Nutrition for Maximum Performance
By Eleanor Blazer
Lesson Nine
NUTRITION FOR THE “SPECIAL NEEDS” HORSE
There are
diseases and illnesses where diet can play an important part in the health of
the horse. Each horse and situation is different,
so consult a veterinarian. Do not
attempt to diagnose or treat a problem without medical assistance.
Colic: Colic
is the second leading cause of death in horses, after old age. It is the term used for any pain in the
gastrointestinal tract of the horse.
People responsible for the care of horses must be able to recognize the
signs of colic.
These signs may be:
·
Refusal to eat grain or hay
·
Change in attitude
·
Restlessness
·
Pulse, respiration rate, or
temperature may be slightly elevated
·
Glancing back at the sides of
the barrel
·
Kicking at the stomach
·
Pawing or foot stomping
·
Yawning
·
Standing in a stretched
position
·
Tail switching
·
Stumbling
·
Groaning or sighing
·
Repeated laying down
·
Stretching of the legs while
laying
·
Attempting to roll
It is very important to know how a horse acts when he is normal. Early detection of colic increases the
chances of recovery. Call veterinarian
immediately if colic is suspected.
Feed is one of the most common causes of colic. The design of the equine digestive system
makes it sensitive to poor dietary management. Impaction and obstruction in the
intestinal tract can be caused by several situations.
Water helps dissolve nutrients and move feed through the digestive
tract. Without water the feed becomes
dry and creates a blockage, resulting in colic.
Horses must have access to fresh clean drinkable water.
Poor quality hay can cause colic.
The inability to pass the coarse material through the system can create
a blockage. Add this to having
insufficient water available and impaction colic will be the immediate result.
Grain, concentrates, and hay must be clean and not moldy. Foreign material and mold is detrimental to
the digestive health of the horse.
The foreign material can provide the start of an intestinal stone called
an enterolith. Minerals are deposited
around the object and the stone can become large enough to create a
blockage. Small stones can pass out of
the system via the feces. Larger ones,
which create a blockage, need to be removed surgically.
Mold introduces toxins to the sensitive equine digestive system. The presence of these toxins disrupts the
balance of bacteria in the large intestine resulting in colic. Never feed hay or grain that is of
questionable quality.
Some types of mold cannot be detected visually or by smell. Purchasing feed from a reputable supplier is
the best method. Large feed companies
test each delivery of grain before accepting it into their system.
Management of feed times and quantities are important to the prevention
of colic. Small frequent meals spaced
regularly throughout the day are better than two large meals.
Overloading the equine digestive system with soluble carbohydrates is a
common cause of colic and laminitis.
Never feed an average sized horse more than 5 pounds of concentrate at
one feeding. Make adjustments according
to the size of the horse or pony.
Horses are creatures of habit.
Having a regular schedule and keeping to it will alleviate stress.
Never feed more grain than hay.
The ratio of grain to hay should never exceed 50% grain to 50% hay. The smaller the amount of grain fed the
safer the feeding program is for the horse.
Chose a formula that will allow a small amount of
concentrate to be fed while still meeting the nutritional requirements of the
horse.
Make sure a de-worming program is in place. Intestinal parasites are a common cause of colic. Consult a veterinarian when de-worming a horse with a heavy load of worms. Killing a large amount of worms and having them pass through the digestive system can cause a blockage.
Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (Cushing’s Syndrome), Insulin Resistance and Equine Metabolic Syndrome:
Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), commonly known as Cushing's syndrome, is a hormone related problem. In horses it is caused primarily by the dysfunction of the intermediate lobe (pars intermedia) of the pituitary gland, as opposed to humans where it is usually caused by a tumor on the anterior lobe.
What causes the
dysfunction of the gland is not clear.
Some horses that have been treated with synthetic corticosteroids may
develop PPID. There have been some cases
of adrenal gland cancer in Cushing’s horses.
But in most cases the cause cannot be pinpointed – other than old age.
The pituitary
gland secretes hormones, which regulate other hormone producing glands
throughout the body.
Symptoms of PPID
can be one or more of the following:
·
Heavy,
coarse, wavy coat, which does not shed in the spring
·
A
pot-bellied and sway-backed appearance
·
Increased
appetite, but no weight gain
·
Excessive
thirst
·
Excessive
urination
·
Loss
of muscle tone
·
Chronic
laminitis
·
Sensitivity
to soluble carbohydrates leading to insulin imbalances
·
Slow
to heal from wounds or infections, due to a compromised immune system.
If one or more
of these symptoms are presented, a veterinarian should be consulted. Several tests may need to be performed. Once the disease has been diagnosed, drugs
are available to help keep the horse productive and comfortable. There is no cure for PPID.
As with all
health problems a good nutritional program is essential. A well-balanced diet that provides all the
essential vitamins and minerals is important.
Good quality protein will aid the in the repair and maintenance of
muscle.
It is highly
recommended the diet be low in soluble carbohydrates (sugar and starch). Sweet feed, treats, and hay that has high
sugar content should be avoided. Grazing
on pasture must be limited or monitored.
Spring grass, grass in the fall after heavy rain or morning grass after
a hard overnight freeze may have high sugar content. Some weeds and dormant grass may also have
high levels of soluble carbohydrates. Visit
www.safergrass.org for more
information.
Each horse with
PPID must be treated as an individual. A
nutritional program needs to be designed based on blood test results, the
symptoms being presented, the severity of the symptoms, and age.
Some horses with
Cushing's syndrome may be insulin resistant.
Insulin
resistant horses or equine metabolic syndrome can be compared to
humans with diabetes. These horses do
not process the sugar in the normal manner.
Just like their diabetic human counterparts insulin resistant horses
have trouble maintaining a normal insulin level in the body.
Horses that are
insulin resistant usually are obese, have heavy cresty
necks and fat deposits over their body.
They also have a history of laminitis or will have one soon.
These horses
need to avoid non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) or soluble carbohydrates. This means no mixtures containing grain, lush
green pasture must be limited, no treats and hay should be low in NSC.
Horses should not
be allowed to become overweight. This is
extremely important when dealing with a horse that is insulin resistant. A body condition of four or five is
desirable.
EPM: Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis
is a neurologic disease. It is caused by
a single-cell protozoan parasite, which affects the central nervous system.
Symptoms can be
seizures, decrease of muscle tone, depressed attitude, poor muscle
coordination, loss of weight, and paralysis.
The symptoms may be subtle to severe.
Horses contract
the parasite when they ingest the organism, Sarcocystis
neurona, which causes the disease. Opossum, raccoon, and skunks can have the
organism in their feces. Horses acquire
the disease if they eat forage, grain, or water contaminated with the feces.
Management can
play a role in the prevention of the disease.
Keep the feed clean and stored in a place inaccessible to animals
possibly carrying the organism. Keep
water containers clean and do not allow horses to drink from ponds or other
water sources, which may be contaminated with feces.
It is possible
pellets and extruded forms of concentrates are safer to feed than those
containing grains in their natural form.
It is believed the heat during processing will kill any Sarcocystis neurona organism
present in the raw grain.
Many horses
carry the antibodies to EPM in their system.
They have been exposed to the organism, but were able to fight the
infestation. For a horse to have a
healthy immune system and allow him to fight disease he must have adequate
nutrition. Proper nutrition is not a
guarantee the horse won’t become sick, but it will give him a better chance at
fighting the disease or recovering.
Heaves: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or
Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) is a narrowing of the small airways in the
lungs. The specific cause is unknown, but
exposure to dust and mold can lead to the disease. Horses with continuous turnout rarely get
heaves.
An early sign of
the disease is coughing during exercise.
As the disease progresses the openings in the airway become narrower
resulting in difficult breathing. Severe
cases have difficulty inhaling and exhaling.
A “heave line” develops as the muscles along the abdominal wall become
large due to continuous contraction in the last stage of exhalation.
Studies have
shown getting the horse out of the stall and into a pasture lessens the
symptoms better and faster than any drug, including steroids. Horses in cold climate, with a body condition
of 5 or higher, access to a windbreak, plenty of good quality hay, unfrozen
clean water, free choice salt, will be healthier than a horse shut in an
airtight barn.
Here are
suggestions that may help prevent COPD or make horses with heaves more
comfortable:
·
Get
the horse out of the barn
·
Hay
must be dust and mold free
·
Do
not feed hay in a mounted rack overhead.
Lowering the head to eat will promote drainage of the nasal passage way.
·
Avoid
feeding dusty concentrates or grain.
HYPP:
Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis is an
inherited muscle disease.
The symptoms of
an attack are muscle tremors and weakness.
These attacks can be mistaken for tying-up, except the muscles are not
rock hard and the urine will not be dark in color. During a mild attack the horse does not
appear to be in pain and seems to be aware of his surroundings. After a HYPP attack the horse usually
appears normal with no sign of muscle soreness or stiff gait.
Horses
experiencing severe attacks can have trouble breathing and swallowing due to
the paralysis of the muscles in the larynx and pharynx. Severe attacks can lead to death because of
cardiac arrest and/or respiratory failure.
Research has
shown horses with HYPP have a mutant gene.
This gene allows an abnormal protein to be produced. The abnormal protein affects the movement of
ions in and out of muscle cells. It
allows too much sodium into the cell and allows too much potassium out of the
cell.
The excessive
amount of potassium surrounding the muscle causes tremors and weakness. Because the heart is muscle it is affected
and an irregular heart beat can develop.
Horses with HYPP
leak potassium from the muscles constantly.
Some horses may never experience an attack. Homozygous horses (two HYPP genes) can have
more frequent and severe attacks than heterozygous horses (one HYPP gene, one
normal gene).
An HYPP attack
can be triggered by outside influences.
Stress, heavy exercise, no exercise, and diet are a few triggers.
Controlling
potassium levels in the diet can assist in the management of these horses. Researchers have determined a diet with the
potassium level kept at a consistent level of 1% or less for the total ration
is desirable.
The first step
in managing a horse with a history of HYPP attacks is to have the hay analyzed. Hay cut early (when it is the most
nutritious) contains the highest level of potassium. So, this is one situation where feeding
mature late cutting forage is a benefit.
Do not assume
grass hay will contain less potassium than alfalfa. It is possible mature stemmy
coarse alfalfa hay will have less potassium than a nice soft early harvested
grass hay. The forage must be tested to
be positive about the potassium level.
Refer to the hay
test in Lesson Two.
Oats and beet
pulp have the lowest amounts of potassium.
Oats are about .42%. Beet pulp is
about .21%. Both are excellent feeds for
horses. They provide a safe source of
energy (calories), but are low in vitamins and minerals. A balanced vitamin and mineral supplement should
be offered to balance the ration. No
other grain needs to be fed.
Let's look at
possible diet for an 1,100-pound HYPP horse using the
forage sample:
17
pounds of our Bermuda grass hay at two (2) percent potassium per pound equals
34. (17 times 2)
5
pounds of beet pulp at 0.21 percent equals 1.05. (5 times 0.21)
5
pounds of oats at 0.42 percent potassium equals 2.10. (5 times 0.42)
We
have a total of 27 pounds of feed and 37.15 units (34 + 1.05 + 2.10) of
potassium.
37.15
divided by 27 pounds of feed equals 1.38% of the diet.
Our hay should
not be fed to a HYPP horse.
Different hay must be located.
Even if we decrease the amount of hay we cannot get the potassium low
enough to be safe. By the time we
decreased the amount of hay to a safe level our horse would not be getting
enough forage to be healthy.
When feeding
beet pulp make sure the product does not contain
molasses. Molasses is very high in
potassium.
Avoid all sweet
feeds. If the potassium level is not
stated on the feed tag contact the manufacturer.
For additional
calories fat can be added to the diet.
If using a commercial fat supplement check the tag for any possible
added potassium.
Horses carrying
the HYPP positive gene must not become dehydrated. Water is needed to flush the excess potassium
out of the system. Dehydration can
trigger an attack. Make sure the horse
has access to plenty of water and plain white salt.
Avoid all
commercial forms of electrolytes. These
products are high in potassium chloride.
It is not
desirable to delete all the potassium in the diet of these horses – just the
excess. Below normal potassium levels
can cause cramps, muscle weakness, and heart problems…the same symptoms as an
HYPP attack.
During a mild
HYPP attack feeding oats, corn, or barley (carbohydrates) or light Karo syrup can produce glucose in the system. Glucose stimulates the production of insulin,
which promotes the uptake of potassium by the cells. Do not offer any feed or the syrup if the
horse cannot swallow or breath normally.
Laminitis: Laminitis is the condition that occurs when the
connective tissue between the hoof wall and coffin bone becomes inflamed and
begins to die. One cause of laminitis is
when an excessive amount of soluble carbohydrates (starch and simple sugars) in
the cecum creates an imbalance of beneficial bacteria. The fermentation of the starch produces
lactic acid. The acidic environment
kills large numbers of bacteria and the poisonous endotoxins are released into
the bloodstream. Blood flow to the hoof
is restricted and the connective tissue (the laminae) between the hoof wall and
coffin bone begins to die.
Founder is a
term used sometimes interchangeably with the word laminitis. But, founder is when the coffin bone/pedal
bone becomes so detached from the hoof wall it rotates and sinks down towards
the sole of the hoof. In severe cases
the coffin bone may push through the sole.
The best forage
for horses is good quality pasture. But,
in the spring or fall after heavy rains, the forage can have a high content of
soluble carbohydrates. Horses need to be
restricted on the amount of time spent grazing during this time. It is possible some “easy-keepers” and horses
that have had laminitis in the past, due to excessive amounts of soluble
carbohydrates, should not have access to any of this rich lush grass.
When allowing a
horse to graze on rich pasture it is a good idea to fill him up with hay before
allowing him on the pasture. Also, the
time of day has an impact on the amount of carbohydrates in the grass. Late in the morning until early evening the starch
and sugars content is at the highest level.
It is a good idea to keep horses off the pasture during this time.
Monitor the time
allowed spent on grazing. A sample
schedule could be: 15 minutes a day for 3 days, then every 3 days increase the
amount of time by 10 minutes. Depending
on the individual the maximum amount of time allowed to graze will vary. Again – some horses may not be able to graze
on lush grass without triggering a laminitis attack.
Over-consumption
of concentrates rich in soluble carbohydrates is another cause of
laminitis. Sudden access to the grain
storage area and unrestricted consumption of the feed can trigger an
attack. Another trigger is purposely
feeding high amounts of concentrates with the goal of providing more energy,
weight gain, or enhanced performance.
To avoid the
possibilities of feed caused laminitis the following is advised:
·
Prevent
horses from becoming overweight – monitor the body condition score
·
Secure
the feed storage area.
·
Do
not overfeed grain high in soluble carbohydrates
·
Offer
small frequent meals
·
Feed
plenty of good quality hay
·
Restrict
pasture time when the grass is rich and lush, particularly in the spring and
fall after heavy rains.
Tying-up: Tying-up is the term used to describe the pain,
cramping, and stiffness of the rear quarters.
Research continues to unravel the causes of this affliction. It has been determined there is no single
cause.
Two basic forms
have been recognized: Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy and Recurrent Exertional
Rhabdomyolysis.
Polysaccharide
Storage Myopathy (PSSM) is a syndrome that apparently occurs when excess sugar
and polysaccharide is present in the muscle.
(Polysaccharide is a form of carbohydrate where the sugar molecules are
linked together chemically.)
PSSM usually
occurs in a horse after a period of rest is followed by intense exercise. This is why it is sometimes known as Monday
Morning Disease. Draft horses given the
weekend off may show symptoms when put back to work.
A change in diet
can assist in the prevention of PSSM. Decreasing the amount of soluble carbohydrates (starch and sugar)
in the diet in very important.
Avoid feeding grain, sweet feed, and commercial
formulas that base the energy source on these ingredients.
Feed insoluble
carbohydrates – plenty of good quality grass hay. Offer a feed designed to compliment the
forage with the energy source based on added fat, not grain. Adequate and good quality protein is
important for muscle repair and maintenance.
Recurrent
Exertional Rhabdomyolysis (RER) has the same external symptoms as PSSM. The cause is very different.
RER is caused by
an imbalance of calcium ions in the muscle cells. These ions control muscle contraction. Excessive loss if electrolytes
through sweat leads to the imbalance of calcium and the resulting
cramps.
The
management of soluble carbohydrates is not as critical in the diet of a horse
prone to RER as in one with PSSM. But,
using fat as an energy source instead of grains is always safer. Providing a balanced mineral/vitamin
supplement, good quality grass hay, free choice salt, and plenty of water is
recommended for all horses.
It is very important not to move a horse showing signs of tying-up. Stop exercising immediately and do not force
him to walk if he can’t. Severe damage
to the muscle will be the result of forced movement. Blanket him if it is cool and offer small
frequent sips of water. Follow the
advice of the veterinarian on subsequent care.
Ulcers: We learned in Lesson 1 “Understanding the
Equine Digestive System” the stomach of the horse is divided into 4
sections. These sections are: the
esophageal section, the cardiac section, the fundic
section, and the pyloric section. We,
also, learned the equine stomach secretes acid continuously whether or not
there is food in it.
The esophageal
section is the storage area for incoming food.
No digestion takes place here and no acid is normally present. For this reason it is not protected by
buffers, which protects the other sections of the stomach. This is where ulcers can occur resulting in a
problem called Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS).
Research has
shown very high numbers of horses have some form of EGUS. Ulcers most frequently affect performance
horses and foals.
Performance
horses with high grain – low forage diet are very susceptible to ulcers. The chewing of forage produces salvia, which
acts as a buffer – protecting the delicate lining of the stomach. Horses on pasture or having access to a
constant source of forage rarely get ulcers.
Studies have
also shown exercise can cause ulcers, especially if the stomach is empty. A common practice among racehorse trainers is
to not feed a racehorse for 24 hours prior to a race.
During strenuous exercise the stomach
contracts, pushing the contents up into the esophageal region where there is no
protection from the acid. Tests have
shown the presence of food in the stomach will prevent the acid from being
forced into the upper unprotected area. Withholding forage will cause more
problems than the goal of achieving better performance.
Stress plays a
large factor in the incidence of ulcers in performance horses. When horses become nervous excessive amounts
of corticosteroids are produced. This in
turn stimulates acid production within the stomach.
It may be
surprising to learn almost 60% of every foal crop has ulcers. There are several theories as to why foals
acquire ulcers.
The first theory
is, again, stress. Foals out of mares
being moved for breeding are prone to ulcers.
The second
theory is diet. Foals not nursing
frequently are prone to ulcers. This
could be caused by sickness, being separated from the mare for long periods of
time, or the mare not producing enough milk to satisfy the foal’s requirements.
Confinement
plays a big part in the development of ulcers in both performance horses and
foals. The freedom to exercise at will, graze,
and interact socially with other horses are factors to consider when managing
horses.
Normal
intestinal movement in the horse depends on activity. A confined horse with limited exercise will
not have proper stimulation for healthy gut movement.
Pyloric Mucosal
Ulcer Disease is thought to occur when horses do not empty their bowels
frequently. Lack of exercise inhibits
the normal movement of the colon and waste accumulates. Lesions start to form in the lower part of
the stomach because it is not emptying quickly enough and these turn into
ulcers.
Confinement is
thought to lead to cribbing, also.
Recent studies have shown cribbing horses may do so to produce
salvia. The salvia in turn buffers the
acid buildup caused by lack of forage, stress, and inactivity.
Allowing the
horse to be turned out to graze or move among piles of free choice hay will
enhance proper digestion. During this
time the horse will be chewing forage, producing salvia, creating a natural
buffer against stomach acid, and stimulating healthy gut movement. If there are other horses to interact with
socially the stress factor can be lessened.
Undernourished/starved horses: When a horse is starving, fat is utilized
first. When the body fat is depleted,
muscle is consumed. As the muscle is
being utilized, protein and electrolytes become totally depleted. At this point, the horse will have a body
condition score of one.
When a starving horse suddenly has access to feed, insulin is released. Electrolytes, phosphorus and magnesium are
drawn from (blood) and into the cells.
Since the starving horse has no electrolytes in storage this may lead to
kidney, heart and respiratory failure.
This usually occurs 3-5 days after the feeding has begun and usually
leads to death.
With the help of a veterinarian, the rescued horse needs to be
evaluated. If it is decided the horse
may be salvageable, it is suggested the horse be introduced to feed very
slowly.
If the horse has had no feed for 24 hours, it is recommended a few
handfuls of forage be offered at least once an hour for the first day. Horses that are used to hay may be offered
more, but monitor the horse closely.
Gradually increase the amount of hay the second and subsequent
days. Monitor the horse closely.
Fresh clean water should always be available. If the horse is dehydrated follow the advice
of the veterinarian.
Do not offer salt for the first week and then only allow a very small
amount. As the horse’s body stores
become restored, free choice salt should be provided, but this may take several
weeks.
Research has determined concentrates may be introduced around the fourth
or fifth day. Start out with a handful 3
to 5 times a day. Every 3 days increase
the amount in small increments. Take at
least 10 days to get the horse up to 1 pound per day. The amount after than depends on the horse,
age, size and other health factors. It
should take another 20 days to get the horse up to the recommended feeding
amount which is stated on the feed tag.
Senior horse feed products have been used with great results when
re-introducing undernourished horses to a concentrate. They are easy to digest, contain fiber, are
balanced and usually have probiotics included.
They are generally low in soluble carbohydrates which an undernourished
horse has trouble utilizing.
Every rescued horse is different.
This is only a general guideline and the advice of a veterinarian is
recommended.
Feeding the thin horse:
We are a nation of fat people and fat horses.
The gimmicks, programs and special foods/feeds for losing weight are abundant. It's big business.
Being overweight can be life-threatening – for you and your horse. It's easy for people and horses to keep gaining weight – the majority likes to eat.
The opposite end of the scale is the skinny horse. And it's not so easy to put weight on him. He doesn’t like to eat, everything is "yucky" and he is expensive to feed.
But how do we put weight on the skinny horse?
Before we start thinking about increasing feeds and making changes we need to make sure the horse is truly underweight. We are so accustomed to seeing "well-rounded" horses when we see a fit horse we think he is underweight.
Dr. Don Henneke developed the industry standard for determining the condition of a horse in regards to body fat. It is called the body condition score (BCS) and rates horses on a scale of 1-9. One is a walking skeleton and nine is obese. (Consult lesson six.)
The desired score for most horses would be 5 – Moderate: The back is flat with no crease or ridge. Ribs are not visible, but can be felt with very slight pressure. Fat around the tail head feels somewhat spongy. Fat along the withers and over the top of the back vertebrae make them somewhat rounded. The shoulders and neck blend smoothly into the body. For more information about the body condition score chart visit www.thewayofhorses.com
A horse that is severely underweight cannot recover from disease or illness quickly, is apt to become sick, will have poor quality hooves, will not be able to maintain body heat in cold weather, will not be able to perform or recover from exertion and will not thrive.
The first steps to take in helping the underweight horse is determine why he is thin. There could be one or several reasons.
1. Have a veterinarian visit to rule out illness. A latent infection may be present.
2. Have the vet or an equine dentist check the teeth. Malocclusion (teeth do not meet properly), high points, missing teeth, infection, sores and other problems may be causing chewing problems or causing the horse not to eat.
3. Have a good de-worming program in place. Conduct a fecal exam several times a year to determine worm types and load.
4. Ask your veterinarian about the possibilities of ulcers. He may recommend scoping the horse to detect ulcers. You may decide to try the ulcer medications without a scope and see if they help.
5. Alleviate stress.
6. Is he getting enough to eat and is it of good quality? The high price of hay, cheap commercial feeds, cutting back to save money and the shortage of good pasture for grazing are the most likely reasons for a thin horse. If this is the reason the horse is thin – it's time to sell the horse.
7. The horse may be a senior horse and can't utilize the nutrients available in feeds any longer.
Once the cause of the thinness is determined how to fix it must be addressed.
Your veterinarian can help you with disease, dental problems, deworming or ulcers. Alleviating the stress, providing better quality feed and more of it, better management and commitment to the care of the senior horse is up to you.
ALLEVIATING STRESS
You must alleviate as much stress as possible when dealing with a nervous horse. These horses may have high metabolisms and burn calories easily. Stall walking and weaving is not going to help maintain or gain weight.
The nervous horse may calm down if another animal is nearby. If your horse is alone try getting a goat or pony for companionship.
Providing a stall with plenty of windows, a Dutch door or stall guard so the horse can look out may help calm a nervous horse. Try hanging hay net filled with hay outside the door so he can munch on hay while watching the activity around the barn. Grabbing a mouth full of hay and running to look out the door can burn calories. Still provide hay on the floor in the stall so he can also eat in the natural position with his head down.
More turn-out time with plenty of forage may also help the nervous horse. If the lot does not have adequate forage you can scatter hay to simulate grazing.
If your horse does have ulcers alleviating the stress will help speed the healing process.
A major stress factor is the feeding schedule. A horse is a creature of habit. Feed at the same time every day. Small, frequent meals are best and they need to be on time. Do not feed one big meal and expect it to last 24 hours or more. Do not feed twice a day with a lapse of more than 12 hours between meals. The best schedule is three or more times within a 24 hour period at the same time each day or night. For example: 6 A.M., 1 P.M. and 8 PM, with the evening meal providing enough hay to last until the next morning.
MORE FEED AND BETTER QUALITY
Most nutrition articles about feeding horses recommend approximately two (2) percent of their body weight in forage per day. This would mean a 1,000-pound horse would need about 20 pounds a day.
This amount is not carved in stone. There are other factors to be considered. What is the quality of the forage? How much of it is edible? How many calories is the forage providing? How many calories per day does the horse require?
Hay that is mature, full of weeds, stored improperly, soiled by other animals, made with inferior grass types or not harvested from well-maintained fields will not provide enough nutrients. If the hay does contain adequate nutrients but the horse does not like the taste of it, then it's no good, too.
It is possible the nervous horse with the high metabolism may eat as much as four or five percent of his body weight in forage per day. Even if hay is provided 24-hours per day if it is not of good quality it will not provide enough calories.
If the underweight horse is on pasture the same problems must be addressed. Is the horse expected to thrive on weeds? A good pasture management program must be implemented which includes rotating pastures. Contact your local cooperative extension office for assistance. http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html In the meantime provide good quality hay in addition to the pasture.
The bottom line is the thin horse (and all horses) should have forage available 24-hours per day.
Once the forage part of the diet has been addressed a balanced commercial diet that compliments the forage should be added.
The key to this is read the feed tag! The mix you choose should be designed for your horse based on age, activity level and forage type. You do not want a feed made for adult horses at maintenance activity level when your horse is a high-performance nervous show horse. You'll end up feeding more, spending more money (think supplements), being frustrated and not providing the needed nutrition for your horse.
Commercial mixes designed for high performance horses and horses that need more calories will contain more fat and probably beet pulp. The fat sources will be vegetable oil, flaxseed and rice bran. These products will not be cheap, but they will be balanced.
Purchasing cheap feed and then adding supplements to try to make it better will only get your mineral ratios unbalanced, create more work for you and put your horse at risk. Unless you want to do the math leave the mixing to the scientists.
If you still decide to add supplements do lots of research. Some key points are: rice bran has an inverted calcium to phosphorus ratio – it needs to be balanced. Horses cannot digest whole flax – it needs to be ground. High fat products turn rancid quickly – they need to be stabilized or purchased fresh frequently. Oil purchased at the grocery store lacks beneficial fatty acids.
Adding a small amount of beet pulp to the diet will not hurt anything. Many picky horses will eat with gusto if some moist beet pulp is added to their grain.
Do not feed more than one-half percent of the body weight in grain at one feeding. So a horse that weighs 1,000 pounds should not get more than 5 pounds at a time. (1,000 pounds times 0.005 equals 5 pounds). A horse that weighs 800 pounds would not get more than 4 pounds (800 times 0.005).
The thin horse may also be old. Lesson ten addresses the needs of our senior horses.
• Some helpful information:
Normal
rectal temperature of the horse: 98-100
degrees (F)
Respiration
rate: 8-15 breathes per minute at rest
Heart
rate: 34 – 40 beats per minute at rest
Check the horse periodically to become
familiar with his normal rates.