We already know the risks associated with starch intake and the main conditions that justify controlling it in the horse's diet.
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However, we also recognize its important role as a source of calories and its importance in nutrition, particularly in the performance of anaerobic physical activity. Therefore, to minimize the impact of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCHC), particularly starch, and enhance their pre-cecal digestion, we must:
- Always evaluate the weight of the food and not the volume.
- Always provide the forage component (hay) before the concentrated feed, as chewing the hay promotes the release of bicarbonate through saliva, which will act as a buffer substance in the stomach. This minimizes the decrease in gastric pH after ingestion of the concentrated feed. At the same time, ingesting fiber before the concentrated feed is beneficial for its digestibility, thus increasing digestive efficiency.
- Instead of large amounts of concentrated feed, we should provide a greater number of meals and a smaller amount of concentrated feed in each of them (maximum 0.5 kg / 100 kg of live weight).
- Prefer foods made from heat-treated cereals (flakes, pellets and extruded), in order to maximize the digestibility of the starch provided. Foods with whole cereals will necessarily have lower digestibility in the small intestine, with consequent passage of starch to the large intestine and the risks associated with this passage (dysbiosis and intestinal acidity and inherent risks).
- Opt for a food formulated with low starch content.
Low-starch foods
There is currently a gap in European legislation that has allowed the claim “low starch” to be used on products with very variable starch contents. In order to make this claim, it is only necessary to specify the starch content on the label, and its limits are not defined. However, it is relatively consensual to state a low starch content when a product has a content of less than 20%.
Our Gastro Pro and Nature Mash foods are products formulated with low starch content, presenting 8 and 12% of starch, respectively.
GASTRO PRO
NATURE MASH
Naturally, a low-starch diet will have to include other sources of calories, usually high in fiber and fat. Since the raw materials used in these foods generally have a higher economic value, these products also have a higher cost.
Which horses benefit from a low starch diet?
Easily excitable horses may benefit from these foods, as well as obese horses (naturally predisposed to insulin resistance), insulin resistant horses, horses with Equine Gastric Ulceration Syndrome (EGUS), myopathies, intestinal acidosis or laminitis.
The use of these foods should be done under the advice of your nutritionist or veterinarian.