Feed and Supplement Correctly

Body Condition

Senior Horse - Why is it so difficult to maintain body condition?

In recent years, there has been an increase in the average life expectancy of horses. This increase has been due in part to the abandonment of the use of horses as working animals and their increasing use in sport and leisure, as well as to the provision of better health care and greater knowledge about the species in general.

With this increase in age, new challenges have arisen, namely in maintaining an adequate body condition. There are several factors that affect the maintenance of an adequate body condition in senior horses.

Digestive efficiency 

In general, we see a decrease in digestive efficiency in older horses. Absorption capacity is limited by age-related changes in the intestinal epithelium, which limits the passage of nutrients into the bloodstream.

The production of the enzyme amylase, necessary for the digestion of starch, is also reduced, impairing pre-cecal digestion of starch and increasing the arrival of starch in the large intestine and consequent intestinal acidosis – which makes the horse more prone to “colic” and laminitis. Protein digestion and absorption is also particularly affected in senior horses, which contributes to muscle degradation.

For these reasons, a gastric supplement and/or a concentrated feed “cereal free”, can ensure or complement the senior horse’s diet.

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Bad teeth

Age-related tooth wear and/or loss are detrimental to gripping, chewing and salivation. Insufficient chewing and salivation promote the arrival of larger particles into the intestinal lumen, hindering the action of enzymes and microbiota, which compromises digestive efficiency.

Complementary forage and concentrate foods can ensure or complement the diet of senior horses.

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stress / Illness

factors of stress Temperature can have a significant impact on a senior horse. Low temperatures particularly affect senior horses because internal heat-producing mechanisms, such as intestinal fiber fermentation, may be limited. Low temperatures can also limit a horse’s water intake, increasing the risk of dehydration and related problems.

Changes in management can also have an impact on body condition. For example, when transitioning to an extensive herd system, the hierarchies that are established can limit intake.  

Chronic weight loss and consequent decline in body condition may also be related to disease states and/or chronic pain. Infectious problems, arthritis, kidney dysfunction, allergic or tumoral conditions, among other conditions, may justify loss of body condition.

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Feed and Supplement Correctly

Body Condition

Mares - Does body condition affect reproductive efficiency?

The body condition (BC) of mares can undoubtedly affect their reproductive efficiency, so to achieve maximum efficiency, mares must be maintained with an adequate body condition (score of 5 to 6 on the Henneke Scale – a scale of 1 to 9, where 1 is thin/very insufficient BC, and 9 is obese/excessive BC).

Scientific research has shown that mares kept in adequate body condition ovulate earlier and have shorter calving/conception intervals.

Skinny mares

Mares that enter the reproductive phase thin, regardless of whether or not they are being fed enough energy to gain weight, are less reproductively efficient than those that are in adequate body condition.

fat mares

At the opposite extreme, mares with excessive body condition have been shown to remain efficient from a reproductive point of view. This does not mean that it is undesirable, given the reduction in intrauterine space, which does not favor fetal development, as well as the metabolic problems associated with obesity (common to all horses).

Group dynamics

Since broodmares are usually kept in groups, it may be important to assess group dynamics. More submissive mares may have difficulty feeding due to pressure from the dominant members of the group. If excessive dominance is noticeable, it may be best to separate some mares to ensure that the thinner ones are able to feed properly.

As with any other horse, a thin mare that does not improve her body condition when fed for this purpose should be evaluated by a veterinarian, as there may be an underlying health problem that is causing her to gain weight.

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Body Condition

Horse - How to improve body condition?

When we notice that a horse is thin, with a body condition below what is desirable, there are some factors to evaluate.

Ensure the horse is healthy

Certain health problems make gaining weight challenging, even under the best of circumstances.

A veterinarian should examine the horse's mouth to ensure there are no dental abnormalities that are causing the horse pain, which can make grasping and grinding food painful, limiting food intake.

A fecal egg count will determine if there is a significant parasite burden in the gastrointestinal tract consuming essential nutrients for the horse. An endoscopic examination of the stomach will reveal if there are gastric ulcers, a condition that is highly prevalent in sport horses.

Food

forage value

Providing good quality forage is perhaps the first factor to take into consideration in the case of thin horses. Evaluating the forage that is provided is essential to know its nutritional value and to make appropriate decisions about whether to use that same forage or not (looking for a more suitable alternative).

If pasture is available, placing animals on high-quality pasture is still a great strategy for a horse to gain weight. When placing a horse on high-quality pasture, the transition should be slow.

If good quality pasture is not available, you can supplement the grass hay with a good early-season legume hay with pliable stems and plenty of leaves, which generally contains more energy than good quality grass hay. Ideally, the quality hay should be made available on a regular basis to maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract. 

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Choose a concentrated food with a high energy content

To increase a horse's weight, a concentrated feed with a high energy content should be chosen, preferably one that provides energy from sources such as starch, fat and fermentable fibre. Ensuring a complete vitamin and mineral profile is also essential.

In the case of high-performance sports horses, they must be supplemented with foods suitable for competition.

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In the case of older horses with dental problems, preference should be given to a food in the form of “porridge”, enriched with linseed oil.

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In the case of young horses, food suitable for growing horses should be provided and fed according to their needs, avoiding excess energy, as excess may contribute to growth problems.

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Pregnant mares should have access to a different compound feed in the last third of pregnancy, as well as throughout the lactation period, given that their needs increase.

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Complementation

High-calorie foods can be added to concentrated feed to increase energy density. For example, corn oil provides energy but offers a high amount of omega-6 fatty acids, especially when combined with a diet rich in cereals. Flaxseed oil and fish oil are two interesting alternatives for increasing calories, both rich in omega-3.

Certain cases may also benefit from a supplement that improves gastrointestinal performance, with substances that act as a buffer, helping to reduce gastric acidity and, by providing probiotics and prebiotics, improve intestinal microbiota and digestive efficiency.

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It is necessary to be patient

The effects of dietary management for weight gain and improvement of body condition will be revealed over time and not immediately. Therefore, one should think about continuity and not the immediate future.

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Body Condition

Horse - Why isn't it gaining weight?

Does your horse eat continuously without seeing any improvement in its body condition? What could be happening? There are several factors to consider when trying to improve your horse's body condition.

Assess the horse's health 

Marked loss of body condition, or ongoing difficulty in maintaining a horse's body condition, are reasons to perform a complete medical examination to determine whether there is a health problem that is preventing normal weight gain.

Dental problems are often the cause of loss of body condition or difficulty in gaining weight. Horses need to chew their feed carefully, so if dental care is neglected and oral discomfort occurs, intake may be compromised.

Gastric ulcers can also be a cause of loss of appetite. A recent study revealed that more than 581,000 horses across various sports have gastric ulcers. 

The ingestion of large quantities of cereals or foods containing cereals that have not undergone heat treatment is associated with a decrease in the digestive efficiency of starch and the consequent passage of undigested starch into the large intestine. This situation increases subclinical intestinal acidosis, which can result in loss of appetite, mild colic of unknown origin, poor feed efficiency with weight loss, changes in behavior and decreased performance. 

Internal parasites will compete with the horse for nutrients in the food it eats, reducing the horse's absorption of these nutrients. Proper health prophylaxis is essential to maintain the horse's health and body condition. The horse's owner can ask the veterinarian to assess the parasite load (by counting fecal eggs) and establish a good individual deworming program. 

Proper nutrition – Quality and quantity

forage food

Horse diets should be based on high-quality forage. Providing good-quality forage in adequate quantities is the best way to support healthy digestion and maintain a good body condition. The forage component becomes even more important if the horse has problems such as gastric ulcers or acidosis. Legume forages (lucerne or clover) are richer in protein and energy than grass forages, so this factor should be taken into account.

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Low-quality or poorly preserved forage, with obvious signs of dust, fermentation or mould, should be avoided, as it can cause significant health problems. Poor-quality feed and forage with low nutrient levels can cause deficiencies, especially in more demanding horses or those subjected to more intense physical activity.

compound feed

Whenever weight loss or difficulty in maintaining body condition is observed, feeding management should be carefully analyzed. The compound feed must be made up of quality raw materials, properly processed, balanced in energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals. The compound feed is an ally in maintaining body condition and meeting the nutrient requirements that the horse presents, considering the phase it is in (gestation or lactation) or physical activity (more or less intense) that it performs.

INTACOL FOODS

We can add ingredients to the established diet in order to increase the caloric density of the food provided or improve its digestibility. To do this, we can include:

-Sources of fat (linseed oil or fish oil), which have a significantly higher energy density than other foods, and are a source of omega 3;

-Super fibers that are fermented in the large intestine and provide an extra calorie intake;

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-Probiotics and prebiotics, which support digestion and ensure that the horse gets the most out of its food;

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-Others.

Environmental factors and group dynamics

If the horse is in good health and its diet is adequate, the next factor to consider is the environmental factor, which can confer stress to the animal and consequent weight loss.

If the horse is in a group, check the hierarchical dynamics between the different elements (dominant elements may prevent it from feeding properly). If it is confined, will this confinement cause stress? All these factors should be evaluated.

Keeping animals relaxed is essential to encourage them to eat and for efficient digestive performance.

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