Nutritional Minutes |
 Clarifying Carbohydrates Part II |
There are many types of carbohydrates in equine diets, including simple carbohydrates,rapidly fermentable carbohydrates, and complex, slowly fermentable carbohydrates. Your horse digests each type of carbohydrate differently. Some types of carbs are better for your horse than others. In the last Nutritional Minute we looked at simple carbs. This time we will review rapidly fermentable carbs.
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| Clarifying Carbohydrates Part I |
There are three different types of carbohydrates utilized by horses: simple sugars and starches, rapidly fermentable carbohydrates, and structural carbohydrates. This part ofour series will deal with simple sugars and starches.
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| The trouble with fructans |
Healthy horses have little problem adjusting to changing fructan levels. The individuals most at risk are cresty-necked easy-keepers suffering from metabolic syndrome or those at risk for laminitis from other health issues.
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| Put the bloom back in your horse's coat |
Does your horse struggle with dull, flaky hair coat? Are his mane and tail dry and brittle? The quality of your horse’s hair is based in part on his genetic makeup, but nutrition can also play a role.
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| Omega fatty acid balance is essential to good health |
Equine nutritionists and veterinarians agree that providing high-quality omega-3 fatty acids in a horse’s diet helps to maintain a healthy balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.
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| Myths and Facts about Protein |
Myths and Facts about Protein
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| Protein Demystified |
As we strive to provide a balanced diet for our horses, the requirement we are working to fulfill is for amino acids, not proteins. A good quality protein will provide the necessary amino acids in the correct ratios to meet the horse’s needs.
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| More Mighty Minerals |
In a previous Nutritional Minute, “Mighty Minerals,”we reviewed the macrominerals calcium and phosphorus. We learned that mineral levels can influence the absorption, metabolism, and excretion of other nutrients; therefore, not only is the quantity of mineral itself important but also the ratio of one mineral to another. There are five additional macrominerals that the National Research Council (NRC) lists as required for horses. Each plays a supporting role in different areas of your horse’s body.
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| Mighty Minerals |
Minerals are inorganic compounds that serve both as components in body tissue and as catalysts for various body processes. Calcium and phosphorus are perhaps the most recognizable macrominerals. As with all minerals, they are vital to your horse’s well-being.
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| Does your horse need extra vitamins? Maybe... |
Vitamins are organic compounds, which, when provided in the proper amounts, play a major role in the well-being of your horse. They are vital to the promotion and regulation of virtually all of the body's normal functions. When deciding if vitamin supplementation is right for your horse, take the time to carefully review his or her diet and lifestyle. Modern management practices often lead to the need for supplementation.
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| Part 2 Selenium: how much is in your horse’s diet? |
The selenium in your horse’s diet can come from multiple sources, such as pasture, hay, grain, or commercial feeds and supplements. Your challenge is to figure out exactly how many milligrams of selenium your diet is providing daily.
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| Part 1 Selenium: an essential mineral |
Selenium is an essential trace mineral. It is necessary to maintain good health but is needed only in small amounts.
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| The skinny on fat |
Fat is an effective energy source for horses. Pound for pound, fats provide 2.25 times more energy than carbohydrates. In a natural state, horses consume only small amounts of fats, but they digest and absorb them well. Fats are broken down into fatty acids in the small intestine and stored as triglycerides in the adipose tissue of the body. Fat is utilized to fuel long-term, slow work.
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| Managing Your Horse’s Bugs |
The demands made on today’s horses often make it hard for us to mimic this natural state in our management programs. Confinement, high-energy demands, abrupt feed changes, shipping, illnesses, and other stressful situations can throw the delicately balanced system out of whack and make your horse sick. Keeping the good bugs happy and healthy is one of the major challenges facing today’s horse owners.
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| The Vitamin E Controversy |
One human study showed that high doses of vitamin E might be risky; does this mean our horses are also at risk?
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