Nutrition of the Stallion and Mare
The nutrition of the horse are composed of two factors: maintenance needs and activity needs. Increased nutrient requirements have been found for mares in the last trimester of pregnancy and during lactation, and for stallions during the breeding season.
Maintenance requirements of a horse depend upon its 1) size 2) environment and 3) individual digestive and metabolic efficiency. Individual variation among horses is very large and must be taken into account when feeding each horse. Activity requirements include reproduction, lactation, growth, and work.
The nutrients that are used to balance a feeding program are:
- Energy: Megacalories of digestible energy (Mcal)
- Protein: the requirement is usually quite low and excess protein is an unnecessary expense and may actually be detrimental to fluid balance
- Minerals: Sodium, selenium and copper levels may be below requirements in most diets and must be supplemented. Most horses should be fed Ca:P ratios of 1.5-2:1.
- Vitamins: Most requirements satisfied by high quality, fresh forages. Horses receiving hay for long periods of time should be supplemented with Vitamin A and E. Feeding more than the required amount of Vitamins A & E does not improve reproductive performance. Vitamin D is provided by exposing the horse to sunlight and Vitamin B's are synthesized in the digestive tract.
Horses evolved as grazers and do best when fed high forage diets. Horses must be fed at least 1% of their body weight in forages. Testing of forages is suggested to determine their nutritive value.
Individual variation is very important when feeding horses. Good nutrition programs always take into account the body condition score of the horse to modify the feeding program.
