The Horse:Your Guide To Equine Health Care provides monthly equine health care information to horse owners, breeders, veterinarians, barn/farm managers, trainer/riding instructors, and others involved in the hands-on care of the horse.
Issue link: https://thehorse.epubxp.com/i/475867
38 TheHorse.com The horse April 2015 Kentucky, in Lexington. Although turnout is still important, do not rely on pasture to be a major source of nutrients for incisorless horses. Horses without molars have difficulty grinding their feed, Lawrence says, so avoid feeds that require this process, whether it's to break hard seed coats (in corn, wheat, or sorghum) or to reduce particle size prior to swallowing (such as with long stem grass or hay). This is particularly important because wads of hay or grass called boluses can lodge in the esophagus, causing choke. "If the molars are missing, then the feed must be preprocessed to some extent," she says. Knowing all of this, building a total ra - tion for a toothless horse based on forage might be quite a feat. Adding age into the equation, as some evidence suggests that aging might compromise nutri - ent digestion, particularly of fiber and protein, only complicates things. Luckily, these equids still have plenty of feed options. As far as forage goes, toothless horses should always have free-choice access to either pasture or hay, allowing for a more natural foraging behavior to help decrease the chances of digestive upsets, such as gastric ulcers and colic, developing. Choke-prone horses are the only exception to the rule and should not be allowed access to long-stemmed hay or pasture. That's when alternative fiber sources come into play; hay cubes, pel - lets, chopped forage (or chaff), and beet pulp can provide quality fiber to the diet of horses no longer able to chew long- stemmed forage. To help your horse get the most nutrients out of grains, such as oats and soybeans, choose a product that's been processed by pelleting or extrud - ing. Rutgers University researchers have found that feeding a pellet/extruded mixed ration improves body weight, health, and coat condition in aged horses better than traditional sweet feeds. In the pelleting process feedstuffs are ground, mixed together, pressed through a die, and cut to a desired length. Steam, used to gelatinize starch, can further increase digestibility. Pelleted feeds offer several advantages: They allow for a more uniform distribu - tion of ingredients, prevent horses from sorting grains, and usually contain higher fiber components such as beet pulp. But keep in mind that horses often consume pelleted rations more quickly than other feeds, as supported by research done in pony mares in the United Kingdom. Law - rence suggests that feeding forage before the concentrate might slow down intake. During the extrusion process grains are ground, mixed together, exposed to high steam and pressure, and forced through a die, where they expand and form a kibble shape prior to cooling. Ex - truded feeds can improve horses' starch and protein digestion and might extend eating time. Complete feeds are those formulated to meet all of a horse's nutritional require - ments without hay or pasture. These all-in-one products are typically pel - leted rations high in crude fiber (>16%) that contain a variety of digestible fiber sources such as alfalfa meal, soybean hulls, and beet pulp. Generally speak - ing, you can offer complete feeds with or without hay or pasture. When fed without forage, feeding rates should be at least 1% of body weight per day to meet the horse's daily fiber requirements. Not all high-fiber, pelleted feeds are considered complete feeds, but one quick check of the label's feeding directions will tell you whether the product should be fed with forage. The chart below can help you gauge your horses' complete feed needs. Management Techniques Owners can easily add a few steps to their daily feeding practices that will positively affect the dentally challenged horse's digestion and overall health. Dividing feed, especially complete ra - tions, into smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day, for instance, offers several health advantages. This also applies to both concentrates and hay or forage alternatives. "If you pulverize or soften feed for a toothless horse, the reduced amount of chewing may result in very short meal times," Lawrence adds. Without adequate chew time, horses might be at risk of developing digestive disturbances, such as ulcers, or behavioral vices. One vice that researchers have tied to lack of qual - ity foraging time is cribbing. Although it might be a challenge scheduling-wise, most nutritionists recommend feeding at least three or four meals (spaced) evenly throughout the day. Another feeding tip is to moisten pellets, kibble, and hay cubes prior to mealtime. "Chewing results in saliva production, and saliva moistens the feed so it is easier to swallow," says Lawrence. Therefore, if a horse with few teeth tends istocK.coM Pounds/day Pounds/day Average Daily Work when fed when fed as a with forage complete feed Idle/Inactive 9-14 12.5-20 Less than 30 minutes a day 12.5-17.5 17.5-25 30-60 minutes a day 17.5-21 25-30 Example feeding rates for a 1,100 pound horse consuming a complete feed.—Kristen Janicki, MS, PAS NUTRITION Horses that are missing incisors might have a hard timing grasping short plants in overgrazed or mowed pastures. HOw mUcH cOmpleTe feed dOes yOUR HORse Need?