Feeding horses “straights” is not necessarily better, a hay-only diet could cause harm – and riders must be aware of buying supplements and feeds from trusted sources.
These were key messages from a World Horse Welfare webinar on 11 December, featuring independent equine nutritionist Clare MacLeod, who aimed to bust feeding myths, or “nutribaloney”.
“I love this subject because it’s slightly amusing and entertaining, but it’s also really serious, because it’s about welfare,” Ms MacLeod said. “I’ve got four common nutrition myths to go through, and I’m going to remind everybody about how you can discern because that’s the big thing, isn’t it? When you read something or learn about something, it’s knowing whether it is the truth or not.”
Ms MacLeod said it is important people used trusted sources for nutrition advice.
“There are companies and individuals selling products, feeds or supplements, and they are trying to deceive,” she said. “We’ve got wonderful companies to buy our horse products from, but undoubtedly there are some that maybe aren’t so ethical, and they could be deceiving us in terms of the claims they make and what’s actually in their products.”
Ms MacLeod wanted to make this point before she went on to myth-busting; she said there are good profits to be made in equine supplements, and companies who make “outrageous, unfair and sometimes additional claims”.
“And these can compromise horse welfare,” she said. “We have to be very careful about which products we buy. We have to be careful we don’t feed a product that’s going to be harmful, but also, we don’t want to waste money on something that actually doesn’t do anything. This relates not just to products, but to generally how you feed your horse.”
Ms MacLeod said one myth gaining traction is that a hay-only diet is best for horses.
“I find it on social media in groups trying to keep horses more naturally,” she said. “There are many good factors associated with that, making sure horses have enough movement and social contact. It’s wonderful we’re more aware of that. But what about just feeding hay only?”
Ms MacLeod said such a diet “is actually really going to be very harmful to your horse or pony, long-term”, adding: “I do tend to bang my head on the desk a bit when I hear this one. It’s nonsense, it’s nutribaloney. It really is about basic nutrition fundamentals.”
She explained that hay’s nutritional value varies much less than some might think, and it will never give horses enough copper, selenium or zinc. This means, long-term, harmful deficiencies.
The second myth Ms MacLeod said has become fashionable is that “straight” feeds are better than compound mixes or balancers, for example. She pointed out that reputable feed companies specifically create their products to provide balanced diets, which straights may not do, and which is essential for optimal health.
And although knowledgeable people can provide a balanced diet using straights, many owners do not understand enough to realise the diet they think is superior is lacking in essential elements, such as giving a feed high in phosphorus without extra calcium.
“Straights are not better than compound feed,” she said. “They’re not balanced, and they need to be supplemented. Straights can be harmful if not balanced correctly. Yes, you can use them, but why not use the specialists who have come up with their products, which are balanced, and they’ve used straights in them.”
The ‘Marmite’ of horse feeds
Ms MacLeod also mentioned that alfalfa has become the “Marmite” of horse feeds in that many owners shun it, but that it is “very nutritious and it’s safe for most horses and ponies”.
The last myth she mentioned is that many owners think carrots are too high in sugar to feed, when they are 80% water and just 5% sugar.
“I have seen owners dump bags or buckets of carrots into their field or stable and obviously, that quantity of carrots might not be very good, but a controlled portion isn’t going to tip over the edge your [equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)] horse or pony, if it’s in good health, and their EMS is controlled,” she said.
In a question and answer session, Baileys Horse Feeds’ nutritionist Liz Bulbrook endorsed Clare’s opinion, and busted some myths herself.
Asked about horses who seem to become more excitable if fed a balancer, she said: “We know it is a myth that balancers directly cause excitability. And I think that it’s really important that we look at a horse’s natural temperament.”
Ms Bulbrook explained that the most likely reason is that a horse with an unbalanced diet could be feeling lethargic, as people do, but with the correct nutrients, will feel better and so be more likely to go forward.
“It’s not that you’re aggravating the natural temperament,” she said. “You’re actually seeing, ‘I feel better. I can do my work now.’ I think that’s where confusion comes when people say a balancer has given the horse more energy. It’s just made it a healthy, balanced diet, which means you’ve got good health.”
Ms Bulbrook added: “My final thoughts would be, talk to people who have got relevant qualifications, experience. That might be the feed companies that have a team of nutritionists. Go to their websites, look for their articles that will have scientific support, but also independents like Clare. My biggest take-home is, don’t be frightened to ask questions.”
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