Meal Timing Matters for Performance Horses

As I watch performance horses competing at the top of their game at events such as the Rolex or Triple Crown races, I often wonder what the feeding schedule of those animals was in the days and hours leading up to the event. Is it better to run a hungry, leaner animal, or a full, heavier animal?

In a recent article, researchers found that feeding hay either before or with grain significantly reduced the glycemic response of the grain meal, thereby reducing insulin production post feeding. Feeding hay also    significantly elevated the total plasma protein within one hour. Water intake was greatly increased after the hay feeding, as we might expect. Researchers also found that feeding grain before exercise with or     without hay reduced free fatty acid availability and increased glucose uptake into the working muscle. This would not be desirable for horses competing in the speed and endurance phase of a 3-day event.

Feeding only forage before exercise has a much smaller effect on        glycemic and insulin response than a grain meal, and it also did not    affect the free fatty acid availability. Researchers did find these horses had a higher heart rate and higher total plasma protein, which they    attribute to increased gut fill and a movement of water from the plasma into the gut.

In summary, the results of their experiments indicated that feeding hay along with grain will result in a decrease of plasma volume and increase in body weight which may be detrimental to performance. Feeding grain with or without hay two hours before exercise will reduce free fatty acid availability and increase glucose uptake by the working muscle. This is not desirable during prolonged exercise.

Take home note: It may be best to postpone your horse’s grain meal on the day of competition, but continue to feed them hay or pasture and water. Feeding hay at the trailer will also prevent boredom and keep your horses busy between classes.

Whether a horse is competing or being worked hard, Hubbard Life has a performance line of Equine products to meet the high nutrient demands of active horses. Hubbard Life Performance Feed is a 12% protein feed specifically designed for the performance horse. Highly digestible energy sources and high quality proteins are added at optimal levels for the   active horse.

Hubbard Life 30% Horse Supplement can be top-dressed on Hubbard Life Performance at the rate of 0.5 to 2 pounds per head per day,        depending upon weight, age and activity.            Written by: Sharon Kill

Stable-lyx Tub

Crystalyx Stable-lyx is a unique, portable, high energy supplement designed for consistent free choice consumption by all classes of equine. Stable-lyx ensures daily intake of free choice protein, vitamins, and trace mineral supplement for horses on pasture or range necessary for top performance. An ideal product for meeting supplemental horse nutrient needs under conditions that make it difficult. Stable-lyx are low moisture blocks that are windproof, waterproof, and waste-proof. Only Crystalyx uses time and temperature controlled cooking to protect nutrients and deliver unmatched quality and consistency. Place Stable-lyx containers in areas that achieve desired supplement intake. Provide one container for every 3-20 horses. A minimum of two containers may be necessary in each lot or pasture to assure proper accessibility. Once forage becomes limited, supplement intake will most often increase. Equines will typically consume between 0.25-3.0 pounds per head per day. Free-choice consumption will depend on the size and age of the animal, as well as quality, source, and availability of forage. Always provide free access of clean fresh water. For more information visit www.crystalyx.com Crude Protein, Min 12.0% Crude Fat, Min 5.0% Crude Fiber, Max 2.5% Calcium, Min 1.0% Calcium, Max 1.5% Phosphorus, Min 1.0% Salt, Min 12.0% Salt, Max 14.0% Magnesium, Min 0.8% Potassium, Min 2.0% Cobalt, Min 5 ppm Copper, Min 250 ppm Iodine, Min 6.6 ppm Manganese, Min 880 ppm Selenium, Min 0.73 ppm Zinc, Min 880 ppm Vitamin A, Min 30,000 IU/Lb Vitamin D-3, Min 5,000 IU/Lb Vitamin E, Min 250 IU/Lb Thiamine, Min 30 mg/Lb

Probiotics

Probiotics in horses are an important part of natural horse nutrition, they are live beneficial bacteria that help the digestive system to work properly by processing food into energy and discouraging the growth of disease causing bacteria. Common organisms in equine probiotic products include Lactobacillus species and Saccharomyces species (yeast).
Wild horses grazed and obtained the proper amount and variety of beneficial microorganisms from the various green plants and grasses they consumed. Today’s domestic horses do not ingest enough of these organisms from their environments to reseed their intestines, causing digestive and immune system problems as well as weight issues.
Probiotics for horses:
~Improve the balance of the normal bacteria in the intestine
~Help break down proteins, starches, fiber, fats & sugars for better food digestion
~Promote regularity in bowel movements
~Manufacture certain nutrients, such as B vitamins
~Protect the lining of the intestine
~Promote healthy immune system function in the intestine
Probiotics are recommended for:
~Horses receiving antibiotics
~Horses with diarrhea or chronic disease of the intestine
~Newborn foals ~”Hard keepers” -hard to maintain weight

Lifting of Horse Slaughter Ban

President Obama signed a bill November 18th, 2011 to reopen the doors of horse-slaughter houses across the U.S. Which will mean the reported spike of 60% horse neglect and abuse since 2007 will decrease across the country.
After Congress quietly lifted this 5 year ban, horses could soon be butchered in the U.S. for human consumption. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated if slaughterhouses in the U.S. butchered horses for human consumption it would conduct inspections to make sure federal laws were being followed.
They estimated a slaughterhouse could possibly open by January 2012 with state approval and eventually over 200,000 horses a year could be through the plant for human consumption. Most of the meat would be shipped to countries in Europe and Asia, including France and Japan with the intention of these plants being American-owned.
Lawmakers in Illinois and California have banned the slaughter of horses for human consumption, and more than a dozen states tightly regulate the sale of horse meat.
For more information or comment on “Lifting of Horse Slaughter Ban” Like Hueber Feeds on FaceBook.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS from all of us at Hueber Feeds!

Hubbard Life...Same Great Products, New Name

Research shows that the rural lifestyle market is growing whether you own cats, dogs and horses to share a strong relationship. For this great bond between animal and human three product lines will be introduced in our Hubbard Life line. New products will be released mid to late October.
Front Runner Equine Feed will also be changed into Hubbard Life as well as the appearance of the bags, but will still deliver high quality proteins, minerals and other nutrients for optimal growth and performance for your horse. Cool Command, Performance, Summit, 30% Supplement and Equi-Star will still be available.

Potomac Horse Fever

There has been an outbreak of Potomac horse fever in our area. Potomac horse fever is an infectious non-contagious disease of horses of all ages, breeds and both sexes. This disease is transmitted through ingestion of freshwater snails and/or aquatic insects such as mayflies and dragonflies while grazing or drinking– not horse to horse. Heavy rains causing standing water provide habitat for aquatic insects which increase the chances of the disease. This organism is found in monocytes “which are types of white blood cells” in horses and decreases the white blood cell count. To determine if your horse is infected symptoms include: fever, reduced appetite,diarrhea, laminitis and depression. To confirm that your horse is infected call your vet to take blood tests to measure antibody levels in the blood or fecal examination and culture. Potomac horse fever occurs sporadically on a seasonal basis between May and November and are the strongest during July and August. Horses that test positive with Potomac horse fever can be treated with antibiotics to help fight off the disease with intense mandatory procedures, which include plenty of fluids, proper diet and anti-inflammatory drugs. To prevent Potomac horse fever keep water sources clean, get vaccinated for Potomac horse fever, and know the symptoms. Hope everyone stays healthy and please share this information with friends.

Hueber & Hubbard Front Runner are both Fixed Formulas!

Some people have wondered if Hubbard’s Front Runner and Hueber feeds are a fixed formula and yes they all are. A “fixed formula” is a formula that the ingredient mix such as: corn, oats, and barley do not change, and remain the same, bag after bag. Being a “fixed formula will not change the appearance of the feed.
Hubbard uses the best quality ingredients. They do not use “least cost formulating” ingredients which are the cheapest and lowest quality that change the basic ingredient of your feed and don’t offer the best nutritional value for your horse. Feeding a “fixed formula” feed such as Hubbard and Hueber products will help you to be in control of your feeding program and horses will have consistency in their performance and health.
Fixed formulas reduce the risk of digestive upset due to changing feed ingredients or their amounts. Ingredients that are fixed do not include fillers or low calorie roughage products.