Effect of short (<2cm) lucerne chaff addition on the intake and glycaemic response of a sweet feed

Nutritional Considerations When Dealing with an Obese Adult Equine

Equine obesity is common, reducing quality of life and requiring dietary energy restriction. Equine obesity is identified using subjective body condition scoring. Considerations are given for life stage and health status when managing obese equines. Every effort should be made to maximize feeding duration, and minimize time spent without feed while meeting all essential nutrient requirements. Limiting total daily dry matter intake to 2% of current bodyweight per day of a low caloric, forage-based diet may result in adequate body weight loss. Weight loss and weight management plans should be monitored for success and potential gastrointestinal, metabolic, and/or behavioral complications.

Introduction to automatic forage stations and measurement of forage intake rate in an active open barn for horses

Interest in the use of open barns on Swedish horse farms is increasing as an alternative to keeping horses in box stalls and as a 2007 law requires phasing out of tie stalls. To provide adequate forage to satisfy welfare requirements for nutrition, gut health and behavioural needs, the use of automated feeding is also increasing. Studies on forage intake rate report wide variation but provide little information on how to introduce horses to an automatic forage station and on how forage intake rate varies in individual horses fed using an automatic forage station. This study documented the process of training 22 horses to use a transponder-controlled automatic forage feeding station and measured forage intake rates. Observations on the learning period of horses for transponder-controlled automatic forage stations showed that after 4 days, 48% of the horses had reached the goal of 90% intake. After 8 days, learning was completed in 71% of horses and at 16 days in 95% of horses. Measurements of forage intake rate revealed significant differences between individual horses. Overall mean intake rate ± SD, based on 314 observations, was 22.4 ± 6.7 min/kg forage DM. Evaluation of the number of intake measurements required to set a representative average ration in the automatic station for an individual horse showed that the variation levelled off at four samples. In conclusion, horses quickly learned how to use an automatic forage station, with two-thirds of horses achieving this within 7 days. To ensure the correct ration in a timed transponder-controlled automatic forage station, each horse's forage intake rate must be measured at least four times to obtain a representative average.

Taste Preferences of Horses in Relation to Their Breed and Sex

The aim of this study was to determine the taste preferences of horses in relation to their breed and sex. Forty-eight adult purebred Arabian, Anglo-Arabian, Polish Konik, and Polish cold-blooded horses-stallions and mares in equal numbers-were examined in the study. During the experiment, five types of industrially processed feeds based on oats and natural dried products commonly regarded as horse treats (i.e., sour and sweet apples, carrots, sugar beet molasses, and barley with salt) were given to horses in buckets on three consecutive days. The behavior of the horses during the experiment was evaluated, as was the way in which they expressed their taste preferences, the sequence in which they consumed the pellets, the time they took to become interested in the pellets, and the time they took to consume each kind of pellet. The taste preferences of the horses were found to depend on their breed and sex. Pellets containing molasses were consumed more willingly by mares than stallions. Feeds with the addition of apples or carrots were the favorite treats of all tested breeds. The greatest variety in pellet taste preferences was found in purebred Arabian horses. Pellets with a distinct sweet taste or slightly salty cereals should be given to horses if other options are not available. In most cases, these two additions were chosen last by the horses in the experiment. Primitive horses had a distinct manner of expressing taste sensations. Horse behavior indicating an interest in a feed should not be taken as a proof of its tastiness. The first food chosen is not necessarily the one consumed most quickly.