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Types of feed

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Roughage / Forage / Bulk HAY A bulk feed that aids digestion. Relatively rich in protein. Contains essential vitamins & minerals. Look for clean, fresh smelling hay that shows minimum evidence of dust. Discard if visibly mouldy. Beware weeds, e.g. Ragwort. If grasses have gone to seed = lower nutritional value. MEADOW HAY Made from permanent pasture. Contains a variety of grasses. Soft & palatable most common type fed to horses.

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SEED HAY A crop grown from specially selected seeds, e.g. rye grass. Hard & more difficult to digest. If well made, has a higher nutritional value. Fed to horses in hard work. HAYLAGE Semi-wilted, vacuum-packed grass. Once packed & air sealed off, a small amount of fermentation occurs, but moulds do not form. Dust-free alternative to hay, good for respiratory problems. Higher nutritional value, therefore feed smaller quantities. Expensive particularly as you are paying for approx. 50% water.

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Cereals Very good energy sources. Most of the energy is stored as starch, which is not digested well by the equine digestive system. Deficient in calcium, with a calcium: phosphorus ratio of between 1:4 and 1:8 (the ideal being 2:1). Supplementation is often required. OATS Consist of 2/3 carbohydrate, 1/6 protein & 1/6 fat, therefore they are a very good feed. High energy, making some horses over excitable, due to the oil content. High fibre content (husks). Can be fed whole, crushed or rolled. Once crushed / rolled must use within 3 weeks.

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NAKED OATS Husk-less oats. Levels of nutrients & oil content are higher per grain. Energy required can be provided in smaller quantities. BARLEY An energy giving feed, although without the same tendency to make horses excitable. Lower fibre content than oats. Has a tendency to make horses fat. Can be fed rolled, crushed, cooked, flaked, boiled, extruded or micronised.

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MAIZE The most energy dense. Low fibre content & highest oil content. Protein deficient. Can be fed cooked, flaked or micronised. Highly palatable. BRAN A by-product of the flour milling industry. Has been the cause of bone disease. Imbalance of calcium: phosphorus (1:8). Good source of protein. High fibre. Fed damp = laxative effect. Fed dry = opposite effect. Cost exceeds nutritional worth not often used currently.

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Compound feeds Convenient & labour-saving, but relatively expensive. Balanced and should constantly contain the same proportions. NUTS / CUBES Varying constituents provide different types for different uses, e.g. racing, stud, general use etc. COARSE MIX Many different types, as for nuts. Often contains molasses moist, tasty feed.

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Other feeds CHAFF Chopped hay / straw (usually 80% hay, 20% straw). DIY / can buy in a molassed form. Added to concentrates to encourage prolonged chewing. Adds fibre to the diet. ALFALFA High quality Lucerne crop. Chopped alfalfa (& molasses) / alfalfa & straw blend / pellets High in protein & energy. Good source of natural vitamins & minerals. Dust & mould spore free because of the heat treatment.

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SUGAR BEET Dried & shredded / cubed. Must be soaked: shreds for 12 hours (1:2 shreds: water); cubes for 24 hours (1:3 cubes: water). High in fibre. Succulent & tasty. LINSEED A small, shiny, dark brown seed. Comes from the flax plant. Fed as a jelly / tea. Seeds must be soaked overnight, then boiled & simmered for at least 6 hours / until seeds burst, otherwise it is poisonous. Puts on condition & shines the coat. High in protein & oil content. Only feed in small quantities.

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PEAS & BEANS Very heating & very high in protein. Must be split, not whole. Feed in small quantities to horses in hard work. MOLASSES A by-product of sugar. Improves palatability.

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COMPOUND FEEDS Compound feeds are a commercially produced mixture of raw materials, blended to achieve a desired nutrient content, in the form of: Cubes Coarse mix

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Advantages: Convenience Standardised diet for specific purposes Constant quality Good shelf life Dust free Palatable Uniform weight & size Economy of labour, transport, storage No waste

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Disadvantages: Cannot tell good / poor quality ingredients Boring Some may not like certain ingredients / have allergies Shelf life Ingredients may not necessarily be consistent from 1 bag to the next Cost?

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Labelling The law requires that a label / the bag states: Description, Nett weight & best before date Manufacturer / address Batch number of feed List of ingredients / groups of ingredients (descending order by weight) Nutritional analysis, i.e. crude protein, oil, crude fibre, ash, moisture (if 14%), vitamins A, D, E & copper, energy (DE) Presence of additives, e.g. preservatives, colorants, antioxidants, enzymes, microorganisms

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A limited leeway is allowed on the stated values. Manufacturers that provide this information on a label rather than printed on the bag, can alter their formulations more easily and with greater cost effectiveness (least cost formulation).

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Ingredients cubes May be composed of cheap by-products, as the ingredients are ground down & are unrecognisable. Ground cereal grains Oil seed meals Milling, brewing, distilling by-products Sugar beet pulp Dried grass & lucerne Fish meal / soya Vitamin / mineral supplements

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Ingredients coarse mix Cooked / micronized / flaked / rolled cereals Oil seeds Dried alfalfa Soya / peas & beans Herbs & probiotics etc. Vitamin / mineral supplements Preservatives (proprionic acid) to inhibit fungal growth Molasses is heavily used to prevent dustiness.

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Manufacturing cubes how are cubes bound together? Physical pressure forced through a die Steam added Binders added, e.g. molasses / clay

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Other manufacturing processes for cereals Micronization A moving belt carries a thin layer of cereal grain under burners emitting infrared irradiation. The grain heats rapidly internally, causing a rise in water vapour pressure. Starch in the grain swells, breaks & gelatinizes. Then passes through rollers & is cooled.

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Extrusion High temperatures & extreme build up of steam swell & cook the grain. The grain is impregnated with steam & water. Forced under very high temp. through a barrel. Heated from room temp. to boiling + in 15-20 secs. Forced through a die-plate. As moisture evaporates, it expands & solidifies. Dried, cooled, sieved & bagged.

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Steam flaking the grain is passed through heated rollers which cook & split the grain. These processes increase digestibility of energy. They help to unravel the starch molecules, helping to ensure that absorption is more likely to occur in the small intestine than in the caecum.

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Types of compounds available Cubes & mixes offer a complete range of products, from low energy stud / performance. Complete feed versions are also available, which may be useful for allergy sufferers. Balancers To supplement the performance horses diet when fed straight cereals (high protein, vitamin & mineral content). Premix Fed to endurance horses / hard work, to benefit from high fat.