source. So a diet of fat and fibre provides the right kind of fuel for most kinds of ridden activities.
Note: Any new feed should be introduced gradually into the diet.
Fat is a very good alternative to grains for horses prone to 'fizziness', or metabolic syndromes like tying-up and laminitis. Fibre is a requirement for every horse, and an increase in good quality sources will reduce the risk of digestive issues and discomfort.
Results Rebalancing a 'hot' horse's diet away from starches and sugars, and onto fats and fibres, witll help reduce hyperreactivity, anxiety and other metabolic problems. It will also reduce the risk of overheating during exercise, and distress caused by lactic acid or intestinal discomfort. Forage access can also reduce stress behaviour like cribbing and stall walking.
Contraindications Obese horses shoud avoid fat, and all energy dense feed. Obesity leads to insulin resistance, which has serious implications. Also, as energy from fat is much more digestible, care should be taken not to overfeed, as excess energy will actually cause more excitability!
Canola oil is the safest oil for feeding horses
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