Decomplexicating Equine Nutrition Part 07 of 12 – The High Fat Diet ( Moved to community.thehorsesadvocate.com )
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[…] of glucose diminishes to near zero the cell starts using the more efficient fuel of fat (https://theequinepractice.com/decomplexicating-equine-nutrition-part-7-the-high-fat-diet/). The horse takes fat stored as body fat and converts it to ketone bodies which are 20 to 28 […]
My horse is an Arabian mare. do I feed her dates and camel’s milk? Not joking here. feed your horse the natural things where they are from? so I wonder if we are to feed what is natural to where they are currently living. Edgar Cayce said humans should eat the food where they live, not things shipped from far away. I think that is what is being said here. this blog is exactly what I have been looking for. thanks
How do we feed an Icelandic, a Paso and a Mongolian horses all living in Biloxi Mississippi? While we believe that the gut bacteria can adapt to the environment (both good and bad), what is happening now is that humans are feeding horses like humans. And that will never work.
I’ve switched over to your recommended diet for my 24 year old 17 hand 1500 lb Oldenburg. As predicted he lost a lot of what I called “fake muscle/pudge”. He wasn’t downright skinny but did look pretty slim! I’m gradually adding Cool Stance to his diet. Right now he’s up to 1 and 3/4 pounds twice a day with the target being 2 pounds twice a day. I soaked it along with his pound and a half of alfalfa pellets and half pound of soybean meal. My concern is the volume. By the time I soaked it I need to use a sheetrock bucket! I try to divide it into three meals when I am home to do so but cannot do that regularly. Should I be worried the same way I would be concerned if I was feeding half a sheet rock bucket of green? Especially since a lot of this is water?
There is no need to add water to Coolstance unless you think he likes it better.
The recommended amount of soybean meal (SBM) to add back sufficient amounts of amino acids to replenish the deficiency is 1 pound SBM per 1200 pound horse per day. For a 1500 pound horse that would be 1.25 pounds SBM per day.
If you are afraid your horse will choke on the pellets then add the water. If he is eating it all and not showing adverse signs of overeating then fine, but maybe reduce the water to reduce the volume. Preparing the meal for the horse is a very individual thing for the person preparing it. There are no real rules and the person needs to feel comfortable with the degree of slop they make in the “kitchen.” Maybe try the Coolstance without water and add less water to the alfalfa pellets. My wife feeds a handful of alfalfa pellets with the ½ pound of SBM dry twice a day. There are no set rules. Do what you and your horse are comfortable with. A good cook always experiments. Our family called my mom’s new recipes “Messapies.” Some were good and some not so good. Work with your horse to find a happy medium. A 5 gallon pail of food (a “sheetrock bucket”) is a lot for a simple stomach animal to take in all at once.
My horse MAYBE PSSM, and the invasive muscle biopsy test is not gonna happen, to confirm. That said, it is strongly recommended these horses have oils added to the diet, with low NSC, and moderate protein. Of course, free choice hay. She is a very easy keeper, as well. How can I translate your recommendations of diet for my horse?
PolySaccharide Storage Myopathy has been traced back to a genetic mutation which requires you to feed these horses differently. Understanding how glucose and short chain fatty acids are used as fuels will help to understand how these horses should be fed. Please refer to veterinarians specializing in feeding these PSSM horses including my friend Dr Beth Valentine.
I had occasion to work with a vet college in Iceland when I was designing a bio-security online course. I was told they often feed their horses fish. These are fish that have been salted as well. They give them these fist to provide minerals and protein. So it is not that a fishy story 🙂
Good article like the others. I have been following all your advice and my horses don’t get grains and they get salt and hay and soaked hay cubes.
Thank you, you make these articles interesting and informative. I have learned a lot.
Chris
Thanks! I’m sure the fish are a form of protein, but as an herbivore and hind gut fermenter, I can’t recommend it for horses living elsewhere. Those Icelandic horses are tougher than the rest (grin).
Very true. And as an isolated herd, unfortunately subject to sever bio-security issues. But that is another topic. 🙂 Thanks again!
What form of protein would one choose if needed?
See the next blog. Soy is the best or a soy / whey combo. Many are out there depending on where you live. Look at http://www.prognutrition.com/pn/products/supplements/proadd-ultimate/index.htm for an example.