Nutrition Focus: Back to Basics

Lorna Edgar – specialist equine nutritionist

Back to Basics

Rules to remember for feeding

The Basic Rules of Feeding apply from high goal down to Pony Club

After a busy summer and thinking of winding down for the winter months, either for horses to go out for a well earnt holiday or horses coming in for arena polo, I felt I wanted to recap some of the basics that many of us know, but too often in the everyday rush we fi nd ourselves forgetting and not adhering to the Basic Rules of Feeding.

Too often I see the level scoop of feed creeping up to the large rounded scoop, which would almost be 1½ scoops! Dirty feed and water buckets take time to scrub, I appreciate that, but being grubby will increase the risk of bacteria or put off the fussy eater from wanting to eat. Changing diets quickly as the polo season changes so quickly, but perhaps rather than an overnight change a gradual change will reduce the risks associated with rapid changes.

Aren’t the Basic Rules of Feeding for Pony Club tests? Yes, the basics are covered at Pony Club, but whether we are feeding to play in the high goal or for our children to play in the Jorrocks Pony Club Championships, the basics should still be implemented.

Why do we need to think about the basics of feeding? Because we are feeding horses that are expected to perform, and in doing so we must promote overall good health by enhancing and supporting the health of the digestive tract, thus enabling maximum performance whilst maintaining condition.

Some of the basic rules are the following:

1. Plenty of Forage As you well know, fi bre is something I am always going on about, the horse is designed to eat fi bre very effi ciently, hence evolving as a Trickle Feeder and eating up to 18 hours per day – not stabled and fed hay twice per day which is gone in an hour!

Fibre helps with: * Reducing the Risk of Colic * Reducing the Risk of Ulcers * Reducing the Risk of Boredom/ Stereotypical Behaviour • An adult horse can produce up to 30 litres of acid in their stomach a day • Feeding 1.5 percent of bodyweight of forage per day is the minimum forage intake – any less will compromise the digestive tract. For context, a 500kg horse requires 7.5kgs per day. • If forage is restricted to the minimum daily requirement, split it over several feeds per day – not two.

Forage, such as hay, should not be restricted, even when travelling

2. Feed Each Horse as an Individual

Every horse is different and should be fed according to their individual needs – not one feed for all! Factors to consider…. o Workload o Body Fat/Condition/Muscle o Temperament

o Quality of Forage o Clincal Issues – tying up, gastric ulcers, laminitis, EMS – theses horses cannot be fed the same as those on a mix and oats as their health and performance will be hindered not enhanced.

3. Feeding Little & Often

As mentioned above the horse is naturally a trickle feeder/grazer and their digestive tract is designed to work effectively doing so, they are not designed to be ‘meal eaters’ like us! Remember… o In relation to their size, horses have a small stomach – a rugby ball size for a 15hh horse o The stomach does not stretch, unlike ours! o The stomach works most effectively when ¾ full o Feed no more than 1½ round bowl Stubbs scoops per feed – including mix, cubes, chaff and beet o Feeding three or four times per day is ideal where you are trying to put condition on an individual o When the stomach is over filled, it does not stretch so the feed is pushed through the small intestine too quickly, reducing time for effective absorption of the feed and increasing the risk of concentrate feed reaching the hind gut – increasing the risk of colic and digestive upsets. o Overfeeding is also wasting your money! o Remember – less is more!

4. Make Changes Gradual

Changes to the diet need to be made gradually over 10 – 14 days, to allow the specialised microbes in the hind gut time to adapt to changes in the diet. Sudden changes in concentrate feed or forage (hay, haylage and grass) can cause disturbances of the hindgut bacteria/microbes leading to loose droppings and colic.

Rapid changes to the diet can also have an effect on temperament – a sudden increase in energy content of the ration or moving from an unbalanced ration to a balanced ration can increase energy, just from the horse receiving a balance of vitamins and minerals.

5. Cleanliness & Hygiene

The feed room should be a clean and dry area, allowing space for the feed to be stored and not get damp, but also not be in the direct sunlight. Use bins with secure lids and sweep the feed room frequently to avoid rodents – they carry diseases that can affect horses.

Buckets, scoops, measuring mugs and utensils used with the feed should all be kept clean. Too often I see dirty feed buckets – it is not hygienic, and won’t encourage a fussy horse to eat up! Keeping buckets and equipment clean will reduce the risk of cross contamination with any medications used.

6. Use High Quality Feeds

When feed appears dusty or mouldy DO NOT FEED IT! It could increase the risk of respiratory or gastro-intestinal problems, so you must avoid giving it to your horses. Check the ‘best before’ date on the back of the bag or the tag, ideally when it is delivered. Feeding out of date feed is not going to contain guaranteed nutrients as they begin to deplete over time, hence why manufacturers have a Best Before date.

7. Always Provide Clean Water

Water is the most important nutrient and is used by every cell in the body. Even at rest, a 500kg horse will drink around 25 litres of water each day, so thinking of when they are working and travelling this quantity will increase significantly.

A horse’s water intake can vary enormously, for example, a horse grazing lush pasture, which may contain up to 80 percent water, will generally drink less than a horse fed hay which contains just 15-20 percent water.

Ensuring your horses are always provided with water will reduce the risks of dehydration which can lead to an increased risk of tying up and colic and also poor performance.

Weigh Your Feed

Or, more importantly, know how much your scoop holds! Cubes and mixes weigh differently, and with mixes varying in type, from cereal dense to those containing alfalfa, they also weigh differently. So, swapping a horse from a cube to a mix needs to be thought through as more mix is likely to be required to ensure the weight being fed per day is the same and the volume has been taken into consideration!

Weighing your feed or knowing how much your scoop holds ensures your horses are receiving a balanced diet to support the work they are doing.

Buckets, scoops, measuring mugs and utensils used with the feed should all be kept clean

Contact Lorna Edgar of Baileys Horse Feeds on lorna@baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk

Photography courtesy of Baileys Horse Feeds Weighing your feed or knowing how much your scoop holds is important