Interesting* perspective. I actually was employed for a lot of years by one of the large animal feed manufacturers. They not only funded research but they also undertook it .... extensively.... and in particular developed feed formula to contain the risks of such as laminitis. The problem isn't the feed manufacturers, it's owners who make incorrect purchasing choices and go on a single track feed regime.
IMO what we're seeing is a new and modern disease with fatal consequences and debilitating and painful symptoms. It's becoming inherent in the human population and contaminated and spread cross species to the horse population.
The disease is obesity!
Horses are genetically equipped and programmed for a lifestyle that humans too often find difficult to manage for themselves.
They need to work and keep fit and eat according to what they're doing and the conditions they're kept and rather than gorge feed, trickle feed. It's about balance and feeding accordingly.
Instead they've often kept by owners who are full of notions that food compensates for lack of time and attention. That no matter what else you do, there needs to be a routine of feeding.
Likewise there's absolutely nothing wrong per se with sugar and/or molasses in a horse's diet.
However folks need to be aware that it's about feeding appropriately to the work undertaken and the condition of the horse, the climate, how it's kept etc etc etc.
I'm always totally cynical about these "never feed this", "always feed that" comments.
Owners would be better being aware that it's about balance of diet and exercise. The likes of molasses far from being an evil is one of the best sources of good source of iron, vitamin B6, potassium, calcium, copper and magnesium.
Likewise sugar can be a valuable form of energy.
Regular readers of my postings will know I hate overfeeding horses and feed very little other than dry forage matter - so most of the year, most of the time, most of the ponies and horses get hay and restricted grass grazing and not a great deal else.
Recently though there's been lots of postings about sugar in feed and feeding the likes of sugar beet as if it's a panacea for all and everthing.
Its making me think that it seems that a lot of folks have gone totally bonkers or else just don't appreciate the facts. Many seem to believe that there's some things that are just totally forbidden and that a horse should never ever ever have and then on the other hand, some things that are totally o.k. and so are always safe.
Sugar and molasses seems to fall into the former category. And most oddly sugar beet seems to fall into the latter category: and often the people who are proponents for never having sugar or molasses in a horse's diet are all for liberally and generously feeding sugar beet (and anything with the word "lite", "low energy", "for laminitics" on the packet.)
Sugar beet, molasses and even grass and hay all contain sugar which can be turned to energy by the horse.
And so we do indeed all feed all horse's sugar.
Then lets turn to sugar beet. Despite being the waste left over from refining, sugar beet pulp contains a significant amount of sugar, which we use as an energy source. Note that a lot of beet pulp averages 10% sugar though with modern cultivars its not uncommon for it to be higher.
It can provide 2.86 megal calories/kg of energy and that is about as much energy per kilo as you would get from a kilo of poor to middling oats.
Molasses is another form of sugar usually from sugar cane but it can and is manufactured from sugar beet as well. Its also a concentrated energy source providing 2.5 Mcal/kg of energy. However its not fed in such large quantities as such as oats or beet pulp.
A lot of manufactured horse feed contains molasses for the following reasons:
- it reduces dust in coarse mix
- it has a sweet smell and gives a slight gloss to the surface of the other ingredients
- it aids the pelletising process
- it raises the energy value of the food
- it makes it palatable
- it contains many essential minerals, vitamins & electrolytes required for a horse
There are natural sources of sugars or carbohydrates in grass and some of these remain when its preserved and made into hay. The amount depends on the dry matter content of the grass and the type of grass and stage of growth its reached and the climate its grown in and when its cut.
Owners frequently talk about wanting an energy source that allows their horse to perform well, but not get fat or make him excitable.
There's not really such a thing as "non-heating" energy. If 2 foods have the same energy content - plus having the same bulk and palatability - they will have the same effect on the horse. However and to be really simplistic, some foods are more quickly digested and have different glycaemic indexes and produce peaks and troughs of insulin production.
In my mind the important thing is to have a well balanced diet and with a horse its to appreciate that they are trickle feeders and so should be fed little and often and they should be fed mainly a diet of forage and at a quantity appropriate to the size and type of the horse and what its doing and to keep it so its in good condition. So not obese and not skinny - so minimal cover and good musculature but no fat desposits and can feel its ribs if you lightly run your hand over his side and no bone protrosions and not able to see ribs. I've never had a horse that's insulin resistent, had ulcers, chronic colic etc etc etc and all those other "modern diseases".
I'm at a loss to understand why people think it's right and proper to gorge on great big meals. They do it themselves, they force it on their pets.
I'm mentoring a young lady who has exceedingly nice cleveland bay fillies and mares. She's recently changed her feed regime to what I do this time of year: "depends on the weather". Day like today.... -7 C and snow and she's supplementary hard feeding a barley mix with moasses diluted in warm water. If it's above freezing and dry as well as warmer tomorrow they'll get nothing but hay. Her horses are maintaining their condition - not running off and not weight gaining. They're also behaving better.
A valuable tool for any owner is time to ride and exercise the horse and a weight tape to monitor changes and if accompanied by a wall chart to track change over time and a huge dose of common sense there'd be a lot less horses with this killer disease and a lot less obesity in people and horses.
Health and fitness are the backbones of responsible horse care and should be every owner's priority.
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