Do horses need carbohydrates?
Not only do horses need bursts of energy during exercise, they also need carbs for their daily metabolic functions. Carbs help to regulate the horse’s body temperature, which is highly beneficial in the winter months and is the reason we need to feed more hay in colder temperatures.
What is carbohydrate overload in horses?
When a horse ingests a large volume of carbohydrates in a short amount of time, the capacity of the small intestine to digest the carbohydrates is overloaded, and the carbohydrates spill over into the hindgut, which predominantly digests fiber. Hindgut function relies heavily upon its diverse microbial population.
How are carbohydrates digested in horses?
Dietary carbohydrates, which constitute a most important source of equine nutrition, are digested and absorbed by a series of complex processes principally in the small intestine, beginning with intraluminal starch hydrolysis by the action of pancreatic amylase.
What are carbohydrates for horses?
There are three distinct groups of carbohydrates: Simple sugars, e.g. glucose, fructose. Storage sugars, e.g. starch, fructan. Structural polysaccharides or ‘fibre’, e.g. cellulose.
What vitamins are good for horses?
Horses need vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K for optimal health. The quantities needed are small, but the effects are important.
What percentage of a horses diet should be carbohydrates?
Amy Gill, PhD, a private equine nutritionist based in Lexington, Ky., recommends that for sensitive horses, hay total starch and sugar should be below 10% and the total diet below 15%.
What cutting of hay is best for horses?
Mid- to late-maturity hays are best for horses with low nutrient requirements, because the horses can eat more to satisfy their appetites without overeating and becoming fat. Horse owners also ask whether first or second-cut hay is better. There is more variation within a cutting than between cuttings.
Is first or second cutting hay better for horses?
Check a few bales of hay before you purchase it for mold, insects, weeds, and dirt. The most common choice of hay is second cutting, but first cutting is also good for horses, plus it is usually cheaper than the other two. Choose hay that is soft, green, and leafy, with thin stems, so it is easier for horses to eat.