nutrition
no additional calories so ensure a balanced diet at times when recommended amounts of even a low energy feed would provide too many calories. They are fed in small quantities and may be given as the only concentrate feed alongside forage or added to reduced amounts of mixes or cubes to top up nutrient (not calorie) levels and maintain a balanced diet.
Matching feed to workload When looking at mixes and cubes, the idea is to match the levels of energy and nutrients they provide to your horse’s requirements. The table below gives a guide to the energy levels provided by feeds (expressed as Mega Joules per kilogramme (MJ/ kg) of Digestible Energy (DE) and to which workloads they are best suited. Levels of other nutrients contained by feeds are
Feed Digestible Energy MJ/kg Low Energy 8 - 10
Medium Energy
10 - 12 High Energy 12 +
also matched to the intended workload, with lower energy feeds supplying correspondingly lower amounts of vitamins and minerals than high energy feeds. Reputable feed manufacturers will also select ingredients for the quality of nutrients they supply and their availability to the horse; there is no point including high levels of a certain nutrient if it is of poor quality and the horse’s body is unable to absorb and utilise it efficiently.
Workload Typical Activities
Rest/Light Quiet hacking, light schooling 1 – 3 times per week
Daily hacking 1 -2 hours, Moderate Hard
schooling 30 – 60 mins, riding club competitions, show-jumping
Hard schooling/training, endurance, eventing, racing
Good-doers As workload increases therefore, the type and energy level of feed may need changing accordingly to deliver additional calories and nutrients in a manageable quantity. Different horses have different metabolisms though so, whilst a horse’s requirement for calories (energy) will depend both on workload and body condition, ‘good-doers’ generally
have lower requirements whatever the workload.
Their requirement for protein, vitamins and minerals however, remains directly related to workload so a good-doer in hard work will still need elevated nutritional support, just fewer calories than a ‘poorer-doer’. For these horses, a lower energy feed or reduced amount of a higher energy feed, may be best to suit calorie requirements but both would need topping up with a balancer to provide essential nutrients for a balanced diet.
Feeding recommendations Always divide the total concentrate ration into as many small meals as possible to avoid overloading the digestive system. Any changes should also be made gradually – reducing the existing feed and correspondingly increasing the new feed - and it’s entirely possible that, for some horses, a combination of feeds of different energy levels gives the best results. Either way, manufacturers’ recommended feeding levels should be adhered to, to ensure a horse is not missing out, whilst no obligation advice is available from trained nutritionists via feed company helplines for those who have any doubts.
For advice and guidance on matching your horse’s diet to his workload, contact Baileys Horse Feeds on 01371 850247 or visit
www.baileyshorsefeeds.co.uk
www.theequinesite.co.uk
Equine Page 9
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