Effects of Concentrate Form and Composition on Meal Consumption and Glycemic Responses of Horses - CRF Equine Research Trials
E UK18 - CRF Equine Research Trials
Effects of Concentrate Form and Composition on Meal Consumption and Glycemic Responses of Horses
| CRF Horse Nutrition Guide |
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| CRF Equine Research Trials |
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Part 1 - “Meal Consumption Time”
The two objectives of this study were to determine the effect of concentrate form and composition on 1) meal consumption time and 2) blood concentrations of glucose and insulin in mature horses.
This summary only focus on the meal consumption times of the various concentrates forms, and the potential impact on horses. The review of the glycemic response is in another trial summary.
Mature horses from the University of Kentucky research herd were used in a latin square arrangement of treatments.
The six treatments were:
- Whole Oats (Oats);
- Textured Feed (contains whole or processed grains, possibly pellets, and other ingredients) formulated with 12% crude protein, 3% crude fat and 8% crude fiber (Textured Feed);
- 3/8” Pelleted Feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 3% crude fat and 8% crude fiber (3/8” Standard Pellet);
- Textured Feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 10% crude fat and 8% crude fiber (Textured Feed - High Fat);
- 3/8” Pelleted Feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 3% crude fat and 15% crude fiber (3/8” Pellet - High Fiber);
- 1/2” pelleted feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 6% crude fat and 15% crude fiber (1/2” Nugget - High Fiber).
The trial results showed...
- Meal consumption time was longer for horses consuming whole oats than for the low-fiber textured and pelleted feeds, but was similar to the high-fiber pelleted feeds.
- Longer meal consumption time would be an advantage for prevention of colic from rapid overconsumption; but may be mistakenly viewed by horse feed customers negatively as a palatability problem.
Summary - What does this means to the horse owner?
Cooperative Research Farms is actively involved in equine nutrition research to find more effective and safer products or methods to feed your horse. This study found that horses consumed whole oats at a slower rate than textured or pelleted feeds, except for a high fiber pelleted feed, which had a similar consumption time as whole oats. Rapid consumption of feed may be related to colic in a particular horse, so if you have a horse that eats too rapidly or “bolts” his feed, you may want to use a high-fiber pelleted feed or whole oats and a supplement pellet.
– Dr. Martin Adams, Coordinator, CRF Equine Research Team
Part 2 - “Peak Blood Glucose”
The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of concentrate form and composition on 1) meal consumption time and 2) blood concentrations of glucose and insulin mature horses. This trial summary will review the second part of this study.
Glycemic responses of horses are correlated with the amount of nonstructural carbohydrate (sugar and starch) content and fat content of the concentrate (grain) meal fed. A sustained release in circulating glucose and insulin from a grain meal in growing horses can be a predisposing factor in development of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD). Mature horses from the University of Kentucky research herd were used in a latin square arrangement of treatments, horses and periods. Each horse was fed 15.4 lbs (7 kg) of mixed grass hay and 5.9 lbs (2.7 kg) of concentrate, divided into two equal daily meals.
The six treatments were:
- Whole Oats (Oats);
- Textured Feed (contains whole or processed grains, possibly pellets, and other ingredients)
formulated with 12% crude protein, 3% crude fat and 8% crude fiber (Textured Feed);
- 3/8” Pelleted Feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 3% crude fat and 8% crude fiber (3/8”
Standard Pellet);
- Textured Feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 10% crude fat and 8% crude fiber (Textured Feed - High Fat);
- 3/8” Pelleted Feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 3% crude fat and 15% crude fiber (3/8”
Pellet -High Fiber);
- 1/2” Pelleted Feed formulated with 12% crude protein, 6% crude fat and 15% crude fiber (1/2” Nugget - High Fiber)
The trial results were…
- Pelleting feed causes a higher blood glucose response than textured feed with the same composition suggesting that pelleting facilitates a more complete starch digestion and absorption in the small intestine. This is a disadvantage of pelleted feed for prevention of DOD in growing horses.
- Increasing the fiber level and reducing the starch level in the pelleted feed decreases the glucose response.
- Increasing the fiber and fat levels in a horse feed, with a corresponding reduction in starch content for pelleted and textured versions, would be advantageous for prevention of DOD in growing horses.
Summary - What does this means to the horse owner?
Cooperative Research Farms is actively involved in equine nutrition research to find more effective and safer products or methods to feed your horse. This study found that pelleted feeds had a faster digestion and absorption of starch in the small intestine, with higher blood glucose and insulin levels. This may be an advantage for mature horses, especially performance horses. But this may not be an advantage for growing horses, as high blood glucose and insulin levels have been correlated with an increased incidence of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD). However, this study found that increasing the fiber and fat level and reducing the starch level in a pelleted feed reduces the glucose and insulin levels, which would be an advantage for feeding a growing horse that is prone to DOD. More research is needed in this area to determine the exact level of starch and its site of digestion in the growing horse to prevent DOD problems.
– Dr. Martin Adams, Coordinator, CRF Equine Research Team