Newsdate: Tue 15 April 2014 – 8:25 am
Location: DAVIS, California

In their Spring 2014 Horse Report, UC Davis has published its latest summary of nutrition recommendations to help horse owners maximize the health of their horses and maintain fitness and well being for horses of all ages in all situations.

Better nutrition = Better horse health

In their Spring 2014 Horse Report, UC Davis has published its latest summary of nutrition recommendations to help horse owners maximize the health of their horses and maintain fitness and well being for horses of all ages.

Here are the recommendations:

• The primary diet should have a foundation in forage, regardless of whether the horse is a retires pasture ornament or an Olympic level show jumper.
• Careful selection of forages can mitigate a number of problems observed in equine athletes.
• The purpose of concentrate feeds and supplements should be to provide what is missing in the forage portion of the ration. For nearly all forages this means a source of trace minerals, certain vitamins and fatty acids.
• For horses that cannot maintain condition on forage and a ration balancer, a more calorie-dense feed should be added to the ration.
• Horses that are overfed calories can become exuberant and when this is not given an appropriate outlet such as turnout, undesirable behaviors under saddle can result.
• For those struggling to keep weight off their easy keepers or who feed commercial feeds in quantities less than the manufacturer-recommended amounts, a suboptimal diet can result. Horses may appear to be in good condition, when, in fact, they are suffering from a level of malnourishment.
• Fat sources are an effective way of adding large amounts of supplemental energy to a ration. However, when fed in excess, fat has the potential to disrupt hindgut fermentation and absorption of some minerals. As always, the key is finding the correct balance. Canola oil has a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 and should not be fed in excess of 2 cups/day for a 1,000 pound horse. Rice bran is higher in omega-6 and should not be fed in excess of 2 pounds/day. Note that any additions to the diet should be made gradually over 7 to 10 days. Exception to these quantities can occur under veterinary supervision.
• Fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 can be found in good-quality fresh pasture and flax. Grains and oils provide larger amounts of omega-6. Approximately 15 to 25 g/day of supplemental omega-3 is often recommended for a 1,100 pound horse; a cup of ground flax provides about 22.5/g. Approximately 5.5 g/day of omega-6 is recommended for a 1,200 pound horse. Exercise caution with herbal anti-inflammatory supplements as they may violate anti-doping regulations.
• Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that protects cell membranes from oxidative damage. It can be found in good-quality pasture and quality commercial feeds. Vitamin E should be supplements in the natural a-tocopheral form which is water soluble.A dosage of 4,000 IU/day is recommended for horses with neuromuscular disease.
• Whenever possible, hay should be tested especially when several months of hay are purchased at one time. Make sure that the lab chosen provides equine-based information.
• Provide a source of salt to ensure that the daily minimium sodium requirement is met.

Read the entire 2014 Spring Horse Report