FEEDING OF HORSES

Dept. of Animal Nutrition

Co. V. Sc. & AH Jabalpur (M.P.)
 • NUTRIENT REQUIREMENTS
Water
• Dry matter intake - Horses may need 2 to 3 L of
water/kg of dry matter intake.
• High salt or excess protein contents - Increase
water intake.
• Environmental temperatures - e.g., need 2 L of
water/kg dry feed at -180C, but need 8 L of
water/kg dry feed at 380C.
• Work/exercising - May increase water needs by
20 to 300%.
• Lactation.
Dehydration and electrolyte balance
• Dehydration through sweating can result in the
loss of water and electrolytes (mostly, Na & Cl
with some K).
• Preventive electrolyte therapy by oral or i.v.
administration of 1-3 L of electrolyte solution -
Beneficial? No conclusive evidence, but, oral
supplementation may be helpful for a heavily
sweating endurance horse in a hot or humid
environment.
• An adequate water supply, a balanced diet, and
a trace mineralized salt on a free-choice should
be sufficient in most racing situations.
 Energy
• The energy requirements are expressed in mega calories
(Mcal) of DE.
• Differences among individuals:
 Easy keeper - Often used to describe a horse that can
maintain body weight on less than the average dietary
energy supply.
 Hard keeper - One requires more than the average dietary
energy to maintain body weight
• Energy status: Can be determined by weighing regularly. If
not, can use subjective condition scoring system to monitor
body condition.
• Based on body fatness using 1 (very thin) to 9 (very fat).
• Most horses should be maintained at a score of at least 4
and not exceeding 7.
Energy requirements for maintenance:
• DE (Mcal/d) = 1.4 + 0.03 × BW, where BW = body
weight of the horse (kg).
Energy requirements for growth:
 1) Weanlings: 1.4 + 0.03 BW + 9 ADG (kg)
 2) Yearlings: 1.4 + 0.03 BW + 16 ADG (kg)
 3) Long yearlings: 1.4 + 0.03 BW + 18 ADG (kg)
 4) 2-yr-olds: 1.4 + 0.03 BW + 20 ADG (kg)
NRC (1989): Energy requirements: Mcal DE/kg gain:
 4-month weanling: 9.1
 6-month weanling:11.0
 Yearling:15.5
 Long yearling: 18.4
 2-yr-old horses:19.6
 ENERGY FOR WORK: NRC-2007
• Light work :DE (Mcal/d)= (0.0333 × BW) ×1.2

• Moderate work: DE (Mcal/d)= (0.0333 × BW) ×1.4

• Heavy work: DE (Mcal/d)= (0.0333 × BW) ×1.6

• Very Heavy work: DE (Mcal/d)= (0.0333 × BW) ×1.9

 Protein
• Protein requirements: Usually expressed as grams of CP required
per day.

• Mature horses at maintenance:

 Have relatively low protein needs and deficiency is rare with an
adequate energy.
 A mature 500-kg horse needs ≈ 660 g/CP/d, which can be
supplied by 8 kg of a hay containing 8.25% CP.

• Young horses, lactating mares, and mares in late gestation - Need

a diet with higher protein quantity and quality.

• Protein quality:
 An important consideration in growing horses
 Lysine seems to be the first limiting amino acid in diets for
growing horses, with Threonine being suggested as the second
limiting.
 MICROBIAL PROTEIN/AMINO ACID SYNTHESIS:
 Unclear on the rate of amino acid synthesis and absorption
at the caecum, thus, should provide an adequate amount
of dietary indispensable amino acids, especially for
growing horses
 Possible that horses can absorb some N (as ammonia?)
from the caecum and (or) large intestine, which can be
used for the synthesis of dispensable amino acids.
 Similarly, microbes can synthesize some indispensable
amino acids, but their absorption by the hindgut might be
limited.
BROODMARES: Need protein for the deposition of fetal
tissues and milk production.
 If the mare's milk contains about 2.0% protein and a 500-kg
mare produces 15 kg of milk/day, about 300 g of protein
will be secreted in the milk.
 Conversion is not very efficient, so, perhaps, ≈ 1,430 g of
dietary CP is needed.
Estimation of CP requirements (g/day)
• Maintenance: CP= (40) (Mcal of DE/day)
• Stallions : CP= (40) (Mcal of DE/day)
• Pregnant mare 9-11months:CP= (44) (Mcal of DE/day)
• Lactating mares (Foaling to 3 months):
 200-299 kg BW CP= (Maintenance DP) +
[(0.04BWx 0.021x1000)/0.65)/0.55]
 300-900 kg BW CP= (Maintenance DP) + [(0.03BWx
0.021x1000)/0.65)/0.55]

• Working Horse CP= (40) (Mcal of DE/day)

 Minerals
• Ca & P :Special importance in horses:
 The development of quality bone is more important in
horses than other livestock species simply because
some athletic activity may put more stress on bones.
 The horse's bone: About 35% Ca and 16% P, and
deficiencies or imbalances in dietary Ca and P can
result in various bone disorders.
 High-P can impair the absorption of Ca, thus, the
concentration of P should not exceed the
concentration of Ca. Also, must consider availability of
Ca and P.
 Obviously, a sufficient amount of vitamin D must be
available.
• Sodium, K, and Cl - Function as electrolytes and
essential for all classes:
• Most non-working horses obtain enough Na and Cl to
meet their needs with their access to a salt block or a
"loose" salt mix.
• Potassium: Usually met by K found in hay and
pasture.

• The needs are greater for working horses, lactating

mares, and horses that are exposed to high
environmental temperatures.

• Deficiency: Can reduce a water/feed intake, plus

show some unusual oral behavior such as licking of
stall surfaces.
• Iodine: Both I deficiency and I toxicity have been reported
in horses. The I content of common horse feeds can vary
considerably.

• Iron: Usually met by the typical feed ingredients, even

though the availability of Fe in grains and forages may be
low. Fe deficiency signs are rarely reported.

• Copper: The level and availability of Cu is very low in many

forages, and it is a common practice to formulate grain
mixes to contain 20 to 30 mg Cu/kg DM.

• Zinc: Forages may also be low in Zn. Zinc deficiency can

reduce growth of young horses.

• Selenium: Selenium supplementation is often necessary but

should be done carefully because of its toxicity.
Estimation of Calcium (Ca) requirements (g/day):
• Maintenance: Ca= 0.04 BW
• Stallions: Ca= (1.22) (Mcal of DE/day)
• Pregnant mare 9-11months:Ca= (1.90) (Mcal of
DE/day)
• Lactating Mares: Foaling to 3 Months
200-299 kg BW : Ca= (Maintenance Ca) + [(0.04BWx
1.2)/0.5)]
200-900 kg BW: Ca= (Maintenance Ca) + (0.03BWx
1.2) 0.5)]
• Working Horse: Ca= (1.22) (Mcal of DE/day)
Estimation of phosphorus (P) requirements (g/day):
• Maintenance : P= 0.028 BW
• Stallions: P= (0.87) (Mcal of DE/day)
• Pregnant mare 9-11months:P= (1.41) (Mcal of
DE/day)
• Lactating Mares: Foaling to 3 Months
200-299 kg of BW: P= 0.010 BW+ (0.04BWx
0.75)/0.5)
300-900 kg BW: P= 0.010 BW+ (0.03BWx
0.75)/0.45
• Working Horse P= 0.87) (Mcal of DE/day)
 Vitamins
• Fat-soluble vitamins:
• Vitamin A and E are of the most practical importance in horse diets:
• One of the richest sources of β-carotene (precursor of vitamin A) is
"green" pasture.
• Vitamin E activity: High in forages with an early stage of maturity,
but once a plant is harvested for hay; the vitamin E activity can
decrease.
• Vitamin D: supplementation of horses kept outside is not necessary.
• Vitamin K: Microbes can synthesize compounds with vit. K activity
• Water-soluble vitamins:
• A dietary requirement for vitamin C has not been determined.
• Microbes in the hind gut seem to be capable of synthesizing several B
vitamins
Estimation of vitamin A requirements (IU/day):
• Maintenance: Vitamin A=30 BW

• Pregnant and lactating mares: Vitamin A=60 BW

• All others : Vitamin A= 45 BW

 FEEDING SYSTEMS IN HORSES

1. Stall feeding:
• Concentrate mixture: twice daily
• Foals & Lactating mares: thrice daily
• Fodder: ad libitum
2. Grazing:6-10hrs grazing lands/fallow land/pastures

3.Feeding bags:
 By horse/mules/donkey/ Tonga owners
Offered Hay/concentrate in bags during rest
 Types of feeds for horses
(1) Roughages, (2) Concentrates, and (3) Mixed feeds.
Roughages include pasture forages, hays, silages, and
byproduct feeds that contain a high percentage of
fiber.
Concentrates are the energy-rich grains and molasses,
the protein- and energy-rich supplements and
byproduct feeds, vitamin supplements, and
mineral supplements.
Mixed feeds may be either high or low in energy,
protein, or fiber; or they may provide “complete”
balanced rations.
• ROUGHAGES
• Roughages are still important for active horses and
may serve as the only feed for idle horses.
• Proper use of good quality roughages reduces the
quantity of expensive concentrates needed and
provides a plentiful supply of vitamins and minerals.
• There are four main forms of roughages:
• (1) Dry roughages
• (2) Green roughages
• (3) Silages
• (4) Pastures
•Dry roughages include hay, straw, and artificially
dehydrated forages, which contain about 90 per cent
of dry matter.
•Silages are formed from green forages such as grass,
alfalfa, sorghum, and corn preserved in a silo at dry
matter contents of 20 to 50 percent.
•Green, growing pastures provide forage that has
high water content and only 20 to 30 percent of dry
matter.
•Green roughages: (1) grasses, and (2) legumes.
•The grasses are generally higher in fiber and dry
matter than legumes.
•The legumes are generally higher in proteins, energy,
vitamins, and minerals.
 •Factors affecting-
•Soil fertility, soil type, and climate influence the
productivity and nutrient content of the various
grasses and legumes.

•But the most important factor is stage of maturity.

•As a plant grows older, it becomes less leafy, more

stemmy, more fibrous, and less digestible.

•Mineral and vitamin levels are also higher in

immature grasses and legumes, whether these
roughages are in the form of pastures, silage, or hay.
 DRY ROUGHAGES

•In general, the best hay for horses is a good

quality grass legume mixed hay.

•Because the calcium level in legumes is about six

times higher than the phosphorus level, a
supplemental source of phosphorus might be
needed to balance the Ca: P ratio in a ration high
in legumes.

•For hay to grade U.S. 1 or U.S. 2, 25-40 percent of

its weight must be leaves.
Daily Roughage Intake
Horses without access to a good source of grazing
should receive roughage in mounts equal to about 1
percent of their body weight daily.

Horse owners should make sure daily roughage intake

does not go below 0.75 percent of body weight,
because inadequate roughage can make horses more
susceptible to digestive problems.

When grazing is not available, baled or processed

roughage normally represents at least 50 percent of
the daily diet for brood mares, horses doing light or
moderate work and 2-year-old horses.
Hay for horses
Undoubtedly, obtaining good hay, storing, and feeding can be
a major management problem.
Some factors associated with feeding hay:
•Moldy or dusty hay may cause colic and heaves in horses.
•Large amounts of very poor quality hay cane be poorly
digested and may not pass the digestive tract, and can cause
"impaction and colic?"
•Very high quality clover or small grain hay can be readily
digested, and when fed with a high-grain feed, may result in a
"loose" feces or colic.
•When a very high-quality hay is fed with grain, perhaps,
necessary to feed a poorer quality grass hay?
Legumes hay:
•Higher in the nutrient content than grasses and may
be fed by themselves or in combination with grass
hays.
•Heavier and more difficult to cure properly, and are,
thus, more prone to mold and become dusty.

•Alfalfa hay is more laxative than grass hays and may

cause "loose" feces.
 Concentrates
When a horse cannot meet its energy and protein needs
through forage alone, must provide additional nutrients via
concentrated feedstuffs.
Grains
1) Oats:
•Still the most widely used and the most popular grain for
horses – Some believe that oats can cause fewer digestive
problems than corn, possibly because of its fiber content?
•Heavy (> 32 lb/bu.), bright, or clean oats, which contain a
small percentage of hull, are preferred - Best to roll or crush
oats for horses with poor teeth or young foals.
•Lower in the energy content than other grains but will
cause less trouble with stomach compaction. Dusty oats
should be avoided because they may cause colic.
2) Corn:
•Like oats, widely used for horses - Should be cracked,
coarsely ground, or preferably rolled.
•Higher in energy vs. oats - Usually
mix it with oats, and include less
corn than oats in the mixture.

3) Barley:
•Used some in the States (west), but popular in some
other countries.
•Should be coarsely ground or
preferably rolled, and usually mix it
with oats in about equal parts.
4) Wheat, rye, and milo
•Not used much because they become rather doughy
and tend to ball up with moisture when ground.
•If used, should be rolled and mixed at a low level
with bulky feed such as oats or wheat bran. (Milo has
a very hard seed coat!).

Grain by-products:
•Wheat bran - Very valuable for its mild laxative effect
and for its bulky nature. Generally used at 5 to 15% of
the diet.
•Wheat middlings - Used in pelleted feeds and an
economical source of energy.
Protein supplements
1) Linseed meal:
•A popular protein supplement for horse feeding -
May contain something that produces bloom and
luster in the hair coat?
•Often, pelleted meal is used because of its dustiness
- Perhaps, too low in fat after extraction?
•Usually more costly and inferior amino acid
composition vs. soybean meal.
2) Soybean meal:
•Also, used quite extensively for horses and may be
substituted on an equal protein basis for linseed meal.
•Contains high quality protein and is generally more
economical.
3) Cottonseed meal:
•Lower in protein quantity and quality vs. soybean
meal.
•May contain gossypol, which may not be toxic to
horses, but a maximum of 0,03% for young horses.

4) Milk protein:
•Dried whey or commercial supplements with milk
products are often used in a starter diet for foals.

• Rarely used for mature horses because of the cost.

 Other miscellaneous feed ingredients

1) Beet pulp:
•High in fiber, but the fiber is well-digested and has
fairly high energy value.
•Often, used to replace hay in the diet for horses with
heaves (or broken wind, an asthmatic disease of
horses).
2) Molasses:
•Including 5 to 10% sweetens the
feed and makes it more palatable.
•Also, tends to condition feeds, prevent separation,
and reduce dustiness.
3) Dehydrated alfalfa meal
•Include 5 to 10%.
•A good source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and
"unidentified factors.“

4) Also, rice bran, rice hulls, citrus pulp, or soybean

hulls are being used depending on the cost and
availability.
 Grain feeding
Grain byproducts and grain mix is fed to the horse
in following situations:
• When necessary to provide nutrients needed that
are not provided in adequate quantity of forage.
• When good quality forage is not available.
• When desired for other reasons viz, athletic
performance, work, training, treatment or for
catching them.
•Although horses may be gradually adapt to a diet
consisting entirely of cereal grains and by-products.

•Greater the proportion of grain in diet, greater is risk

of diarrhea, colic, laminitis/founder, exercise
myopathy, hyperactivity and obesity.

•It is, therefore, recommended that, not more than

one half of grains or concentrate mix may be fed to a
horse @ 0.5-0.7kg/100kg BW daily.
 Other Ingredients
Minerals:
•Sodium, Cl, and K - Na and Cl needs can be met
easily by the addition of salt to a horse diet via plain,
iodized, or trace mineralized salt.
•Forages are a good source of K.
•Calcium and P - When diets are low, may be
supplemented with limestone, dicalcium phosphate,
steamed bone meal, or defluorinated rock phosphate.
•Trace minerals - Usually via commercial trace mineral
premixes or trace mineralized salt.
Fats and oils:
•Animal fats and vegetable oils (5 to 10%) can be
used as a highly concentrated energy source for
horses.

•Vegetable oils are generally more palatable than

animal fats.

•Can be used as a source of linoleic acid, to reduce

feed dustiness, and to put abloom on the animal hair
coat.
Antibiotics
•No information available on the value of antibiotics
for horses, but addition of an antibiotic may be
helpful for young foals? - Infections, digestive
troubles, lack of milk, poor weather, or other stress
factors.

•Presently, the Food and Drug Administration allows

the use of 85 mg chlortetracycline per head daily for
horses up to one year of age for stimulating growth
and improving feed efficiency (Jurgen, 2002).
Pelleted Feeds:
•Pellets may be especially useful in creep feeds and
diets for weanlings where there is a tendency for
horses to separate out the fine particles.
•Pelleted diets containing hay, as well as grain, should
contain 60 to 70% coarsely ground hay to decrease
problems with colic.
•May be necessary to feed a small amount of
unprocessed hay to prevent wood chewing and mane
and tail chewing when groups of animals are penned
together.
Manufactured Feeds
•Fortified grain mixes - Used
widely in the horse industry.

•Include a combination of grain or grain by-products,

protein supplement, Ca and P, trace minerals,
vitamins, and salt, and others.
•Formulated/ designed to meet the nutrient needs
when fed with forage alone.
•Also available in several physical forms, i.e., a coarse
mix (aka, sweet feed or textured feed?), pelleted, or
extruded.
Most manufactures offer at least three separate
formulations:
1. For maintenance or light work horses - Contains
about 10 to 12% CP.

2. For performance horses, broodmares, and

yearlings - Contains about 13 to 14% CP.

3. For lactating mares, weanlings, and yearlings -

Contains 15 to 16% CP.
Supplements:
Designed to satisfy the need for protein, vitamins,
and minerals by feeding a small amount every day to
horses on lush pastures to satisfy their energy needs.
Complete feeds:
•Useful, when good quality hay or pasture is not
available, and in older horses with poor teeth or ones
with respiratory allergies to hay.
•Contain a roughage source (alfalfa dehydrated and
beet pulp are common) and designed to be fed
without any forage - Ones with alfalfa are often
pelleted.
•Fiber - Usually at least 12 to 15%, and may be > 20%.
 Methods of feeding
•Grain mix and forage are fed at the same time or forage is
made available to stabled horses all the time.
•However, due to better palatability they consume grain first
followed by forge.
•Mixing of grain and chaffed forage is of no benefit as with
ingest, grain portion escape to large intestine having starch
contents unexposed to enzymes finally available for
fermentation and to cecal acidosis that may result in diarrhea,
colic and laminitis.
•Therefore, grain should be separately fed in either feed bags,
lipped metal pans or in mangers.
•In no case it should be offered on floor for avoiding sand and
soil contamination to prevent impactive colic.
 Feeding frequency
•Horses have small stomach which is about 8-9% of total
intestinal volume as compared to bovines where stomach size
is about 60% of total volume of intestine.
•This limits quality of consumption in single intake.
•Therefore, equines need to graze for longer time as
compared to bovines (Frap, 2008).
•Small stomach is advantageous for running jumping and
endurance.
•Horses on pasture spend about 60-70% of whole day grazing
and in stables also slowly nibble through hay if available
freely.
•In stables most horses will eat hourly during day and every 2-
3 hourly during night regardless of type of feed available from
loose hay to blocks/cubes.
It is, therefore, recommended that, grain mix should be fed @
0.5-0.7kg/100kg body weight for its optimum use in three to
four attempts in whole day with round the clock availability of
forage.

Guidelines of grain feeding are restricted in following manner:

•In equally divided quantity.
•As near the same time each day
•As least twice daily but as many more time as practical
•Horses under intense training/ athletic performance must be
offered grains 4-5 time a day that too 4-5 hours prior to
exercise and must not be fed at least for one hour after
exercise engagements. (Lewis, 1995).
Table Diet proportion for horses and expected daily feed consumption
Type of horse % of total diet % of body weight intake

Roughage % Concentrate % Roughage % Concentrate % Total

Mature, idle 100 0 1.5- 2.0 0 1.5- 2.0

Pregnant mares 70- 80 20- 30 1.0- 1.5 5- 1.0 1.5- 2.0
Milking mares 50- 65 35- 50 1.0- 2.0 5- 2.0 2.0- 3.0
Performance horses
Light work 65 35 1.0- 2.0 5- 1.0 1.5- 2.5
Moderate work 50 50 1.0- 2.0 75- 1.5 1.75- 2.5
Intense work 35 65 0.75- 1.5 1.0 -2.0 2.0- 3.0
Growing horses
Weanling 30 70 0.75- 1.0 1.25- 3.0 2.0- 3.5
Yearling 40 60 1.0- 1.5 1.0- 2.0 2.0- 3.0
2-year-old 50- 65 35- 50 1.0- 1.5 1.0- 1.5 1.75- 2.5
 Table. Expected Feed Consumption by Horses
(% Body Wt; Air-Day Feed or About 90% DM )
Mature horses Forage Concentrate Total
Maintenance 1.5-2.0 0-0.5 1.5-2.0
Mares late gestation 1.0-1.5 0.5-1.0 1.5-2.0
Mares early lactation 1.0-2.0 1.0-2.0 2.0-3.0
Mares late lactation 1.0-2.0 0.5-1.5 2.0-2.5
Worker horses
Light work 1.0-2.0 0.5-1.0 1.5-2.5
Moderate work 1.0-2.0 0.75-1.5 1.75-2.5
Intense work 0.75-1.5 1.0-2.0 2.0-3.0
Young horses
Nursing foal 3 month 0 1.0-2.0 2.5-3.5
Weanling foal 6 month 0.5-1.0 1.5-3.0 2.0-3.5
Yearling foal 12 month 1.0-1.5 1.0-2.0 2.0-3.0
Long yearling 18 month 1.0-1.5 1.0-1.5 2.0-2.5
Two yearling old 24 month 1.0-1.5 1.0-1.5 1.75-2.5
(NRC, 1989)
 Feeding management of horses
Feed little and often
The horse’s small digestive tract means that it must eat
often and in small amounts.
Working horses need to be fed at least three times a day –
morning, noon and night.
When fully hand feeding, give a quarter of the concentrate
at the morning and noon feeds, and the remaining half at
night.
Feed regularly
Feeding should be at the same time and in the same place
every day.
A horse is a creature of habit, and learns to expect food at
set times.
Make ration changes gradually
Sudden food changes can lead to digestive upsets,
especially in grain diets.
A slow replacement over 7–10 days or longer is required,
whether you are changing from one grain to another, or just
changing to grain from a new source.

Weigh amounts to feed

Always weigh the amounts of grain, hay, minerals and so on,
because measuring feeds by volume can give poor results.
Feeds from different sources have different densities.
Mix daily and remove leftovers
Mix the ration in amounts sufficient for only one day’s
feeding, to prevent it from souring, turning rancid or
attracting flies – any of which can cause digestive upsets.
Clean any leftover feed out of the trough before each
feeding.
Use only the best quality feeds
Poor-quality, unpalatable, dirty, moldy or contaminated
feeds can cause more problems than savings in cost.
They must not be used.
Reduce grain when horses are not working
Working horses on high concentrate rations should be fed
50–70% less concentrate when they are not being worked.
Failure to do this can cause a metabolic disease called
azaturia, or ‘Monday morning disease’, which can be fatal.
Give horses plenty of exercise
Avoid enclosing horses in restrictive yards for long periods,
unless regular exercise is given.
Exercise periods should be planned to coincide with times
of minimal food intake.
Don’t work the horse until at least 2 hours after its last feed.
Always have clean fresh water available
Clean, fresh water, free of organic matter and sediment,
should be available to horses at all times.
A horse can drink up to 70 litres a day.
After heavy work, water should be limited to between 2 and
4 litres until the horse has fully cooled.
 FEEDING HORSES
Growing Horses
A. Foals:
•Nutrients from the mare (assuming well-fed) would be
adequate during the first 3 to 4 mo.
•But, they begin to eat solid food within a few days and will
consume significant amounts of hay, pasture, or grain by 2
months of age.
Weight gain and creep feed:
•Weight gain: 1.2 to 1.6 kg/day in the first mo. and gradually
declines to about 1.0 kg/d at 4 mo. of age.
•May want to provide an appropriate creep feed (e.g., 16%
CP, 0.9% Ca, and 0.6% P) at about 2 mo. of age, and can be
fed about 0.5 kg/mo. of age/day.
•Foals should not be given unlimited access to a creep feed.
Composition of creep ration

Ingredients Proportion (%)

Barley/Oat/Maize crushed 60
Wheat bran 5
Soybean/GN meal 30
Common Salt 1.5
Dicalcium Phosphate 1
Limestone 1
Brewer’s yeast 0.5
Trace Mineral mixture 1
Weaning:
•Most foals are weaned at 4 to 6 mo. of age
•By 4 mo. of age, the contribution of milk to the total nutrient
needs starts to decline, and additional feed is necessary even
if the foal is not weaned.
• By 6 mo. of age, milk provides less than 50% of the daily
nutrient intake.
• The foals should be consuming 6 to 8 lb (2.7 to 3.6 kg) of
feed at weaning time or 5 to 6 mo. of age.
•Weaning can be stressful for many foals, and the reduction
in weight gain may be as brief as a week if foals are
accustomed to eating substantial amounts of pasture, hay, or
grain prior to weaning.
Yearling and 2-yr-old:
•Weight gain during the first 2 yr of life will not affect the final
mature size, but may affect the age at which the animal
reaches maturity.
•Very rapid rates of growth associated with an increased
incidence of bone and joint problems (osteochondrosis,
physitis, cervical vertebral malformation, and angular limb
deformities)
•Feed diets that have an adequate amount of all required
nutrients, not just energy.
•Some additional nutritional factors: Low dietary Ca, low
or high dietary P, an unbalanced Ca: P ratio, low dietary Cu,
and very high dietary Zn.

•At 1 yr of age or about 800 lb, change to a yearling diet.

Possible to start relying on hay and pasture more
extensively, but still very important to assure adequate
protein, vitamin, and mineral intakes.

•Feed based on the requirements for maintenance and

growth that is desired and feeding practice should be
based on maintaining the desired condition and
development and growth of the horse as the horse goes
into training.
Composition of concentrate mixture for growing foals

Proportion in young stock ration

Ingredients
6-12 12-24 24-48
months months months
Barley crushed 60 60 65
Toasted Soybean/GN
25 20 12
/cotton seed meal
Wheat bran 12 17 20
Common Salt 1 1.5 1.5
Dicalcium Phosphate 1.5 1 1
Trace Mineral mixture 0.5 0.5 0.5
Breeding, Gestation & Lactation
•Breeding: Most mares are not bred until 3 to 4 yr of age,
whereas successful performance horses may not be bred until
8 yr of age.

• Desirable for mares to have a foal every year, and most

mares can be rebred within a few weeks of foaling (no
lactational anestrus) - Thus often, gestation & lactation
overlap in horses.

• Just like other species, mares will use body reserves to meet
the nutrient needs for fetal growth and milk production if
they do not consume a sufficient amount of nutrients during
gestation and lactation.
Breeding/gestation:
•The recommended maintenance needs for energy and
protein should be sufficient during the breeding and early
gestation periods, but need additional nutrients during the
last 90 d because about 60% of the weight of the fetus
develops during that time.
•But, if mares are lactating, they obviously need more
nutrients.
•Loss of weight or body condition - Obviously, a clear
indication of the inadequate nutritional status.
•Ca - An inadequate Ca intake during lactation may lead to
mobilization of Ca from the bone to meet the demands, thus,
could have a significant impact on the long-term soundness if
continued over several cycles.
•Increase a nutrient intake by 10 to 20% above the
maintenance if mares lost the weight during lactation and
enter the second trimester of gestation in sub-optimal body
condition.

•During a 340-d gestation, a 500-kg mare may gain 50 to 70

kg (foal weighs about 40 to 55 kg at birth. Regular
weighing/assessing body condition scores would be helpful.

•Can meet the mare’s requirements for late gestation by

increasing feed, but they may eat less feed in late gestation,
thus necessary to change the composition of the diet, i.e., to
increase concentrate.
Lactation
•A mare has just foaled, lactating, and being prepared for
breeding.
•Obviously a period of critical nutritional stress and they must
be well nourished.
•Mares should be in a good condition prior to foaling so that
they can use their "build-up" reserves in the time of need.
•A few days before foaling, provide a bulky diet to reduce
potential constipation problems, and allow 7 to 10 d after
foaling to bring mares to full feed.
•Mares peak lactation at 3 mo. post-foaling, and a 500-kg
mare may produce over 35 lb of milk/d.
 Equine athletic performance
•Equines are known for work, i.e. athletic performance and
related progressive schooling for long periods before
subjecting them for actual physical exertion.
There are three general types of athletic performances:
1. Endurance
•Two hours and more of low intensity exertion requiring
aerobic energy production.
•Like covering long distances of 40-120KM, work for more
than 6-8 hours turn hours turn around in planes and 4-6
hours in mountainous high altitude areas with load.
2. Middle distance (800-3200 meters)
•Activity for several minutes requiring both aerobic and anacrobic
energy metabolism it includes racing.
•Show Jumping, dressage, cross country activity and short distance of
cart pulling or 2-3 hours turn around pack duties.
3. Sprint (400 meters or less)
•Activity for a minute or less at 100% exertion intensity requiring
primarily anacrobic energy production.
•These are somewhere comparable to marathon, middle distance (0.5 to
2 Km run) and 100/200 Meters sprint.
•Further, activities like polo requires sum of all three of these types of
activities.
•Show jumping requires both middle distance and sprinting activity,
whereas, tent pegging is purely similar to 100/200 meters of sprint
(Lewis, 1995).
 Types of physical movements

Walk: Walk is four beat gait with large overlap times between
phases of limbs and no period of suspension.
•It is slowest gait but is complex because of variability in the
overlap and lag time between limbs.
Trot: Trot is two beat symmetric diagonal gait. The
variations of saddled horses are collected, working,
medium and extended trot, speed of trot increases
from collected to extended trot.
•Passage and piaffe are diagonal exercise derived from
collected trot. Harnessed horses/equines express flying
trot.
Canter and gallop: Canter and gallop refer to same gait
performed at different speed.
•Canter is a slow speed 3 beat gait whereas, gallop is four
beat gait performed at a higher speed.
•In canter the stance phase of the diagonal limb pair 9leading
hind and trailing fore) are synchronized while at gallop foot
fall of the diagonal are dissociated with the leading hind limb
contacting the ground before the trailing fore limb.
•Gallop in the fastest gait (Back and Clayton, 2002).
Jump : Jump is a gallop stride in which air borne phase is a
long dissociation of the diagonals of the diagonals.
•The foot fall of the jump stride are trailing hind and leading
hind at take off then trailing fore and leading fore at landing.
•While take off, the hind limb stance phases are more
synchronized than in a normal gallop stride to produce a
powerful push off, however, footfall of the fore limbs at
landing are not synchronized (Leach et al., 1984).
 Energy requirement for athletic performance
•Energy to provide movement is derived from dephosphorylation
of ATP to ADP for muscular movement.
•To continue further, ADP must be rephosphorylated to ATP at the
rate equal to the rate of ATP usage.
•Creatine phosphate provides instantaneously available source of
energy for high intensity exertion but it is adequate for only initial
6 to 8 seconds of maximum muscle exertion.
• For additional activity another means of ATP synthesis is
necessary i.e. glycolysis, which is anaerobic metabolism of glucose
or glycogen to lactic acid.
•Anaerobic metabolism since produces less ATP (3 ATP) per
molecule of glucose it happens rapidly.
•In contrast, aerobic metabolism produces 36 molecules of ATP per
molecule of glucose and 120 molecules of ATP from fatty acids in
presence of oxygen hence: process is slow (Lewis, 1995).
Body confirmation
•Fast speed of horse while pulling heave loads, tent pegging,
or short fast gallop etc require large muscle fibers therefore
draft horses look heavy as seen for short distance sprinters,
weight lifters or wrestlers whereas, prolonged activity need
synchronization of oxygen utilization ability and breathing
depth with small muscle fibers.

•Therefore endurance, three day eventing or steeple chasing

horses look lean, having clevated lungs capacity as seen in
marathon runners with suitable cardio vascular adaptation.
Onset of fatigue
•Fatigue results in decreased activity due to numerous factors
in different situations.
Some of these factors are enumerated below:
Elevated muscle lactic acid; Lactic acid induced intracellular
acidity coupled with pain and lack of mobility inhibits muscle
excitation and energy production, thus causes slowing of the
horse towards end of the exercise engagements.
Reduction in muscle glycogen: Intense activity and depletion
of muscle glycogen results in fatigue and sudden drop in
performance.
Elevated ammonia levels: It takes place as a result of
adenosine monophosphate (AMP) deamination with exercise,
which inhibits neuromuscular function and aerobic energy
production. As a result anaerobic energy production is
necessary thereby depletion in glycogen and increase in lactic
acid production which establishes early fatigue.
•Water and electrolyte depletion: Water and electrolytes lost
through sweat, elevated breathing and hyperthermia may
contribute to fatigue.
•Lameness: Lameness altering the normal gait and placing
abnormal stress on muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments
cause fatigue where recovery phase is weeks rather than
days.
Diet and supplements for athletic performance
•Equines need high quantity of energy.
•Easy way is to feed more of concentrates and less of forage
to balance out energy needs.
•Relatively high grain and low forage diet is often offered,
however, forage must constitute at least half of the diet
consumed.
•Further, hay offered needs to be reasonably fresh, old stored
forage may compromise intake of Vit A, E, B1 and folacin for
anticipated optimum performance.
•Nutrients most needed for the exercising horse are those lost
in sweat and used to provide energy and repair of tissues.
•Those lost in sweat can be provided by consumption of good
quality water and salt.
•Additional quantity of energy can be provided by fats,
carbohydrates or proteins. Fat appears to be preferred
source; however, proteins are least preferred source for
athletic performance.
•As a result a high fat diet appears to be beneficial and high
protein diet detrimental.
Dietary protein
•Proteins are generally expensive source of energy i.e.
soybean meal cost more than corn or barley/oats, yet
provides less energy, however, contributes to early setting of
hyperthermia, excessive sweating and electrolyte loss.

•In addition, excessive loss of water through urine takes place

to clear.

•Further, presence of excessive ammonia in stables if not

ventilated may result in lack of sleep and respiratory distress.

•Therefore, protein contents of athletic equines are kept

limited from 10-16% of dry matter intake to accommodate
actual requirements.
Dietary fats
High fat diet provides several benefits which include
following:
•Fat increases total energy density without increase in dry
matter intake. Vegetable are best.
•Increases quantity of energy available for athletic performance.
•Contributes in increase of muscle glycogen for use during
anaerobic cycle while sprints (Oldham et al., 1990).
•As a result high fat diet has been shown to enhance both
aerobic and anaerobic performance and brings delay in
fatigue.
•A high fat diet appears to be better than either a high starch
or a high protein diet for both high speed and moderate
physical engagements.
•At high speed muscle glycogen use and plasma lactate
concentration were both substantially found lower when
horse were consuming high starch and low fat diet.
•Heart rate elevation plays a very important role in
determining the state of fatigue.
•A high fat diet (15%) is better than high carbohydrate (40%)
or high protein diet (25%) for both high speed and moderate
speed engagements.
•However, horse has to be tuned to utilize additional fat
allowances well before the final performance with regular
schooling exercises at least 11 weeks before actual
competitions (Pagan et al., 1987).
Frequency of feeding
•Blood glucose concentration peaks 2 to 3 hours after
consumption of grains.
•However, it does not increase with consumption of forage.
•An increase in insulin sets in hypoglycemia during exercise,
which decreases endurance and speed.
•Feeding 1.5-2 kg of grain 4 to 5 hours before and allowing
free access to forage and water until the exercise engagement
begins is recommended.
•Grains produce needed energy with moderate insulin
concentration.
•Therefore, utilization of fat will not be altered while the
physical exercise is on and hypoglycemia will not be induced
during exercise.

•Water and forage consumption maximize quantity of water

and electrolytes availability in GI tract to replace the quantity
lost during prolonged exercise.

•However, low forage high grain diet decrease GI water and

electrolytes storage with risk of failures in
endurance/racing/athletic performance (Ralston, 1988).

•Although handicap of GI tract weight due to consumption of

forage and water result in some additional pay load on horse
while on exercise but holistically such attempts are beneficial.
Sodium bicarbonate
•Sodium Bicarbonate administration is beneficial prior to
exercise engagements to buffer high quantity of lactic acid
while anaerobic activity.
•Administration of sodium bicarbonate @ 0.45 g/kg body
weight mixed in 2 litres of water through stomach tube 3.5
hours before intense exercise engagement controls heart rate,
reduces exercise induced metabolic acidosis, results in higher
plasma lactate concentration and increases muscle glycogen
utilization.
Following advantages are expected:
•Reduced intra cellular acidity.
•Facilitates possibility of increased glycolysis.
•Above two factors permits greater intensity of exertion and
delays onset of fatigue.
Thermodynamics
•Energy utilization and heat production greatly increase
during exercise.
•At gentle exercise it is 10-20% more than that is produced at
rest whereas, during moderate to intense exercise it is
elevated up to 40 to 60 times.
•If heat loss is not managed, body temperature elevation may
go from 1020F which is life threatening within very short
period from commencement of exercise.
•However, heat dissipation systems in equines are so rich that
such situation generally is not achieved.
•Heat produced in muscles is transported to skin through rush
of blood to periphery and respiratory system for dissipation.
•Since more blood circulates towards periphery less is
available for muscles which onsets fatigue due to decreased
oxygen delivery.
•This phenomenon increases more glycogen utilization and
lactic acid production.
•Evaporative cooling mechanism from skin accounts for 55 to
60% and from respiratory system 25%, which occurs even at
higher ambient temperature than body temperature.
•Balance 15 to 20% of heat dissipation is through convection.
•Evaporation is enhanced by air movement over the body
surface.
•However, these are impaired with increase of ambient
temperature and relative humidity.
•As long as sum of ambient temp and relative humidity is
below 130 units, heat loss from body surface is not a problem
when this yardstick exceeds 150 units then loss is severely
compromised and there is fear of body temp rising up to
lethal limits and if this reaches to 180 units no heat is
practically lost from body surface.
•Between 150 to 170 units it should be conducted with great
care.
•In addition, schooling also plays an important role in
maintenance of thermodynamics.
•Rectal temperature of inadequately prepared horses for
physical performances is found elevated 50% more than those
horses having proper schooling.
•Evaporation of 1 litre of sweat dissipates 580 kcal of heat
which is produced during 7 to 8 minutes of trotting of a fit
horse.
•Horses swat contains soluble proteins which have detergent
like properties that helps in dispersing sweat droplets into
thin film alongside hairs for evaporation.
•This is the reason why horse sweat lathers.
•Wiping of sweat is counter productive for thermodynamics
of body as it prevents evaporative cooling, whereas, putting
water on the horse enhances evaporation, cooling and early
establishment of comforts.
•Rate of sweating is 6.5 to 9 litres/hour for endurance and 10-
15 litres/hour for trotting or galloping.
•Extensive quantity of water loss takes place due to excessive
sweating which sometime equals to total blood volume.
•If not replaced immediately would result in 7 to 11%
dehydration of decrease of body weight up to 12-15% which
is fatal.
•Dehydration induced hypovolemia reduces blood flow to
both the muscles and skin leads to fatigue or exhaustion.
•Decreased blood flow to skin decreases heat dispersion and
forces athletic horses towards heat stress/stroke.
•Sweating results in loss of water, sodium, chloride and
potassium in large quantity whereas, calcium and magnesium
are lost in less quantity.
•Actually , plasma sodium and potassium range if analyzed in
such horses will remain within normal range but depletion in
total plasma quantity causes deficit of sodium and potassium,
which is dangerous (Lewis, 1995).
Prevention of water and electrolyte depletion
•There are no body reserves of water and electrolytes except
which are available in GI tract.
•Therefore, these items are not available when body requires
them by feeding before hand, but they can be replaced
according to losses.
•To achieve a balance salt licks and water should be available
all the time as and when required.
•Horses need 125 g of sodium and 175 g of potassium per day
during excessive sweating.
•Therefore, salt licks and grains mixed with salt are offered for
2-3 days after the exercise engagements are over.
•However, salt should not be mixed in feed continuously for
prolonged period.
•Salt in any case should not be mixed more than 0.5% of the
total diet.
•Before beginning of endurance type activity, GI tract must
contain as much water and electrolytes as possible, which can
be 6-10% of total body weight.
•This can be increased by offering of forage with availability of
salt licks and water, however, decreased by grain and pelleted
feed.
•Consumption of forage, water and salt licks before, during
and after endurance engagements is beneficial in preventing
dehydration and subsequent fatigue.
•To encourage drinking of water during prolonged
competitions horses should be offered water during
training/schooling.
•It has been noted with concern that horses those drink little
water during endurance, particularly during long and difficult
physical exertion or during hot and humid weather are less
likely to finish exertion engagements or more likely to finish
than horses those drink water adequately during prolonged
exercise.
•Thus, teaching consuming water while schooling for
prolonged engagements are always helpful.
• Cold water should be preferred over hot/warm water as it
helps to cool down horse quickly and absorb faster.
•It may not lead to colic/detrimental effect and in contras is
quite beneficial (Lewis, 1995).
•During endurance activity if temperature and humidity are
high and water source is 1-2 hours away, offering water
enroute is of great help to trained horses.
•Feeding some quantity of grains powered with electrolytes
and salt will also be very helpful.
•Offering glucose and electrolyte solution while will be of
maximum benefit but horse has to be trained for it.
• Heart rate is indicator of adaptation of schooling.
•Properly trained horse having progressive schooling must
acquire heart rate of 80-85 BPM following 5-7 minutes of rest
after exercise engagements are over.
•Basic Heart Rate indicators are as under:
Rest 30-45 BPM
Walk 80-BPM
Trot 120-140 BPM
Canter 160-200 BPM
Gallop 200 BPM
Working/Performance Horses
•Include horses being trained for various performance events
or horses used for roping, cutting, jumping, etc.
•Generally, ridden every day, and thus havea relatively high
energy expenditure, but perhaps, no greater demands for
protein, Ca, P, most trace minerals, and most fat-soluble
vitamins.
•Nutrient requirements - Vary with the type and degree of
activity, e.g., racing Quarter Horse running at maximal speed
for 400 yd or less vs. Arabian endurance horse competing
over distances of 50 to 100miles.
Energy required by performance horses:
•Affected by two primary factors - The intensity of the daily
exercise and the duration of the daily exercise.
•Some recommendations for the DE intake are based on
general categories of work effort. Increase DE by 25, 50, and
100% above maintenance for horses involved in light,
moderate, and intense exercise, respectively
•Horses performing moderate or intense work, cannot
consume enough forage to meet their energy needs, thus
must increase a concentrate.
•Addition of fat to a concentrate feed can increase energy
density without increasing feed/starch intake, and
commercially manufactured feeds nowadays contain 4 to8%
added fat.
•Also, can be added directly by top dressing.

•Feeding more than 7 lb (3.2 kg) or more of concentrate/day -

Should be fed in two to three meals depending on the
amount.

•No single meal should exceed 3 kg of concentrate.

•Feeding programs for Thoroughbred and Standard bred

racehorses - Often, restrict forage intake the night or morning
before a race to decrease bulk in the gastrointestinal tract.
Protein:
•Working horses need more dietary protein than sedentary
horses. Reasons:
a) Protein is lost in sweat.
b) Small amount of protein may be broken down during
exercise.
c) Horses in training may retain slightly more nitrogen than
horses at maintenance.
•The magnitude of the needed increase may be small, and if
feed intake is increased to satisfy the energy demand,
perhaps, the protein requirement would be almost always
satisfied.
Electrolytes & other minerals:
•Horse sweat is very high in Na, K, and CI, and exercise can
result in losses of these minerals.
•Electrolytes cannot be stored in the body, thus the needs
must be satisfied on a daily basis.
•Should give a small amount of a balanced supplement at
regular intervals during a long ride.
•Little is known about the effect of exercise on the
requirement for other minerals, even though it is known that
Ca and P intakes are most critical for young horses.
•A reasonable guideline for mineral requirements in
exercising horses? - Perhaps, increase the mineral intake (in
grams per day) in proportion to the increase in the energy
intake.
Vitamins:
•Performance horses may require a higher dietary
concentration of some vitamins than sedentary horses.
•Many B vitamins are synthesized by microbes, but it may be
better to ensure that by providing, at least, 50% of the need by
the diet.
•Important ones: Thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid,
choline, biotin,folic acid, and B12, and also vitamin E.
Water:
•Following a heavy exercise, small quantities (a few swallows)
of water should be provided at 5- to 10 min intervals until
thirst is quenched.
•By doing that, can prevent digestive disturbances and
possibly founder from excessive water intake.