Benefits of Adding High-Quality Fat to Horse Diets

 

Dr. Kent N. Thompson

                   Buckeye Nutrition

 

 

The controversy over using fat in horse rations never seems to end.  While owners and trainers recognize the need for extra energy by gestating/lactating mares, growing foals, performance horses and breeding stallions, they argue over how to provide the extra calories.  Should they simply increase grain intake or should they feed rations with added fat?

 

When you understand the role that fat plays in nutrition, you quickly realize that there are several benefits to feeding it to horses that have a need for extra energy.  Before discussing these advantages, lets take a look at the limitations of increasing grain intake.  Grain is the primary source of energy in horse feeds and that’s how it should be.  So why not just feed more grain in proportion to the increased energy needs?  Problem can arise because the horse’s digestive system is not designed to handle very large quantities of grain.  It can cause digestive upsets.  The incidence of colic, laminitis, diarrhea and tying-up are usually higher with high grain intakes.  Also, more grain lowers the percent of roughage in the diet and this can lead to lower intestinal water retention and a change in microbial population in the lower gut.  In order to meet added energy demands without inducing a digestive upset, fat supplementation can be used to meet caloric needs.  Lastly, energy intake is critical to horses exercising at moderate and high levels, there are times when horses can not consume enough dry matter intake of grain and roughage to supply the calories needed to maintain stamina and body weight.  So when horses need extra energy a high fat diet is suggested, consider feeding a ration with 6 to 8% fat, compared to a traditional level of 3 to 4%.

 

What are the nutritional advantages then?

 

1. Each unit of fat contains over twice as much energy as carbohydrates.  This makes fat a useful and practical way to meet increased energy requirements without increasing the concentrate portion of the diet dramatically.

 

2. Fats are well digested by the horse; most sources are 75% to 95% digestible.

 

3. Energy from vegetable sources (soy, corn, flax) is utilized 30% more efficiently than energy derived from grain and hay.  This means that more energy is available when horses are fed a high fat diet than when fed an equal calorie carbohydrate diet.  Increased efficiency of utilization takes place because less energy from fat is lost as heat, leaving more energy available for maintenance and production.

 

4. Fat also helps to modulate shifts in blood insulin levels, which occur after a meal.  The consumption of a high grain (high carbohydrate) feed causes insulin levels to increase, this acts to increase glucose storage, glycogen storage and can also affect release of other hormones which influence skeletal development.

 

5. Increases in dietary fat intakes can increase glycogen storage in muscle and spare the usage of energy substrates such as glucose and glycogen.  The increase in spared glycogen can increase the readily available energy supplies to actively contracting muscle and can delay the onset of fatigue.

 

6. Vegetable fat is preferred to animal fats.  Vegetable fats are more digestible and more palatable than animal fats, which means the same physiological affect can be obtained with less fat.  Plus vegetable fats contain a high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids, which are important for healthy hair and skin.

 

 

 

With all of these benefits there is little wonder why fat is a valuable ingredient in Buckeye Nutrition horse feeds.  Remember Buckeye Nutrition is The Companion Animal Company.