September 2007 Newsletter
Clair Thunes
on different aspects of equine nutrition and management. If you are
reading this then I assume that either you, or someone you are
associated with, is a horse enthusiast and so we have that in common.
I am an equine nutritionist with a PhD in nutrition from the
University of California at Davis, and I have been involved with
horses either as an owner, rider, trainer, groom, or instructor pretty
much my whole life. I provide independent nutrition and management
advice to horse owners through my company Equilibrate Equine
Consulting. This newsletter is my way of sharing some information
with you regarding equine nutrition and management that you may find
of interest.
There is a lot of information out there regarding equine nutrition and
what you should be feeding your horse. In fact there is such a large
amount of information and different products that I often hear that
people are completely overwhelmed by the choices. Feeding and
management of horses is both an art and a science. Science tells us
what a horses dietary requirements are based on their size and
metabolic demands, and yet every horse should ideally be managed as an
individual, which is where the art and judgment calls come in to
play. My goal is to put out straight forward information about equine
nutrition and management that you can use to make decisions about what
to feed your horse and that will get you thinking. I plan to include
articles that together will comprise a series, others that are one off
pieces relevant to that time of year or a specific subject; others
will be interesting little known facts just for fun and
demystification of technical terms. In addition some articles will be
aimed at providing the nutrition knowledge required for the Pony Club
HB and HA ratings. I often interact with members of Pony Club and am
asked about nutrition as it relates to the Pony Club ratings, so
hopefully the information here will be useful for rating preparation.
I know that some of you reading this know me quite well and that
others of you have never met or perhaps heard of me, so I will put a
file on the group site with a brief resume of my credentials. I'm
always available to help individuals and barns with their specific
nutrition and management questions, and I welcome your input on this
newsletter and any suggestions for future editions. Just send me an
email at in...@equilibrateequine.com
Best wishes,
Clair
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IN THIS ISSUE:
Getting ready for winter - but its only September!
Demystification of the calorie
10 things to do now to prepare for winter (in no particular order)
Body Condition Scoring
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Getting Ready For Winter - But its only September!
So it's still warm enough to be summer but there is no getting away
from the fact that the evenings are starting to draw in, that they are
cooler and that the leaves are starting to turn. When you look at
your horse their coat has that strange prickliness to it that happens
at this time of year, that transitional coat they grow before they
commit to full winter woollies. It is a fact that fall is here, and
while we hate to think about it (unless you live in Arizona), that
means winter is on the way. While it still seems way off in the
future early fall is the time to make your winter horse management
plans. The planning you do now will give you the best chance of
getting you and your horse through the winter successfully. Your
winter nutrition plan starts now with an assessment of your horse's
current condition and diet, a review of the work you are doing and
hope to be doing over the winter, and how your horse is kept and is
going to be kept in the coming season. All these things factor into
your horses dietary needs. This month I'm going to cover why it's
important to know your horse's current condition now and how to make
that assessment. Next month I will cover the dietary changes you need
to make as the winter weather sets in.
Energy Balance
Essentially; when energy in = energy out = maintained body condition.
This means that if the energy content of the diet you feed your horse
exactly meets your horse's energy requirement it will maintain a
constant weight. This is called being in energy balance it's a state
of equilibrium. Being in equilibrium is the key to good nutrition and
some would say life in general, (it is where Equilibrate Equine
Consulting gets its name). Conversely, if the energy in the diet is
less than the horses energy requirement the horse will lose weight,
and if the dietary energy is greater than the requirement the horse
will gain weight as fat. The same is true for humans; it is the basic
rule of energy metabolism. Knowing this, the question then becomes,
what factors affect a horses demand for energy. These factors
include; reproductive state (pregnancy, lactation), level of activity,
age, overall health status, and weather (ambient temperature, wind
chill, humidity). A horses lowest energetic state is called
maintenance and applies to horses and ponies that are not in work, are
not pregnant or lactating, are in good health and do not have to deal
with major climatic demands. Dietary maintenance energy requirements
differ by the size of horse as obviously it takes less energy to
maintain a Shetland pony than it would a Shire horse. For example, a
200 kg (440 lb) pony has a maintenance requirement of 6.7 Mcal (for
explanation of Mcal see the calorie demystified below) per day
compared to 16.7 Mcal per day for a 500 kg (1100 lb) horse. Assuming
an energy density of 1.0 Mcal/lb (which is typical of many grass hays)
their Mcal for maintenance approximately equals the numbers of lbs of
hay needed per day to meet that requirement. Each time you add a
factor such as work, your horse's energy demand increases, and
therefore to remain in energy balance, the diet must include more
energy or the horse will lose body weight and condition. As was
mentioned above, weather can be such a factor. Cold weather requires
that the horse burn more energy to keep warm and therefore less energy
is available to maintain other functions unless dietary energy intake
is increased to compensate. This is why horses tend to lose weight
over the winter.
So how do you know if your horse is in energy balance? The best way
is to assess his/her body condition and fat deposition through use of
a body condition scoring system. This involves manually palpating and
visually assessing certain areas of your horses body that are known to
be locations of fat deposition, namely; the loins, ribs, tail head,
the side of the wither and neck and behind the shoulder. By running
your hand over these areas and paying attention to what you feel, you
gain a much more objective sense of your horses overall fat cover.
This is particularly important in the winter when a horse's hair coat
can be long and give the illusion that the horse is in good weight
when in fact they are not. There are 5, 9 and 10 point scales the
most widely used being the 9 point scale developed by Hennecke et al
in 1983. The scale used is less important than the fact that the same
scale be used each time and be used on a frequent, monthly, basis
allowing constant assessment of body condition over time. Details of
the 9 point condition scoring system and methodology can be found
below.
The best thing you can do to insure that your horse comes out of the
winter in the condition you want them to be in is to insure they go
into the winter in good condition and then provide enough energy in
the diet to meet requirements. As was mentioned above, during the
colder winter months, horses have to expend extra energy to keep warm
and that means that the maintenance requirement we talked about
earlier increases. Fat acts as an insulator and so a modest covering
of fat going into the winter will actually help your horse use less
energy to keep warm. Plus, should the dietary energy levels fall
below their requirement they can burn their fat stores as an energy
source until the dietary energy levels increase. This is potentially
useful for horses that need to lose weight, and mirrors horses in the
wild that lose weight over the winter and regain it in the spring when
the grass returns. The key is not to lose so much weight that an
undesirable condition results. So the horse that condition scores now
at a 5 or 6 is going to have an easier time staying warm and
maintaining a desirable body weight than the horse that goes into the
winter with a score of 4. By checking body condition score now if the
score is low, you can take measures to get your horses condition to
where it needs to be before the colder weather sets in. As a general
rule, to raise the condition score of a horse from a 4 to a 5 over a
90 day period requires an increase in energy intake per day of about
25%. So our 200 kg pony from earlier would need 8.4 Mcal each day and
our 500 kg horse would need 20.9 Mcal per day over the 90 day period.
Of course there are those horses that have to work intense jobs over
the winter who need to be at a condition score of 4 and they will
require particularly close management to insure that they do not drop
more condition.
It is possible to successfully maintain body condition but it takes a
close eye and constant assessment. So I strongly encourage you to
start a monthly plan of body condition scoring so you can catch
changes in body condition and take action sooner rather than later.
To regain that lost condition scoring point come spring can literally
take months.
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10 things to do now to prepare for winter (in no particular order)
1. If you are going to use blankets, check that they still fit your
horse. Growing horses or those who have put on more muscle since last
winter may have out grown their blankets. Additionally, make sure
they are in good repair and consider sending to be cleaned if
necessary. To be effective blankets must have good "loft" in their
filling otherwise they can't do their job. They are supposed to trap
air in their fibers which acts as insulation. If the blankets are
dirty they will not be able to trap as much air. Wearing a blanket
flattens the horse's hair coat. Without a blanket the horse's hair
stands up and traps a layer of air next to the skin that acts as
natural insulation. If the hair is flattened this natural insulation
system does not work so it is imperative that the blankets you use
have enough insulation. One trick I've always found useful is to buy
a cotton sheet and I put that under the heavier blankets. This helps
to keep the inside of the heavier blanket clean. Several times during
the winter I wash the cotton sheet. If you need to get a new blanket,
remember that to measure a horse for a blanket you measure from the
center of the chest around to the point of buttock not to the center
of the tail. If you measure to the center of the tail the blanket
will get defecated on and it may not sit correctly over the horses
rump as the darts in the material may not be in the correct place.
2. If your horse has not had its teeth looked at in the past year,
make an appointment with your vet or equine dentist. Winter can be a
hard time to keep weight on some horses especially old horses. Don't
wait until your horse is showing signs of losing weight to find out it
needs dental work.
3. Make sure your horse is up-to-date with vaccinations particularly
against respiratory diseases, as horses maintained in stalls where air
flow is reduced, and of poor quality (closed doors during bad weather
etc) are at a greater risk of respiratory infections.
4. Buy enough good quality clean hay to last your horse until next
year's cuttings. This will reduce changes in diet over the season and
guarantee your horse a more stable source of nutrients both of which
can reduce the chances of colic. In addition not buying hay in the
middle of winter when it's at a premium will save you money!
5. Prepare a place where your hay will be stored through the winter
where it will not be spoiled by precipitation. Hay should be stored
off the ground to allow air circulation stacking on wooden pallets is
ideal. If you do not have a hay barn available and will be storing
under tarps make sure to allow air circulation and that the hay is dry
when stored otherwise mould may develop. Having a slight pitch
(rather than the tarp being flat) over the top of the hay stack will
reduce the chances of water pooling on the tarp.
6. If you live in a climate where water troughs will freeze over,
decide now what preventative measures you will take and make necessary
purchases. Where frost is light this could be as simple as adding a
tennis ball to the trough. As its bobs about it will prevent the
water from freezing. If using water buckets standing them on rubber
mats or putting straw/shavings under them so they are not directly on
concrete will give some insulation. In colder climates water/trough
heaters may be necessary. If water is too cold horses may reduce
their water intake increasing their risk of impaction colic.
7. Consider whether feeding soaked hay or grain/concentrates as a mash
might be a good idea if there is concern over adequate water intake.
8. Lag unprotected pipes with insulation to reduce the chances of
pipes freezing and bursting during cold spells. You can insulate
copper taps from light frost by getting a plastic grocery store bag
filling it full with hay, place the faucet inside the bag so it is
surrounded by the hay and tie the handles of the bag around the pipe.
Use twine if necessary.
9. Decide now how you will keep track of the weather forecast over the
winter. Knowing the forecast ahead of time makes blanketing / feeding
and other management decisions much easier. The same is true year
round. Whether its heat waves of ice storms, knowing the weather
forecast ahead of time is key to making good decisions.
10. Make plans for mud. Many areas that are fine at other times of
the year become mud pits in winter. If you are feeding hay outside
decide how you will keep hay out of the mud reducing waste and
spoilage. Know that mud will result around the feeders, water
troughs, in uncovered corals and gateways. There are several products
on the market for example muck buster and cedar rest that help reduce
mud and they are particularly effective if used before too much mud
develops. Ask about such products at your local feed or ranch supply
store and stock up before the seasonal rush as some of these products
can get back ordered.
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Demystification of the calorie
Ever wonder what a calorie really is? It's the amount of energy it
takes to raise the temperature of 1gram of water by 1o C. But did you
know there is also a Calorie with a capital C? This is the amount of
energy it takes to raise the temperature of 1kg of water 1o C so it's
a thousand times more energy than a calorie. To help reduce some of
the confusion you will more commonly see it referred to as a Kcal or
kilocalorie. The energy requirement of a horse is referred to in
megacalories or Mcal which is equal to 1000 Kcal. On human food
labels you will see that foods nutrition facts are based on a 2000
calorie or 2 Kcal per day diet. So if the average mature human
requires approximately 2 Kcals to sustain body weight what about a
horse? A mature 1100 lb (500 kg) horse that is not doing any work
requires 16.7 Mcals per day to sustain body weight. That's 8.35 times
more energy than the human being.
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Body Condition Scoring
Body condition scoring (BCS) is an objective method of evaluating a
horse's level of condition by palpating and visually assessing the
degrees of fatness over certain areas of the horse's body. A numeric
value is assessed which can allow comparison of the horses condition
over time, or between multiple horses. It is often difficult for
horse owners to recognize changes in body weight and this can result
in over or under feeding. The level of fat identified in the areas is
dependent on the balance between the energy the horse consumes and
that which is lost due to activity. If the horse is in a state of
relative negative energy balance (less energy consumed than used) fat
deposits in these areas will be diminished, and body condition will be
lowered. The opposite is true if the horse's diet provides more
energy than the horse utilizes. Energy balance is affected by such
factors as level of activity, reproductive status (pregnancy and
lactation), weather (humidity, wind chill, ambient temperature), age,
and health status. The regions of the body that are assessed for fat
cover to create a body condition score are; along the neck, along the
withers, the tail head, over the ribs, behind the shoulders and the
crease down the back.
While a horses use may dictate a slightly fleshier body condition
(breeding mares) or slightly less fleshy condition (race horses), in
general, the ideal body condition is typified by the following; a neck
that flows smoothly into the shoulder and that rounds out the withers,
a level back, a layer of fat over ribs (ribs can be felt but not seen)
and hip bones that cannot be felt on palpation. On a 10 point scale
this is scored a 5 and on a 5 point scale this is scored a 3.
To condition score your horse, stand the horse squarely on level
ground and use the flat of your hand with fingers together and when
facing the rear of the horse use the hand closest to the horse (i.e.
on the left side of the horse use your left hand). Place your flat
hand on the area to be palpated and run your hand over the area
pushing your weight evenly into your hand and paying attention to what
you feel. Read the descriptions below for each of the areas and along
with your visual assessment of the area assign your score. Work
through all 6 areas (neck, withers, behind shoulder, loin, ribs and
tailhead) assigning a score that best describes what you feel, note
half scores e.g. 5.5 if the horse is neither one score nor the other
i.e. between a 5 and a 6 can be awarded. A file showing a picture of
where the 6 locations are is located in the files section at
http://groups.google.com/group/equine-nutrition it is called "areas to
be palpated during a body condition evaluation".
If condition scoring is performed regularly for example once per
month, you will start to build up an objective view of your horse's
condition and will also catch changes earlier than you might by visual
assessment alone.
Score Description
1 Emaciated Animal very emaciated. Spinous processes (top of the
backbone - in the shoulder area this is the withers; in the pelvis it
is the palpable top of the spine in the middle of the back), ribs,
tailhead, and point of hip and point of buttocks project prominently;
bone structure of withers, shoulders, and neck easily noticeable; no
fatty tissue can be felt.
2 Very Thin Animal emaciated. Slight fat covering spinous
processes; transverse processes (portion of the vertebrae that sticks
out to the sides in the lumbar region behind the ribs), of the lumbar
vertebrae feel rounded; spine, ribs, tailhead, point of hip and point
of buttocks prominent; withers, shoulders and neck structures faintly
discernable.
3 Thin Fat is built up about halfway on spinous
processes; tranverse processes cannot be felt; slight fat cover over
the ribs; spinous processes and ribs easily discernable; tailhead
prominent, but individual vertebrae cannot be individually identified;
point of buttocks appear rounded but are not easily discernable;
withers, shoulders, and neck accentuated.
4 Lean Slight ridge discernable along back; faint outline
of ribs discernable; tailhead prominence depends on conformation; but
fat can be felt around it; point of hip not discernable; withers,
shoulders, and neck not obviously thin.
5 Moderate Back is flat (no crease or ridge); ribs not visually
distinguishable but easily felt; fat around tailhead feel slightly
spongy; withers appear rounded over spinous processes; shoulders and
neck blend smoothly in to body.
6 Moderately Fleshy May be slight crease down back; fat over ribs is
spongy; fat to fleshy. Around tailhead is soft; a little fat
deposited along the side of the withers, behind the shoulders, and
along the sides of the neck.
7 Fleshy May have a crease down the back; individual ribs
can be felt, but noticeable fat is between ribs; fat around tailhead
is soft; fat is deposited along the withers, behind shoulders, and
along neck.
8 Fat Crease down back; difficult to feel ribs; fat around
tailhead very soft; area along withers filled with fat; area behind
shoulder filled with fat; noticeable thickening of neck; fat deposited
along inner thighs.
9 Extremely Fat Obvious crease down back; patchy fat appearing over
ribs; bulging fat around tailhead, along withers, behind shoulder, and
along neck; fat along inner thighs may cause thighs to rub together;
flank filled with fat.
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NEXT TIME
Should you be feeding more/less or different feed this winter?
A guide to how much extra feed you should feed per 5 degree drop in
temperature.
Visible signs of dehydration.
Flax a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and a good precaution
against compaction colic.
Some special considerations for getting your older horse through the
winter.
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Services offered by Equilibrate Equine Consulting include phone
consultations on both nutrition and management issues, hay sampling
and interpretation, ration balancing, custom vitamin and mineral mixes
and packages for ongoing care. For more information please visit
www.equilibrateequine.com or email in...@equilibrateequine.com