The Horse Nutrition Handbook

by Worth Ph.D., Melyni

• ISBN13: 9781603425414
• ISBN10: 1603425411
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-05-05
• Publisher: Storey Publishing, LLC

Summary

Proper nutrition is the most important contributor to equine health and well-being. Responsible horsekeepers feed their animals a healthful, nutritionally balanced diet portioned out in quantities that suit the age, size, and activity level of each horse. Thriving horses that stay healthy and strong into old age are those whose nutritional needs are being met.Leading equine nutritionist Melyni Worth explains the many ways in which diet affects a horses health, temperament, and performance, and then goes on to provide a detailed study of equine nutritional requirements. Horse owners will understand the roles played by fats, proteins, minerals, electrolytes, and vitamins and will learn how to evaluate weight and overall well-being and plan a corresponding diet. Year-by-year concerns are addressed here, as well as the specific needs of brood mares, performance horses, and other working animals. Worth also stresses the importance of giving horses plenty of access to pasture and explains the benefits of additives and herbal supplements.Common health problems such as colic, cribbing, and ulcers can often be corrected through a change in diet. Worth discusses possible solutions and also helps owners of horses with more complicated health needs. Challenges such as insulin resistance, Cushings disease, metabolic bone disorder, and tying-up syndrome can all be managed or improved by carefully monitoring the horses feed.Comprehensive and authoritative, yet easy to understand, The Horse Nutrition Handbook is the essential reference for everyone who owns or cares for a horse.

Author Biography

Melyni Worth, PhD, PAS, teaches equine nutrition and physiology and owns Foxden Equine, a company specializing in nutritional products for horses. She breeds, trains, and rides horses from her home in Virginia.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vii
Basics of Equine Digestion	p. 1
Nature's Plan for Feeding Horses
Carbohydrate ABCs
Domestication Brought Drastic Changes
How the Horse Digests His Food
The Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract
All about Nutrients	p. 15
Water
Energy
Carbohydrates
Fats
Producing Energy for Muscles
Protein Basics
Minerals
Electrolytes 101
Microminerals: Less Is Best
Vitamins
What to Feed and Why	p. 60
Forage Feeds
Hay is for Horses
Silage and Haylage
Chopped-Hay Options
All about Concentrates
Other Sources of Fiber
Commercial Blends
Protein: What and Why
Sources of Fat
Supplementation for Specialized Diets
Designing a Balanced Feeding Program	p. 95
Feed Analysis
Calculating Rations: The Basics
Practical Applications: Dobbin and Smokey Joe
General Feeding Advice
Basic Feeding and Management Guidelines
Feeding for a Lifetime	p. 124
Equine Body Condition Scoring System
Life-Stage Requirements
Feed Storage and Feeding Tips	p. 142
Storing Grain
Storing Hay
Feeding Grain and Hay
Feeding Tips
Feeding Checklist
Pasture Management	p. 153
Identifying Good Pasture
Turnout for Exercise and Grazing
Hay Pasture
Pasture Plants
Diets for Common Equine Disorders	p. 164
Anhydrosis
Choke
Colic
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Cribbing
Cushing's Disease/PPID
Equine Metabolic Syndrome/Insulin Resistance
Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis (HYPP)
Hypokalemic Diaphragmatic Shudder (Thumps)
Joint Disease
Laminitis and Founder
Metabolic Bone Disease
Misbehavior
Excess Weight
Pigment Loss
Toxins in Feed
Tying-up Syndrome
Ulcers
Thinness
Appendixes
Weight/Unit Volume	p. 212
Conversions	p. 213
Nutrition Contained in Feed	p. 214
Feed Requirements for Horses	p. 216
Seasonal Management Calendar	p. 218
Horse Anatomy	p. 219
Glossary	p. 220
Resources
Recommended Reading	p. 234
Periodicals	p. 234
Commercial Laboratories	p. 234
Products & Services	p. 235
Web Sites & Other Sources	p. 236
Index	p. 237
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