M
ORE recently, researchers have turned their attention to feeding behaviour and the results of these studies are helping horse owners to feed their animals in a more natural manner, while meeting nutrient requirements and minimising performance-crippling digestive and metabolic disorders. This article discusses the advantages and practicalities of feeding fibre-based diets to racehorses.
Problems with high-cereal diets There is now clear evidence to show that feeding high levels of cereal-based concentrates predisposes horses to gastric ulcers, colic, laminitis, and set-fast (azoturia), all of which have serious negative impacts on performance. The incidence of gastric ulcers in racehorses is greater than 90%, which presents the industry with major costs in terms of veterinary fees, expensive supplements, and lost training days. Moreover, by mealfeeding high-cereal diets, the amount of time a stabled horse spends eating is severely restricted and this can encourage the development of stereotypic behaviours such as weaving and crib-biting. When horses perform stereotypies they release endorphins (dopamine) from the brain. These endorphins are addictive and
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NUTRITION
Feeding fibre to racehorses Traditionally, racehorses have been fed high-concentrate lowforage diets. Twenty years ago cereal-rich diets seemed to be the best way to get sufficient energy and protein into performance horses, as the only fibre feed readily available was hay – and much of that was of poor quality. However, the last two decades have seen a big increase in equine nutrition research and this has improved our knowledge of digestive physiology and encouraged feed companies to develop a range of feeds that cater for all activities. WORDS: MeRial MOORe-COlyeR PHOTOS: SHUTTeRSTOCK