Transcript Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies

Equine Nutrition- Native
Ponies
Nicholas Canning BSc (Hons)
Ruminant Nutritionist
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
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27th October 2012
- Native ponies have usually undergone evolution to be able to survive in harsh
conditions.
- They have adapted to utilize poor quality grazing and be constantly moving in
search of fresh grazing areas
- The difficulty arises balancing up trickle feeding animals with higher quality
pastures than they require.
- Their natural environment would allow up to 18 hours a day grazing.
- Digestive tract:
- Mouth – masticate food and wet food with saliva
- Stomach- Capacity of 9-15 litres, The cardiac sphincter doesn’t relax to allow
regurgitation.
- Small Intestine- Makes up 30% of the digestive tract. Site of some starch
digestion, Amino acids, fats, Vitamins and mineral absorbed here.
- Hindgut
- Cecum – Large Colon- Small colon. Fibre digesters most active around pH
6.2-6.8 whereas starch digesters prefer pH 5-6
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
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Microbial Fermentation – Fibrous and non-Fibrous Carbohydrate attacked by microbes.
Breaks down into VFA’s, Gas, B-Vitamins, Vit K. and protein/Amino Acids. VFA’s are
metabolized for energy whereas gas is wasted energy.
Feeding the Pony:
(Animal Protein/Energy Requirements)- (Supplied Feed) = Change in Body condition
If the amount supplied is greater than required than an increase in body condition will
occur. If the animal doesn’t receive enough then it will lose condition.
Protein
Protein is needed by the horse for growth and repair of new cells and tissues. Quality of
protein is just as important as quantity. Growing horses need 14-16% protein total
ration, Mature horses 8-10% with aged horses (>20years old) requiring protein levels
similar to young growing horses
Starch
Made up of non-structural carbohydrates which are broken down by the horse in the
small intestine to provide energy. This energy is generally fast release which provides a
Sudden burst of energy. This however can cause excitable
Behaviour so is sometimes best to be avoided.
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Requirements
Based upon the animals weight, status and work.
Weight can either be measured or calculated:
Girth (cm) x Girth (cm) X Body Length (cm)
11877
Height
Type
Light
Med.
Heavy
10hh
Pony
150
180
200
11hh
Pony
200
220
270
12hh
Pony
280
300
320
13hh
Pony
300
320
340
14hh
Pony
350
370
390
14.2hh
Pony
400
430
460
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
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Energy requirements is measured in DE(MJ) =18 + BW(KG)
10
So for a 400kg Pony then the DE requirement for
maintenance is 58MJ in total
Energy requirements will increased based on the
amount and type of work the horse is undergoing.
Forage analysis is usually measure in MJ/kg DM
ME is approximately 83% of DE so therefore ME value
would be 48 MJ in total
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
Macromineral
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Recommendation
Calcium
21g
Chlorine
80 mg per kg BW
Magnesium
15 mg/kg body weight
Phosphorus
14 g/day
Potassium
0.05 g/kg body weight
Sodium
0.02 g/kg body weight
Sulphur
0.15% of dry matter intake
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
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Vitamin Deficiencies-
Vitamin A deficiency is characterized by night blindness, However, clinical
signs of deficiency (mainly night blindness) are hard to induce in horses,
and require very low levels of carotene intake over a long period of time (at
least a year or more). Impaired growth has been reported in growing
ponies deprived of carotene. As a result, it is thought that growth
parameters are a more sensitive indicator of carotene deficiency than
clinical signs.
Vitamin D deficiency is also not a huge concern as they need very little.
Rickets is the disease that develops if a horse does not get enough D.
Rickets is also called soft-bone disease, and the main symptom is bone
deformities, especially in the limbs. In most practical horse-keeping
situations, assuming the horse gets at least some exposure to sunlight, or
some supplemental D in the diet, D deficiency is not going to be a problem.
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
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Vitamin E -White muscle disease is the disease that is commonly
thought of when vitamin E deficiency is being discussed. This
disease is also known as nutritional muscular dystrophy, and is a
degenerative disease that affects the heart and skeletal muscles of
foals under a year of age.
Vitamin K- Problems with blood clotting is the major symptom of
vitamin K deficiency. It is caused by those Gla-proteins being formed
the wrong way and not being able to do their job correctly.
In humans, K deficiency has also been implicated in diseases
affecting bone and heart health. If the horse consumes K
antagonists, deficiency symptoms can appear. One of these
antagonists, dicoumarol, is produced by mouldy sweet clover hay.
Problems with blood clotting from consuming mouldy sweet clover
hay (and thus dicoumarol) HAVE been reported in horses.
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
Current Grass Analysis
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Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
Current Fresh Grass Mineral Analysis
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Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
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The Sums
Based upon the 15-19th October data (ME = 12.4MJ/KGDM , DM=14.9% and Protein
=22.5%
The Pony requires 48MJ in total for maintenance
E.G 1 The pony weighs 400kg and eats 2% BW Grass= 8kgDm
8kg DM = 99.2MJ (overfeeding of 207%)
E.G 2 The pony weighs 400kg and eats 1.5% BW Grass= 6kgDM
6kgDM = 74.4MJ (overfeeding of 155%)
E.G3 The pony weighs 400kg and is restricted to 1% BW Grass = 4kgDM
4kg DM = 49.6MJ (overfeeding of 103%)
These same calculations apply for fermented forages.
To supply maintenance to this pony on an ad-lib feeding basis then the energy density
Of the total ration would need to be 6MJ/KG.
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Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
The Mineral Sums
Average Mineral Profiles 2012
Fresh Grass
Scotland
Element
8kg DMI
6kg DMI
4kg DMI
Requirements
Calcium
%
0.39
3.124706
2.343529
1.562353
Phosphorus
%
0.24
1.901176
1.425882
0.950588
Magnesium
%
0.14
1.12
0.84
0.56
Sodium
%
0.11
0.847059
0.635294
0.423529
Potassium
%
1.75
14.00471
10.50353
7.002353
Sulphur
%
0.14
1.101176
0.825882
0.550588
Chloride
%
0.66
5.317647
3.988235
2.658824
220
1762.824
1322.118
881.4118
CAB
0
0
0
Iron
mg/kg
599.8
4798.682
3599.012
2399.341
Manganese
mg/kg
185.2
1481.52
1111.14
740.76
Cobalt
mg/kg
0.44
3.487059
2.615294
1.743529
Zinc
mg/kg
23.3
186.56
139.92
93.28
Selenium
mg/kg
0.059
0.468706
0.351529
0.234353
Aluminium
mg/kg
497.6
3980.894
2985.671
1990.447
Lead
mg/kg
0.84
6.738824
5.054118
3.369412
Molybdenum
mg/kg
1.36
10.85176
8.138824
5.425882
0
0
0
Copper
mg/kg
5.8
46.4
34.8
23.2
No. of samples
17
21
6
20
1.44
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
Hay
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VS.
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Haylage
Equine Nutrition- Native Ponies
Biotin
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