Shannon Godwin BaAppSc GDTL
With each visit to a produce store, the modern horse owner is confronted with a seemingly endless and bewildering array of sweet feeds, pelleted feeds and extruded products. Not to mention the array of supplements designed to nourish or enhance each and every portion of a horses’ mind and body. Another problem facing horse owners is the conflicting advice they may be given by various sources throughout the equine industry. However, careful consultation with equine nutritionists will usually show that there is at least one, and probably several “correct choices” for any equine.
Roughage (grass or hay) should be the foundation of every equine diet. Horses require at the very least 1% of their body weight in roughage per day. Sometimes a concentrate must be added to the diet in order to meet energy requirements for growth, exercise or reproduction. The equine stomach is unique in that the small intestine uses enzymes to digest proteins, fats and starches. The large intestine (hindgut) utilises a bacterial fermentation process to break down the fibrous portion of the diet. Horses consuming only a small amount of concentrates daily rarely have a digestive tract problem. Performance horses that require a high level of energy are most susceptible to digestive issues caused primarily from un-digested feedstuffs passing into the hindgut where the fermentation process begins to produce gas, heat and discomfort for the horse.
One of the most recently introduced forms of horse feed are extruded products. Extrusion is a relatively complex cooking and drying process that is commonly used in both the human and pet food industry. Extrusion utilizes a combination of steam and friction as heat sources to cook a formula under pressure. The sudden release of pressure exiting the die causes starch molecules to explode (much like popcorn) to form a unique nugget/cube.
Extruded feeds have several significant advantages over their more traditional counterparts (sweet feeds & pellets). The following advantages are discussed below:
Hyfeed have two extruded horse feeds on the market. Cool Cubes is a fully extruded, 40% grain based cube that provides highly digestible energy and premium quality protein for horses in light to moderate work. Wholesome is formulated with 80% extruded grain and contains premium quality protein that provides highly digestible and available energy for the high performance sport horse experiencing moderate to intense training. Both Cool Cubes and Wholesome are scientifically balanced and contain Full Fat Soymeal and Equimin Plus therefore, ensuring that equines receive premium quality protein and a comprehensive range of essential minerals and vitamins.