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Nutrition. requirements change throughout life growth pregnancy lactation work essential nutrients protein **carbohydrates **fat **minerals **vitamins **H 2 O. Protein. AA - compounds of muscle, enzymes and hormone 8-10% protein for mature horse
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Nutrition • requirements change throughout life • growth • pregnancy • lactation • work • essential nutrients • protein • **carbohydrates • **fat • **minerals • **vitamins • **H2O
Protein • AA - compounds of muscle, enzymes and hormone • 8-10% protein for mature horse • ample protein with high quality hay and grain • poor hay - add SBM, or oilseed products • quality hay • limiting AA - lysine and methionine • excess methionine depletes copper and zinc (hoof wall) • exercise - little if any increase needed • usually met with increase of ration • excessive protein - increased fluid loss in sweat and urine • need more H2O
Carbohydrate • primary source in equine diet • consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen • sugars, starches, celluloses • absorbed from intestine as glucose • glucose stimulates insulin release, which lowers blood glucose • peak levels of glucose and insulin about 2 hours after feeding - normal in 5 hours • excess CHO stored as glycogen in muscle or liver • exercise - increase grain to hay ratio to increase energy available
Fat • concentrated source of energy - twice the calories as CHO • composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen as fatty acids • feed fat to provide 5-15% of energy in diet • add fat supplement - raise energy content of ration without increasing volume • in pelleted feeds - rancidity • digest and utilize fats readily - 90% • absorbed from intestine into bloodstream • stored as triglycerides in muscle or adipose tissue - principal source for aerobic metabolism
Minerals • inorganic substances • formation of structural components and energy transfer • exercise • maintain osmotic pressure and fluid balance • activity of nervous and muscular systems • macrominerals • calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium, sulfur • microminerals • cobalt, copper, fluorine, iodine, iron, manganese, selenium, zinc
exercise - sodium, potassium, chloride • calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc • excess excreted in urine • over-supplementation • one mineral prevents absorption of another • zinc inhibits calcium and copper absorption • calcium inhibits zinc absorption • manganese interferes with iron absorption
calcium • 35% of bone structure • essential for muscle contraction • formation of hoof wall • 20 g/day • exercise - increase calcium met with increase in feed • hay • legumes are high in calcium • grass and grain diet - add calcium carbonate (limestone)
phosphorus • 15% of skeleton • require for energy transfer reaction - ATP and ADP • 15 g/day • calcium:phosphorus ratio 1:1 • potassium • major intracellular cation • maintain osmotic pressure and acid-base balance • 25 g/day to 45 g/day (hard work) • hays - high in potassium • grains - low potassium (.3-.4%)
sodium • major extracellular cation • maintain acid base balance and osmotic regulation • 7.5 g/day for idle horse • feeds lower than .1 % sodium • add sodium chloride (salt) • large increase required with exercise • can tolerate high levels of salt • free access to water • chloride • extracellular anion • acid base balance and osmotic regulation • no requirement established yet • requirement met with salt
magnesium • .05% of body mass • 60% for skeleton • activator of enzymes • 7.5 g/day • requirement increases for hard working horses • iron • constituent of hemoglobin • limited info on requirements • adequate amount from feed • anemia - iron deficiency
selenium • component of enzyme glutathione peroxidase • cell membrane damage • .1 mg/kg of the diet • deficient geographic areas • horses absorb selenium efficiently (77%) / ruminants (29%) • deficiency may limit horse’s performance • can be toxic - 2 mg/kg of the diet