Does your horse eat continuously without seeing improvements in its body condition? What could be happening? There are several factors to evaluate when we intend to increase the horse's body condition.
Assess the horse's health
Marked body condition losses, or constant difficulty in maintaining a horse's body condition, are reasons to perform a complete medical examination and find out if there are any health problems that prevent normal weight gain.
Dental problems are often the cause of loss of body condition or responsible for difficulty in gaining weight. Horses must chew food carefully, so if dental care is neglected and oral discomfort occurs, intake may be compromised.
Gastric ulcers can also be a cause of inappetence. A recent study revealed that over 58% of horses, across multiple sporting disciplines, have gastric ulcers.
The ingestion of large amounts of cereals or foods with cereals not subjected to heat treatment is associated with a decrease in the digestive efficiency of starch and, consequently, the passage of undigested starch to the large intestine. This situation enhances subclinical intestinal acidosis, which can result in inappetence, mild colic of unknown origin, poor feeding efficiency with weight loss, behavior change and reduced performance.
Internal parasites will compete with the horse for nutrients in the feed, reducing the horse's absorption of these nutrients. A correct health prophylaxis is essential for maintaining health and body condition. The horse owner can ask the veterinarian to assess the parasite load (through fecal egg counts) and institute a good individual deworming program.
Proper food? quality and quantity
forage food
Equine diets must be based on high quality forages. Providing good quality forage in adequate amounts is the best way to support healthy digestion and maintenance of proper body condition. The forage component gains even greater prominence if the horse has problems such as gastric ulcers or acidosis. Legume fodder (lucerne or clover) is richer in protein and energy than grass fodder, so this factor must be considered.
ALFALFA INTACOL
Low quality fodder or fodder in poor condition from a conservation point of view, with obvious signs of dust, fermentation or mold, should be avoided as it can lead to significant health problems. Poor quality feed and forage with low levels of nutrients can lead to deficiencies, especially in more demanding horses or those subjected to more intense physical activity.
compound feed
Whenever there is weight loss/difficulty in maintaining body condition, dietary management should be carefully analyzed. Compound feed must consist of quality raw materials, duly processed, balanced in energy, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Compound feed is an ally in maintaining the body condition and meeting the nutrient requirements that the horse has, considering the stage it is in (pregnancy or lactation) or physical activity (more or less intense) that it performs.
INTACOL FOODS
We can add ingredients to the established diet in order to increase the caloric density of the food provided or improve its digestibility. For this we can include:
-Sources of fat (linseed oil or fish oil), which have a significantly higher energy density than other foods, and are a source of omega 3;
-Super fibers that are fermented in the large intestine and constitute an extra caloric intake;
ALFABEET
-Probiotics and prebiotics, which support digestion and ensure that the horse gets the most out of its food;
GASTROBALANCE
-Others.
Environmental factors and group dynamics
If the horse is in good health and its diet is adequate, the next factor to consider is the environment, a factor that can confer stress to the animal and consequent weight loss.
If the horse is part of a group, check the hierarchical dynamics between the different elements (dominant elements can prevent it from feeding properly). If it is confined, will this confinement be the cause of stress? All these factors must be evaluated.
Keeping animals relaxed is essential for encouraging them to eat and for efficient digestive performance.
