1 ? “Concentrated feed is the mainstay of equine feed, hay is secondary.”
Forage (pasture, hay) should make up 60 to 100 % of the horse's diet. Concentrated feed should only be fed to working and/or competing horses, to mares in the last third of pregnancy and lactation, and to other horses that have increased energy and protein requirements. In cases where the available hay alone is not sufficient in terms of energy and nutrients, a food supplement should be provided.
In short, in order for the diet to be correct and balanced, it is estimated that the horse should ingest about 2 % of its body weight in dry matter daily, which in a 500 kg horse represents 10 kg of dry matter; these 10 kg should be distributed, ideally, considering a minimum of 6 to 7 kg of forage feed.
WAFERS
ALFALFA
ALFABEET
two ? “Protein-rich concentrate feed makes my horse excited.”
Feeding the horse a diet with excess protein causes its body to produce more heat and ammonia, and not exactly an excitable behavior.
However, there are studies that reveal that a diet rich in non-structural carbohydrates (starch and simple sugars) is related to a potential excitability of the horse. Therefore, special attention must be paid to the supply of concentrated feeds of this type. Excitable horses benefit from foods low in starch and sugars.
GASTRO PRO
NATURE MASH
3 ? “Giving food based on cereal grains causes horses to colic.”
The term "colic" refers to an abdominal pain syndrome, pain that can be caused by a number of factors. The gastrointestinal tract of the horse is long and complex, showing a great susceptibility to inflammation, distension, displacement, etc. Bad food management can cause colic, so it is important to evaluate specific aspects of the diet, such as the characteristics of the food, food management, among other factors.
The risk of colic increases with: high consumption of concentrated feed (above 4 to 5 kg/day for a horse of 500 kg body weight); restricted or no access to pasture; low consumption of forage feed (below 5 to 6 kg/day for a horse of 500 kg of live weight); ingestion of poor quality forage; decrease in water consumption; among other factors.
4 ? “Alfalfa is too rich a food to be completely safe to feed horses.”
Alfalfa contains more protein, digestible energy, and calcium than grass hays, but is generally lower in soluble sugars. Alfalfa's reputation for being ?rich? it may derive from the fact that it is composed of highly nutritious leaves, which are more digestible than most hays; this can contribute to gastrointestinal problems, and even colic, if they are included in the horse's diet too quickly. Thus, it is advisable to gradually introduce alfalfa hay into the horse's diet so that it can settle down.
The use of alfalfa as a single forage food is not recommended, and it is preferable to provide limited amounts of it simultaneously with grass hay, avoiding energy/protein excesses or calcium excesses.
Alfalfa provides protection against the development of ulcers (thanks to its buffering effect arising from high levels of protein and calcium) and is considered beneficial in the prevention of developmental orthopedic diseases (DODs) in foals.
WAFERS
ALFALFA
5 ? “High-protein diets cause DODs (orthopedic developmental disorders) in growing horses.”
Nutrition, physical exercise and genetics are the main factors that determine correct and healthy bone development, although they are also the ones that can cause DODs.
Mineral imbalances and misaligned protein levels are thought to cause DODs. Feeding a growing foal a high protein feed (above protein requirements) will not increase the foal's growth rate, nor will protein restriction result in improved bone growth. However, restricting protein availability by decreasing feed intake will affect growth rate and bone development. A food specifically formulated for foals is essential.
YOUNG
6 ? “Giving water to a horse that has just finished working and is still ?warm? and tired, will give you colic.”
Several researches have revealed that a ?hot? and sweaty people who drink water right after work, are not more likely to develop cramps or laminitis, compared to those who only drink water after recovery. Thus, it is advisable to allow the horse to drink water when he feels thirstier, which will most likely happen right after training, and not after ?cooling down?. Providing water only after recovery can result in lower water intake even if the horse is dehydrated, which is undesirable.
7 ? "Questions related to the horse's weight are only related to how the horse is fed."
Not necessarily. Questions related to the horse's weight (above or below the ideal weight) can result from numerous situations such as: teeth problems, parasitism, systemic diseases, metabolic problems, laminitis, among others. In cases where a horse greatly increases/decreases its body weight, a veterinarian and/or nutritionist should be consulted.