Review: Feeding conserved forage to horses: recent advances and recommendations

Harris, Patricia A.; Ellis, A. D.; Fradinho, Maria João; Jansson, Anna; Julliand, V.; Lúthersson, Nanna; Santos, A. S.; Vervuert, Ingrid

doi:10.1017/s1751731116002469

Cited by 127 publications

(129 citation statements)

References 41 publications

(9 reference statements)

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“…Therefore, it is possible that the +SFD treated alfalfa still contained considerable levels of crude protein. Alternatively, it may be that the inclusion of a highfibre substrate negated the deleterious effects of the starch/inulin as it is well known that fibre is required to maintain gastrointestinal health in equids Harris et al, 2016;Julliand et al, 2001); therefore, it is possible that other fibrous feedstuffs may have had the same effects seen with the HTDA, an area that warrants further investigation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In vitro fermentation of different ratios of alfalfa and starch or inulin incubated with an equine faecal inoculum

et al. 2018

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Cite this article as: A. Garber, P.M. Hastie, I. Handel and M.D. Murray, In vitro fermentation of different ratios of alfalfa and starch or inulin incubated with an equine faecal inoculum, Livestock Science, http://dx.doi.org/10. 1016/j.livsci.2017.05.002 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. a further set of bottles containing identical ratios of S/I:CA/GA were also prepared, with the exception that the alfalfa received a simulated foregut digestion treatment (SFD) as prior to incubation. Total gas production increased (P<0.05) as the ratio of S/I to alfalfa increased.Total gas production was lower in bottles containing SFD-treated alfalfa (P<0.001). Dry matter loss decreased proportionately with increasing level of alfalfa substitution of S/I (P<0.001). Values for pH were lower in bottles containing S or I, with pH values in bottles 2 containing S alone falling to almost 6 and those with I dropping to pH 5 and under.However, the substitution of S or I with 40 percent alfalfa produced pH values above 6.7, which is within physiological levels encountered in the large intestine of the horse.Consequently, there appears to be considerable potential to buffer the deleterious effects of high-starch/fructan diets with the substitution of these substrates with high-temperature dried alfalfa.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Diets high in fibre are required for normal gastrointestinal function in horses (Harris et al, 2016). Meanwhile, diets high in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), such as starch and fructan, are known to elicit microbial disturbances often leading to clinical disorders like laminitis and colic (Hudson et al, 2001;Bailey et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vitro fermentation of different ratios of alfalfa and starch or inulin incubated with an equine faecal inoculum

et al. 2018

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“…Haylage has previously been defined as anaerobically stored forage containing 400-600 g DM per kg (Finner, 1966;Gordon, Derbyshire, Wiseman, Kane, & Melin, 1961;Greenhill, 1964). In more recent literature, haylage has been defined as wrapped or anaerobically stored forage containing >500 g DM per kg (Müller, 2005) and the same definition of haylage was used in a recently published consensus statement on feeding conserved forages to horses (Harris et al, 2017).…”

Section: Defin Ing Silage An D Haylagementioning

confidence: 99%

Silage and haylage for horses

Müller

2018

Grass and Forage Science

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This review covers current understanding on the use of wrapped forages such as silage and haylage as forage sources in equine nutrition. Silage (dry‐matter content <500 g per kg) generally have higher concentration of lactic acid and other fermentation products and has a lower pH compared to haylage (dry‐matter content >500–840 g per kg), as the lack of water in haylage restricts fermentation. The differences in biochemical and microbial composition in forage conserved as silage, haylage and hay have not been reported to influence digestion or hindgut function in horses differently. Studies on equine intake and preference of forages conserved as silage, haylage or hay are scarce and contradictory; both low voluntary intake and preference for silage have been reported. Studies on aerobic storage stability of opened bales are few, but are needed, as daily forage consumption is often low on horse farms, which may increase the risk of aerobic deterioration of forage in opened bales before they have been fed. A high hygienic quality of wrapped forages for horses is crucial: (a) as mould spores may cause chronic respiratory disorders; (b) as mycotoxins may cause intoxications, skin problems, gastrointestinal disorders and reproduction failures; (c) as presence of Clostridium botulinum and its toxin botulin may cause fatal disease; and (d) as other microbes (e.g., Listeria monocytogenes) may cause illness in the horse. Further research is needed especially for systems of assessment of hygienic quality of haylage, and how to prolong aerobic storage stability in opened bales.

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“…Recently, Harris et al () suggested that the minimum quantity of DM given as forage should be 12.5 g DM/kg BW, justifying it with health and ethological aspects related to the horse's needs. However, this minimum quantity was intended for a healthy horse, and may not be suitable for a post‐surgical recovering patient.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently, Harris et al (2017) suggested that the minimum quantity of DM given as forage should be 12.5 g DM/kg BW, justifying it with health and ethological aspects related to the horse's needs.…”

Section: Length Of Recovery (In Days)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary results on the association with feeding and recovery length in equine colic patients after laparotomy

Valle

Giusto

Penazzi

et al. 2019

Animal Physiology Nutrition

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Colic is a serious disease for horses and the nutritional management of postoperative colic patients is an extremely important field. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyse the different factors, especially related to nutritional management, that may be associated with recovery length during hospitalization after a surgical intervention for colic, using a multivariate model. Data were collected from the records of horses presented to two hospitals and undergoing surgery for colic. The length (days) of recovery was the outcome of interest and was taken into account as a reference parameter (short, medium, long). The parameters collected (patient details, preoperative clinical and laboratory examinations, postoperative parameters and post‐surgery nutritional parameters) were subjected to multivariate analysis (MCA and PCoA). A ranking class dataset was used to calculate Kendall's tau correlation of the length of recovery with respect to other parameters. Descriptive statistic to identify differences in the recovery length among groups (Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn's Multiple Comparison Test) was also performed. p value was set at < 0.05. Groups were not different in preoperative clinical parameters (BCS, PCV, total protein), postoperative parameters (time to 1st defecation, time to the end of IV fluid therapy and time to first water drinking, anaesthesia) and patient details (age). The comparison among groups revealed differences on the post‐surgical nutritional parameters. Horses with short recovery consumed higher % of DM as forages in the 24 hr compared with the horses that have a long recovery and reach the minimum DM intake in a shorter period. Both Kendall and MCA analysis confirmed that the time to first feeding had a positive association with the length of recovery. Only 37 horses undergoing colic surgery were included in the study. From a clinical standpoint, this study has shown which nutritional parameters are associated with short recovery.

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Review: Feeding conserved forage to horses: recent advances and recommendations

Cited by 127 publications

References 41 publications

In vitro fermentation of different ratios of alfalfa and starch or inulin incubated with an equine faecal inoculum

In vitro fermentation of different ratios of alfalfa and starch or inulin incubated with an equine faecal inoculum

Silage and haylage for horses

Preliminary results on the association with feeding and recovery length in equine colic patients after laparotomy

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