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Discussion on Maize and Barley in Performance Horses.
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Member:
Redback
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 6:10 am:
Hello Everyone:
I have a standardbred pacer who is being feed soaked Barley and Maize. Her manure is wet and runny and she is not performing well. Do people think that Maize and Barley are suitable grains to feed horses in full training?
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Member:
Alden
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Posted on Thursday, Oct 12, 2006 - 10:03 am:
Hi,
Suitable as long as the rest of the feeding program is in balance.
How much grain, forage and, work?
Why soaked?
Good day,
Alden
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Member:
Redback
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Posted on Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - 12:28 am:
Hi Alden:
Heavy work competing in official trials. Also being fed steam extruded racing mix and coprice a rice based feed. As well as electrolytes and vitamin e and selenium. I think that's it. Barley and Maize probably less than 20% of feed. Soaked because that's supposed to aid digestibility and stop expansion in gut and cause colic e.t.c.
Thank you for your response.
Regards
Geoff
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Friday, Oct 13, 2006 - 6:24 am:
Hello Geoff,
Food expansion in the bowel is not really a problem and I have seen no evidence that soaking grains increases there digestibility. On the other hand, as long as the soaking is done just prior to feeding and the water that it was soaked in is fed also, I don't see how it would hurt. Corn and barley have long been fed to horses that need more energy than can be provided by forage alone but the digestive tract needs forage to work properly. You do not mention any forage in the above diet nor the horse's body condition. As high concentrate low forage diets can cause diarrhea in some individuals you may want to purse this if a thorough physical exam and lab work rules out other problems. Unless there is also a general decrease in the horses overall body condition the diarrhea may not be related to the DrOp in performance. For more see Diseases of Horses » Colic and GI Diseases » Diarrhea in Horses » Diarrhea an Overview.
In young racing horses in intensive training with an unexpected decrease in performance that cannot be attributed to other causes, occult musculoskeletal injuries and gastric ulcers are generally at the top of the list of possible problems.
DrO
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