Feeding Your Icelandic Horse(Sample diet at end of chapter) One cannot discuss feeding without discussing nutrition. The same thing? Not really. Feeding implies a sufficient quantity of food such that the animal can survive. Nutrition looks deeper to provide the correct balance of foods so that the animal remains healthy and fit for the job it is required to do. There are six major building blocks in nutrition: water, protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals. Most horse diets have sufficient water, too much carbohydrate and insufficient protein, vitamins and minerals. In the following pages are some common misconceptions about the various nutritional blocks and ways to achieve a correct nutritional balance based on fact and not mythology. WATER Clean, fresh water should be in constant and plentiful supply. Most horse keepers know this and ensure that water is always available to the horse. There are a few myths to be exploded here. It always used to be said that you should not allow a hot horse to drink a lot of water. Since the increased popularity of endurance riding this has been discredited. If the horse is thirsty you should allow it to drink its fill. The only sensible precaution should be to take the chill off very cold water before the hot horse drinks a bucket full. Near freezing water can cause colic but Icelandic horses are believed to be less prone to this than other breeds. PROTEIN Protein perhaps is the most misunderstood of the nutritional building blocks. Protein is essential for building muscle and repairing tissue. It is one of the essential building blocks of life and is essential to the health of your horse. Protein has had rather an unfair bad press with a lot of misinformation being passed on from horse owner to horse owner. The result is that the majority of horse diets are deficient in protein. Here are some myths. First it is often said that too much protein can cause an allergic reaction. It is true that proteins can be allergens, however it is not true that an allergic response will be triggered in response to an increase in protein. An individual horse is either allergic to a specific protein or it is not. Secondly, it is said that you cannot feed a horse anything that contains more than 10% protein. It is now believed that the diet should contain around 10% protein (young and old horses need more). If one considers that half of a horse’s diet may be made up of hay containing around 6% protein then it goes to show that the remainder of the diet must have 14% protein to make up the deficit. Those figures become less exact when you consider that the available protein may be lacking in some essential amino acids so we may have to feed a much higher percentage of protein to ensure the essentials are provided. The horse uses the amino acids in proteins to create its building blocks to build muscle and tissue. A few of these amino acids are in relatively short supply in standard foods. These are called limiting amino acids because without them there are a lot of building blocks that cannot be made and the horse remains deficient. This might mean that the immune system, for example, may not be as efficient as it could be. Lysine is one of these essential amino acids and it is known that Lysine is deficient in most cereals. Methionine is another and this is essential to the utilisation of Biotin, a vitamin that promotes healthy hair and horn. Deficiency in methionine often results in poor hoof quality. Products that contain soya and linseed are recommended as they do contain sufficient quantities of all amino acids needed to repair tissue and build strong bone and muscle. Linseed that is precooked and sold as lozenges (not the seeds which can be toxic and not the oil which has no protein in it) is a little short in lysine but otherwise has good available amino acids for the adult horse though its lack of lysine means it may not be as good for young horses. Soya typically has around 40% protein and linseed has around 28% protein. Both represent excellent horse feeds and will not lead to the same metabolic problems caused by too much carbohydrate. In practice it has been shown that feeding a horse an excess of protein is fairly harmless. Excess protein in the diet may raise your horse’s temperature. A small price to pay to ensure good muscle and bone. Spring grass represents a potential problem area. Carbohydrate in the grass may lead to laminitis and other metabolic problems. The fact that the protein level in spring grass is also higher leads people to blame the protein for these problems whereas new research has shown that ‘fructans’ i.e. carbohydrates and not protein, as commonly suspected, help cause laminitis. CARBOHYDRATE The traditional horse diet is based on cereals. In the UK this relies mainly on oats and barley as these are in easy supply but can also include maize. Cereals provide a high level of carbohydrate with varying amounts of proteins and almost invariably an over abundance of phosphorous at the expense of calcium. Traditionally, cereals are fed to increase energy levels for work. Feed cereals to Icelandic horses with care! A large carbohydrate meal raises the insulin level quite dramatically and they are less able to cope with this than big horses. That is not to say that cereals do not have their place. They should be used sparingly and only where the horse is in regular medium to hard work. Flaked maize is the easiest cereal for a horse to digest. It contains a simple starch which is fully digested in the small intestine so the risk of passing partly digested material to the large intestine is reduced. This minimises the chance of a type of fermentation that can result in colic, azoturia or laminitis. A small amount of flaked maize goes a long way. Where people mainly go wrong is in feeding the same volume of maize as they would barley or oats when much less is required. An excess of carbohydrate will lead to obesity, metabolic problems like laminitis and azoturia, filled legs, spookiness and over exuberance. Given a balanced diet with the correct proteins, Icelandic horses should need very little in the way of carbohydrate feeds. FAT Like carbohydrates, fat is another energy rich food. Fat provides slow release energy and not a short term boost for immediate fast work like carbohydrate. Fat is therefore a more useful type of energy food for horses. It provides a constant energy source for prolonged work. Many endurance riders have been known to add a cup of oil to their horse’s daily feed to provide the essential enduring energy that their horses require. Soya and linseed both provide a high level of fat for the horse in the form of essential fatty acids. This is much more appropriate than adding refined oil to the horse’s diet. VITAMINS Vitamins are required in tiny amounts and have not all yet been fully defined in terms of their role in horse nutrition. However, enough has been researched to identify essential vitamins. There are some that are not required by the horse and the main one is Vitamin C. Studies have shown that the horse cannot absorb Vitamin C when it is given orally. If a Vitamin C supplement is needed, for example post operation or after a prolonged illness, then a vet must give it intravenously. So, if your supplement has vitamin C it is a waste of your money. Many B Vitamins are used in abundance during times of stress including travelling, competing, going to stud or illness. As well as being found in food they are also manufactured in the horse’s gut. When the horse is subjected to stress one of the first things that becomes disrupted is the gut flora. This can interrupt the manufacture of the B group of Vitamins and so a bad situation may be made worse. The horse needs supplementation under these circumstances. It is not unusual for vets to recommend a course of vitamin B injections to horses recovering from illness or after an exhausting journey (for example a trip from Iceland). Vitamin of the B group are ‘water soluble’ which means that an excess is simply passed out in the urine. Fat soluble vitamins like A, D and E must not be overfed as excess can lead to toxic signs which are similar to those of deficiency. Vitamin A, or beta carotene, is essential for eyesight. Horses requiring supplementation of Vitamin A often have ‘tears’ running down their cheeks. There is usually an abundance in grass, however horses can become deficient in drought conditions. Lack of vitamin A has also been linked to infertility in mares. Vitamin A can be overfed however as it is fat soluble. Care should be taken in feeding carrots and oils. A daily carrot will not cause problems, however large amounts can be toxic because the horse will be getting too much Vitamin A. Vitamin D is also often over fed. Cod liver oil is extremely rich in vitamin D. This is sold in large quantities as a horse supplement. It may help stabled horses, however horses which usually live out will probably get enough vitamin D from ultra violet in daylight. Too much Vitamin D can hinder the uptake of calcium. The only other vitamin to discuss here is biotin. Biotin has been hailed as a wonder vitamin for the promotion of healthy hooves. It has proven to help some cases of brittle hooves. However, care should be taken in isolating one vitamin to solve a problem. The answer usually lies in the correct balance of vitamins and this should always be linked to their associated minerals and trace elements. All of the nutrients interact with one another to provide adequate nutrition for life and the body’s systems. So for instance, where poor feet are a problem, the whole diet needs to be assessed and correctly balanced.. (In the case of feet, correct trimming is essential to the quality of the horn. The tubules need to be correctly aligned with the limb and the ground to act with their optimum strength). These are only a few of the vitamins that are essential to the horse’s health. MINERALS The major minerals are calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium and potassium. The horse needs a supply of each of these daily. The ones that are most commonly deficient are Calcium and Magnesium. Calcium and Phosphorous These two are interdependent and need to be fed in the correct ratio for optimum uptake. An excess of Phosphorous will result in blocking the absorption of calcium. There is a strong argument for taking care in the feeding of cereals, as they are rich in phosphorous at the expense of calcium. Therefore, where cereals are fed care should be taken that a mineral balancing feed is present. Alfalfa can provide this sort of balance, as it is a rich source of calcium. Common signs of a lack of calcium are poor hoof quality and also a tendency to get the ‘thumps’ or synchronous diaphragmatic flutter when the heartbeat keeps time with the respiration. Calcium and phosphorous are essential for a healthy skeleton as well as certain muscle functions. Calcium deficiency can lead to joint diseases in growing young stock. Magnesium Magnesium is often the most neglected mineral in horse feeds. It is often said that horses do not suffer from magnesium deficiency therefore it does not need to be added to horse diets. Cattle and sheep can suffer dramatic magnesium deficiency in the spring leading to ‘staggers’. Certainly horses do not show such dramatic signs however they can and do show signs of magnesium deficiency and some horses appear to be more prone to this than others. Spring grass is typically deficient in magnesium due to the fast growth rate. At this time of year many horses ‘go off their heads’. Owners often put it down to too much carbohydrate in the grass and this may be part of the story. However what is often overlooked is that these horses may be deficient in magnesium. Magnesium deficiency has varying effects on the horse population. Some horses do not suffer any signs while others are almost unrideable due to their apparent silliness’ and hyperactivity. Adding magnesium to their diet may have a dramatically calming effect. Magnesium is also used up more quickly in times of stress, such as travelling. Many competition horses can become more excitable as the season progresses since they are using the available magnesium too quickly through stress and are suffering deficiency symptoms. It is no surprise that products sold as ‘calming’ supplements, are almost always based on magnesium. Beware though, Magnesium Sulphate, or Epsom salts is a water hungry form of magnesium and will cause problems if fed more than three days in a row. Magnesium Oxide or Magnesium Glutamate should be used for supplementation. Sodium Sodium is almost always fed as sodium chloride, or common salt. This is essential to the correct function of the gut and muscle. Deficiency causes sweating, muscle tremors, weakness and colic. One myth to explode here is that horses will take what they need from a salt block. Indeed when horses are in hard work and are losing salt in sweat every day, so they may hard pushed to get what they need to replace the losses from licking a salt block. When horses are sweating on a daily basis it is essential to replace the lost sodium by adding a couple of teaspoons of salt to the feed. Where the horse is sweating excessively daily, as it would in long distance riding training, then at least a tablespoon a day should be fed. Any excess will be passed out harmlessly in the urine. Trace Elements Trace elements are mineral elements required in tiny amounts. Some of these are essential to the synthesis or uptake of vitamins or other minerals. They are interdependent and must be present in relation to each other to be effective. For example selenium is essential to the utilisation of vitamin E. Trace element deficiencies will give rise to illnesses and inefficient function of some body systems. For example zinc and copper are essential for healthy hoof and hair. You will find these elements in supplements that are directed towards these areas. It is always best practice to feed a balanced supplement containing trace elements in the correct ratio rather than supplementing single trace elements. ROUGHAGE Roughage or fibre is essential to the correct functioning of the horse’s digestive system so no discussion of nutrition would be complete without mentioning this essential subject. The ideal form of roughage is chopped fibrous material such as chopped hay or straw. Alfalfa chop and alfalfa mixtures with hay and straw also provide this essential ingredient and help in providing calcium in the diet. The action of chewing activates the horse’s salivary glands. Unlike dogs which salivate at the sight or smell or even the suggestion of a meal, horses require the direct stimulus of chewing to produce saliva. Saliva is the first step in the digestive process as it provides essential enzymes which begin the breakdown of the food. Food with a lot of stems in it ensures that the food must be chewed for a sufficient length of time to wrap it in a sufficient amount of saliva. Nuts and grains are too easily chewed and may be swallowed with insufficient accompanying saliva to digest them properly. It is recommended that each meal should be fed in short chopped form. Nuts, cereals, grains and powders should be mixed with ‘chop’ to ensure good digestion. The balance of the horse’s diet should never be less than 60% roughage feed and 40% ‘short’ feed. Hay, straw and haylage can all be fed as the bulk of the horse’s diet. Each has its associated management difficulties. Hay can be dusty and can be detrimental to the horse’s breathing. It should never be fed if it is musty or mouldy. Sometimes even the best hay has to be fed wet to keep dust spores down. Hay soaked before feeding should not be soaked for more than half an hour and the water should be changed frequently. The quality of hay is also extremely varied and poor hay can be less nutritious than good quality straw. Typically hay in Britain varies between 5% and 8% protein. The older the hay generally the less protein it contains so two year old hay would typically contain no more than 5% protein. Straw provides excellent fibre but is deficient in protein. If straw is fed then a good source of high protein supplement should also be fed. A mixture of alfalfa chop and soya meal would do the trick. Haylage is becoming more popular as a source of winter roughage. Small bales are expensive and you should be provided with an analysis of the nutritional value. Big bale haylage is only practical for large numbers of horses as the bales do not keep for long once opened. Haylage typically has a higher nutritional value than hay or straw and so less supplementary feeding will be required. CONCLUSION Many Icelandic horses are fed rations which contain dramatically lower nutritional value than we have proposed. These horses rarely reach the optimum levels of fitness and many are in very light work and so problems often do not arise. Certainly the feeding rate should match the work done however horses should not be expected to carry out prolonged periods of regular work without receiving good proteins and a vitamin mineral supplement daily. Sample diet for horse in regular medium work
Sample Diet So, to put this all into practice exactly what does this mean in terms of the horse’s actual diet. Here is a suggestion for a healthy horse that is ridden six days a week for between one and two hours a day by a medium weight adult: Hay approx 10lbs. or limited grazing. Short Feed Twice a day: 1 lb Dengie Alfa-A (increase in winter, decrease in Spring) 1lb Dengie Hi-fi (increase in Spring, decrease in winter) ½ lb soya meal (increase in winter) ¼ lb linseed (cut down in spring or if droppings are loose – cut out and feed more soya instead if preferred) ¼ lb flaked maize (increase if fast work increases – cut out if horse is too fat or too lively) Broad based Vitamin mineral supplement teaspoon salt (double this if the horse sweats) Note that this is a rough suggestion. Every individual varies in its utilisation of foods. You should be prepared to vary the amounts. Some horses do well with the Alfa-A and others cannot take it. You have to get to know your own animal and what works best for it. Do be careful not to cut down too much on the available protein, except perhaps in the spring when the grass is growing rapidly. Even then it is better to limit the access to the grass ands feed some soya as then you are sure that the horse is getting all of the essential amino acids. WORK
LEVEL Assessing
the work level for the horse is something you have to learn to do.
If you are a large person and have a small horse the work level for that
horse will be quite different than for your friend who may be lighter with a
larger horse. However, as a rule of
thumb light to medium work would constitute a daily ride of around an hour with
at least half of that being at trot speed or faster.
Medium to hard work would include regular periods at racing speed or
daily work over two hours per day with at least half of that being at trot speed
or faster or with the addition of steep hillwork.
The age and stage of fitness and training of your horse is also a factor
in assessing the workload.
|