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The Balancing Act

By Catherine Rudenko

The Balancing ActKey considerations when reviewing what you feed and if you should supplementWith so many feeds and supplements on the market, the feed room can soon take on the appearance of an alchemist’s cupboard. Feeding is of course an artform but one that should be based on sound science. In order to make an informed decision, there are some key questions to ask yourself and your supplier when choosing what ingredients will form your secret to success.Question #1: What is it?Get an overview of the products’ intended use and what category of horse they are most suited for. Not every horse in the yard will require supplementing. Whilst one could argue all horses would benefit from any supplement at some level, the real question is do they need it? Where there is a concern or clinical issue, a specific supplement is more likely warranted and is more likely to have an impact. A blanket approach for supplements is really only appropriate where the horses all have the same need (e.g., use of electrolytes).Question #2: Is it effective?There are many good reasons to use supplements with an ever-increasing body of research building as to how certain foods, plants or substances can influence both health and performance. Does the feed or supplement you are considering have any evidence in the form of scientific or clinical studies? Whilst the finished product may not—in a branded sense—be researched, the active components or ingredients should be. Ideally, we look for equine-specific research, but often other species are referenced, including humans; and this gives confidence that there is a sound line of thinking behind the use of such ingredients.Having established if there is evidence, the next important question is, does the feed or supplement deliver that ingredient at an effective level? For example, if research shows 10g of glucosamine to be effective in terms of absorption and reaching the joint, does your supplement or feed—when fed at the recommended rate—deliver that amount?There is of course the cocktail effect to consider, whereby mixing of multiple ingredients to target a problem can reduce the amount of each individual ingredient needed. This is where the product itself is ideally then tested to confirm that the cocktail is indeed effective.Question #3: How does it fit with my current feeding and supplement program?All too often a feed or supplement is considered in isolation which can lead to over-supplementing through duplication. Feeds and supplements can contain common materials, (i.e., on occasion there is no need to further supplement or that you can reduce the dose rate of a supplement).Before taking on any supplement, in addition to your current program, you first need to have a good understanding of what is currently being consumed on a per day basis. This is a different matter of comparing one feed tag or supplement pot to another one. Such ‘direct’ comparisons are rarely helpful as dose rates or feeding rates differ, and the manner in which units are expressed is often confusing. Percentages, grams, milligrams and micrograms are all common units of measure used on labelling. The unit chosen can make an inclusion sound significant when perhaps it is not. For example, 1g could be expressed as 1,000mg. Looking at the contribution, any feed or supplement made on an as-fed basis is the only way to know the true value for the horse.There are many categories of supplements in the market with the greatest cross-over existing around use of vitamins or minerals, which appear in both feeds and supplements. Occasionally feeds can also be a source of ingredients used in digestive health supplements or joint supplements. The contribution of your chosen feed(s) is the base from which you decide what, if any, of those matching nutrients or ingredients should be added to.Common areas for cross-over include vitamin E, selenium, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Duplication may also occur around use of vitamin C (antioxidant), FOS (prebiotic), MOS (pathogen binder), yeast (prebiotic) and occasionally maerl (marine algal calcium source).Vitamins and MineralsAn often-seen addition to the feed program for thoroughbreds are bone supplements—providing relevant minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc and copper. Whilst unquestionably important for sound skeletal development these nutrients are also present in feed, albeit at slightly varying levels by brand. Below is a typical profile of a bone supplement with the information as seen per kilogram on the feed label. Calcium and phosphorus are given as percentages on labels and require converting to grams when looking to calculate the amount of nutrients consumed. In this example, the calcium content is 20%, equivalent to 200g per kilogram.NutrientPer KilogramCalciumg200Phosphorusg70Zincmg7000Coppermg1500 The feeding rate is 100g per horse per day. The amount of each nutrient in each 100g dose equates to the amounts shown below. In isolation these numbers mean very little. Is 20g of additional calcium a lot in comparison to what is found within feed? Perhaps more importantly, how much calcium does a young horse in training need?NutrientPer 100gCalciumg20Phosphorusg7Zincmg700Coppermg150 The requirements of each mineral for a two-year-old in training are detailed in the pink column. These are the levels of each mineral necessary to meet the demands of training and development. When combining our supplement with 7kg (approx. 15 ½ lbs) of a standard racing feed, we are over-feeding each mineral significantly. The feed alone in this case is already exceeding requirements, giving plenty of safety against variation in forage contribution and appetite of the individual. Continually increasing the amount of the nutrient does mean an equally increasing benefit. Doubling an intake may well double your cost but will not necessarily double your results. NutrientSupplement per 100gFeed per 7kgForage per 5kgIntake per dayRequirement 2yo in trainingCalciumg20771411141.7Phosphorusg74275620.4Zincmg700840901630430Coppermg15031520485107 Not all nutrients have a documented requirement. There may simply be no requirement;; however, that does mean supplementation is not beneficial. For example, vitamin C has no requirement as the horse can synthesise vitamin C from glucose and is therefore not in need of supplementation to remain healthy. Vitamin C is well documented for its antioxidant role and can be of use at times where immunity may be compromised, for example through stress or illness whereby the body’s own production of vitamin C may be impaired. Use of vitamin C and the dose rate chosen are therefore discretionary and without a fixed guideline on intake. If considering supplementing, the question is, what is the reason for it and is there evidence of results in horses in the same situation? For example, if your horse is suffering from recurrent airway obstruction, research has shown such horses to have low vitamin C levels, and an intake of 30mg/kg of body weight is advised to improve this. Digestive and Gastric SupplementsThe importance of digestive health, relating to the ability to effectively digest and process nutrients, is the basic aim of using supplements to support this process. In addition to this basic function is the area of research, looking at how the gut flora profile - the horse’s microbiome - can influence health and performance. Use of supplements and food stuffs to alter the microbiome and positively influence health status, growth rate, recovery and performance is an area of increasing interest and opportunity.Such supplements may include yeast, FOS (fructo-oligosaccharides), MOS (mannan-oligosaccharides) and ERME (enzyme rich malt extract). Of these inclusions, yeast is the most commonly found within feed although not all brands use yeast as a standard inclusion in racing diets. As with vitamin C, there is no set requirement for any of these supplements; however, there is evidence for each as to their effect on the digestive system. Joint SupplementsThe ingredients used within joint supplements are not commonly found within racing feeds but can be included and are present in some senior horse feeds. Where used, glucosamine and MSM are the most commonly included.MSM has multiple roles, including improving total antioxidant capacity, influencing recovery post exhaustive exercise and reducing pain and inflammation in joint disease. Multiple human and animal studies have proven MSM effective; the dose rate however has been widely varied, and equine research is limited. Typical intake for equines ranges from 5g-30g per day.Glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate (CS) are often found in combination and are supplemented with the intention of counteracting cartilage degradation and supporting synthesis of ECM (extracellular matrix), a key component of articular cartilage. There is no recommended intake for CS, however for glucosamine, the recommended dosage is 10g per day for an adult horse. This recommendation arises from an equine-specific study looking at oral bioavailability of glucosamine.Hyaluronic acid (HA) in an oral format for equines has no absorption data; however, studies on the effect in yearlings post OCD surgery were positive and significant when reviewing effusion scores in the supplemented group. Dose rate in this study was 100mg per day. In a separate study reviewing the level of PGE2, an inflammatory mediator, those supplemented had significantly lower PGE2 levels.There are several more choices of active ingredients when looking at joint supplements, including plant-based options. Regardless of the source, the question remains the same: how does it work and is it documented to be effective in equines or in any other species? Where such evidence does not exist, and this can often be the case, you are then reliant on the theory being sound. Ultimately the evidence becomes your own horses, how you feel they have responded and if a significant difference was noticed. Question #3: What is the cost of feeding per day?Having decided if the supplement fits your feeding program and is well evidenced, or at least has a sound theory to its claimed effect, the decision to use becomes a commercial one. With differing pack weights and dose rates, the cost of a supplement is not as easily compared as feeds, which can be looked at on a per ton basis and have the same intake rate.There is also the issue of relative cost if the feed is providing more than the basic profile and contains ingredients commonly used in supplements, then the cost per day of feeding will be higher than using a basic feed. However, if you intend to supplement the diet, all costs of feed (including looking at nutrient intake) plus supplementation need consideration as a whole.Example Diet7kg standard racehorse cubes, no yeast inclusion and no vitamin C25g vitamin C supplement10g yeast supplementFeed/SupplementCost/bag/unitWeightFeeding/Dose rateCost per horse /dayNutrient notesRacehorse Cubes£ 10.20 / E 11.4020kg7kg£ 3.57 / E 4.00Vitamin C£ 40.00 / E 45.001kg25g£ 1.00 / E 1.102,500mg vitamin CYeast£ 35.00 / E 40.002kg10g£ 0.18 / E 0.2010g yeast£ 4.75 / E 5.30 Example Diet7kg racehorse cubes with a yeast inclusion and 200mg of vitamin C per kilogram of feedFeed/SupplementCost/bag/unitWeightFeeding/Dose rateCost per horse /dayNutrient notesRacehorse Cubes£ 10.60 / E 11.8520kg7kg£ 3.71 / E 4.15Yeast included, vitamin C 1,400mg per dayVitamin C£ 40.00 / E 45.001kg11g£ 0.44 / E 0.49Yeast£ 35.00 / E 40.002kgN/A£ -£ 4.15 / E 4.64 Initially looking at cost of the main diet, racehorse cubes, the supplemented version is more expensive per bag and so more expensive to feed per horse per day. However, when considering the contribution of supplemented nutrients, the more expensive racehorse cubes actually reduce the cost of feeding each horse through removing the need to supplement yeast and reducing the amount of vitamin C needed.A cost savings of £0.60 per horse per day may sound insignificant but when considered over a season, the significance soon changes. For a yard of 70 horses, the difference equates to a little over £10,000 for the season.In ReviewSupplementation is a normal and largely beneficial aspect of any feeding program. With many ingredients having no recommended daily intake but having beneficial effects well worth considering, the most important thing to remember is to ask questions. Efficacy of the ingredients needs consideration and the potential benefit weighed up against the commercial implication. As nutrients and supplements frequently interact, working in synergy or building upon each other, the diet must always be considered as a whole.

Key considerations when reviewing what you feed and if you should supplement

With so many feeds and supplements on the market, the feed room can soon take on the appearance of an alchemist’s cupboard. Feeding is of course an artform but one that should be based on sound science. In order to make an informed decision, there are some key questions to ask yourself and your supplier when choosing what ingredients will form your secret to success. 

Question #1: What is it? 

Get an overview of the products’ intended use and what category of horse they are most suited for. Not every horse in the yard will require supplementing. Whilst one could argue all horses would benefit from any supplement at some level, the real question is do they need it? Where there is a concern or clinical issue, a specific supplement is more likely warranted and is more likely to have an impact. A blanket approach for supplements is really only appropriate where the horses all have the same need (e.g., use of electrolytes).  

Question #2: Is it effective? 

There are many good reasons to use supplements with an ever-increasing body of research building as to how certain foods, plants or substances can influence both health and performance. Does the feed or supplement you are considering have any evidence in the form of scientific or clinical studies? Whilst the finished product may not—in a branded sense—be researched, the active components or ingredients should be. Ideally, we look for equine-specific research, but often other species are referenced, including humans; and this gives confidence that there is a sound line of thinking behind the use of such ingredients. 

Having established if there is evidence, the next important question is, does the feed or supplement deliver that ingredient at an effective level? For example, if research shows 10g of glucosamine to be effective in terms of absorption and reaching the joint, does your supplement or feed—when fed at the recommended rate—deliver that amount? 

There is of course the cocktail effect to consider, whereby mixing of multiple ingredients to target a problem can reduce the amount of each individual ingredient needed. This is where the product itself is ideally then tested to confirm that the cocktail is indeed effective. 

Question #3: How does it fit with my current feeding and supplement program? 

All too often a feed or supplement is considered in isolation which can lead to over-supplementing through duplication. Feeds and supplements can contain common materials, (i.e., on occasion there is no need to further supplement or that you can reduce the dose rate of a supplement). 

Before taking on any supplement, in addition to your current program, you first need to have a good understanding of what is currently being consumed on a per day basis. …

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Support performance from within with Vetrogard

The management of a racehorse in training often means long periods in the stable and little time in the field grazing. Combined with high levels of concentrate feed, this routine can result in periods without forage, for instance if the horse finishes his or her hay or haylage well before next feeding time. In addition, intense training regimes and regular travel can lead to high stress levels. All these changes can challenge the racehorse’s digestive system. 

The imbalance of a stomach expecting a supply of food 24/7, but in reality receiving discrete meals throughout the day, leads to an excess of gastric acid which can cause discomfort.  This in turn can negatively affect appetite, condition, droppings and behaviour – all of which can prevent your horse from performing to their optimum.

Animalife, the creators of Vetrofen and Vetroflex, have introduced Vetrogard Intense to their range of high performance supplements. The dual action, nutritional formulation has been designed to support gastric health and comfort.  Studies have shown that horses fed Vetrogard have improved appetite, condition and faecal quality scores.

Vetrogard Intense helps support the gastric epithelium and acts to assist the body’s natural defences to any gastric acid splash in stabled, exercising horses. 

Vetrogard Intense is free from banned substances and 100% natural. Vetrogard Intense is available in a 525g tub, priced at £99.99. 

Call +44 (0)1564 794 586 to find your local Animalife Accredited Retailer or order online at www.animalife.co.uk (subject to delivery charges).

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