to make certain individuals much more susceptible to hindgut acidosis. Signs of hindgut acidosis are subtle but can be a cause for poor performance, sour attitude or intermittent mild colic. Tolerance to high amounts of starch can
be quite variable from one individual to the next because of how well their body digests the starch and how it handles the cycles of glucose and insulin once the starch is digested. Finding the level of starch and sugar that an individual can handle may require considerable trial and error. Switching to a low-starch feed has made a difference in the attitude and performance of many horses. Trying to avoid starch completely may not be ap- propriate for every horse, and high-level performance horses cannot get enough calories out of a fi ber-only diet to be able to maintain their weight or have suffi cient energy for athletic endeavors.
HOW LOW IS LOW-STARCH? At this time, feed manufacturers can put
“low-starch” on a bag without having to cor- relate it to a number or defi ne exactly what they mean. Because of liberal use of the ter- minology, legislation may be forthcoming that may assign actual numbers in order for a horse feed to be classifi ed as low starch. A low-starch feed does not contain a
high concentration of cereal grain. But if there is little grain in the feed, then some- thing else must be used to provide the calories. This is where fi ber and fat come in. This relationship can be useful when trying to decipher a feed tag: the lower the starch, the higher the fi ber and fat. Another number that is often mentioned as an in- dicator of starch and sugar is nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC). Finding the NSC value of the feed may require a call to the feed manufacturer. Approximate indicators of starch levels may be as follows: high, NSC >35%; relatively low, NSC = 35-20%; and low, NSC
WHAT HORSES BENEFIT FROM HIGH-FIBER/ LOW-STARCH DIETS?
Horses involved in various disciplines and of any breed may benefi t from a low-
20 June | July 2010 •
WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US
For more information about the best equine nutritional products, see:
Farnam, p.73 Horse Health USA, p.19 Life Data Labs, p. 20 Source, Inc., p.17,32 Select the Best, p.16 White Haven Farm, p.63,83
starch diet, depending on the individual. Horses that are easily excitable, fractious to handle, obese, insulin resistant or di- agnosed with muscle disorders or hindgut acidosis are all obvious candidates. Trying to get the horse back to a physiologi- cally rational diet is also reason enough to switch. Not only will the horse benefi t but also the rider and handler because many times a noticeable difference will be noted in performance and/or demeanor. Low-starch feeds may not be the right
fi t for all horses. The caveat with high-fi ber/ low-starch feeds is that some horses cannot hold their weight well and need the extra punch from starches. Other horses might hold their weight but lack energy when asked to perform. Further, the raw materi- als used in making commercial high-fi ber/ high-fat feeds are more expensive than common grains, so switching a horse to a high-fi ber/high-fat feed may be more costly. If low-starch, high-fi ber/high-fat feeds
are the right solution for the horse’s health, then the benefi ts on the health and well being of the animal outweigh any of the cost issues. These types of feeds are steadily taking a larger percentage of the horse feed market and are surely here to stay as a viable option for feeding horses.
Kathleen Crandell, PhD, received her MS in Equine Nutrition and Reproduction from Virginia Tech and is a nutritionist
for Kentucky Equine Research, one of the world’s leading equine research and consulting fi rms. An avid trail rider, Kathleen has competed in competitive trail riding and endurance since 1989.
FMI
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