While pressure cooking is not new, this method of feeding is relatively new to the equine industry. It is important to understand that carbohydrates come in many forms. These cookies do not store any personal information. Starch reaching the hindgut of the horse is rapidly fermented and the end-products of that fermentation alter the environment of the hindgut to be less hospitable to the normal population of fiber digesting microbes and ultimately can result in symptoms of hindgut upset such as gas, diarrhea and in extreme cases, compromise the lining of the hindgut. A single pound of a 50 % NSC feed would contribute the same quantity of NSC as four pounds of a 12.5 % NSC feed (0.5 lb). Legume hays are usually higher in NSC than grass hays and cereal grains have the highest concentration of NSC. Research shows keeping NSC at or below these low levels … This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Chemical and GMO free. When selecting a horse feed, it is essential that you consider both the exercise level, and the total NSC intake. RELATED CONTENT: Does Low-Starch Horse Feed Equine Low-Calorie? Glycogen repletion between exercise events is key to maximize performance and decrease the risk of injury due to early onset fatigue. What is a Fecal Egg Count, and Why Do Horses Need Them? If greater energy is required to support high performance a low inclusion of oats, which are highly digestible in the small intestine, can be utilized in conjunction with digestible fiber and fat. Many horse owners are concerned about carbohydratelevels in their horses diet, particularly if the horse is prone to colic or laminitis. Selecting an appropriate commercial feed won’t have as much an effect in managing the condition if the forage in the diet provides far too much starch or sugar. While searching the internet for any feed that is guaranteed to be below 12% NSC and also not made with alfalfa, I came up with only one. 11% protein, 4% fat, 30% fiber. Insulin resistance increases the horses risk for laminitis. Fiber is a carbohydrate. Horses with metabolic syndrome should be limited to 0.05 lb/100 lb body weight and 0.025 lb/100 lb body weight per meal in extremely sensitive horses. While not all horses require an extremely low NSC feed, there has been a fundamental shift away from feeding traditional sweet feed, which can be as high as 50 % NSC. Many horses with conditions that require low starch and sugar are easy keepers and also need reduced calorie intakes. Ethanol soluble carbohydrate (ESC) captures monosaccharides and disaccharides that can raise blood glucose but far less than the microbial requiring sugars. Without adequate levels of these forms of carbohydrate in the diet there would be very little for the horse’s hindgut bacteria to utilize. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. TRIPLE CROWN LOW STARCH IS GRAIN, ALFALFA, AND MOLASSES FREE MAKING IT IDEAL FOR HORSES WITH INSULIN RESISTANCE, HYPP, PPID, EPSM, OR PSSM. Getting back to basics might be the key to keeping the largest portion of the horse’s GI tract functioning properly. Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with, I have owned Sadie for 10 years. Ulcer-prone horses can especially benefit from a reduction in NSC because sugars can be fermented into acid in the stomach. Posted by Clair Thunes, PhD | May 21, 2018 | Commentary, Diseases and Conditions, Grains, Horse Nutrition Commentary Series, Metabolic Problems, Metabolic Syndrome, Nutrition, Nutrition Basics, Nutrition-Related Problems, Special Needs Nutrition. Are Your Horses Ready for You to be Quarantined? Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Example 2: 1,100 pound horse in moderate work with tying up disease fed 15 pounds daily of grass hay (15% NSC) and 8.5 pounds daily of Triple Crown Low Starch (15% NSC) has a total dietary NSC level of 15%. Feeds labeled lite, low-starch, and low-carb aimed at performance horses are not low in calories. However, just like bales of timothy and orchard, one cannot determine the NSC content without testing… it varies. Most horse owners are familiar with the fact that traditional grains such as oats and corn contain high levels of starch (40 to 60%), as do some commercial performance feeds. You can also switch to lower NSC value hays, like cool-season grasses. Often, the owner will look to simply feed a product with a lower starch or NSC percentage. Horse owners can calculate the NSC rate in a commercial horse feed by adding the percentage of sugar and starches listed in the guaranteed analysis on the feed bag. Each horse is unique and requires a customized combination of these elements through two main food types: forage and grains. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. In fact, horses eating 1.5% of their body weight as forage are consuming very high levels of carbohydrates. All rights reserved. NSC is calculated by adding the starch and water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) fractions of a feed together. It's also ideal for easy keepers, ponies, and miniature horses. Many new horse feeds are also lower in NSC values, look for something with an NSC value less than 10%. The NSC content in a range of commercial "cool" equine feeds were submitted to Dairy One for analysis. Digestion of starch in the foregut of the horse liberates glucose for absorption in the small intestine. Safe for anhydrosis horses. Are feeds with words such as low-starch, lite, low-carb, and safe appropriate for horses such as your own? Because of the lack of regulations surrounding these terms you as a buyer really need to look carefully at the feeds to determine whether they are truly appropriate for your horse. Rice hulls and oat hulls are ingredients that are poorly digested by the horse that can be found in some high fiber feeds and are classified as roughage products when umbrella terms are used in a least-cost formulation. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Nutrition Can Help. dietary non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) be below 12% on a dry-matter basis Strategies to support energy requirements of high performing horses without the risk of high NSC diets include replacing cereal grains that are lower in small intestinal digestibility (corn and barley) with highly digestible fiber or fat to meet energy requirements. It was long held that horses had limited capacity for digestion and absorption of fat because they do not have a gall bladder and the natural forage diet of the horse is 2 – 3% fat. Recommendations about starch and sugar amounts for such horses varies depending on who you ask and the specific condition being managed. This is likely true, but there’s no standard that defines the term “low-starch.” Feeds exist that use these terms and that are truly low in starch and ESC or starch and WSC and therefore safe to feed horses with conditions such as insulin resistance. The key to selecting feeds for horses with these conditions is to feed according to the horse’s condition and only feeding low-NSC performance feeds if the horse needs additional calories for weight gain or maintenance. Testing Terms: NSC vs. ESC The term NSC (non-structural carbohydrates) has been used by feed companies to categorize low carbohydrate feeds of about 10-15% NSC. Not necessarily. Would one of these be appropriate for my horse? Typically, the NSC content is lowest in straw and mature hays. Feed at least 1.5% to 2% of your horse’s body weight in fiber each day (15 to 20 lbs for a 1,000 lb horse). Our nutritionist helps a reader make sense of horse feeds advertised as low-sugar, low-starch, lite, and more. Q. Feeding a high fat (10-12%) performance feed at recommended levels will not increase total dietary fat to the level where fiber digestibility may be impaired; however, care should be taken when supplementing additional fat with a high-fat feed. For the EMS and IR horses, veterinarians and nutritionists often recommend that dietary non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) be below 12% on a dry-matter basis. The low starch and sugar diet for horses with special needs. Clair Thunes, PhD, is an equine nutritionist who owns Summit Equine Nutrition, based in Gilbert, Arizona. This is a low-starch food that is made with non-GMO ingredients, natural vegetable oils, protein and fiber. Our horses work hard every day, and they deserve horse feed that helps them perform at their best. A horse fed a no-carb diet would likely be dead or, at least, very unhealthy. Feeding a Ration Balancer with Grains or Fats The goal is to reduce the total intake of starch and simple sugars to below about 10-12%. It's impossible to feed your horse a low-carb diet. Ideally, have your forage tested to ensure it’s low in starch and sugar; if you can’t have it tested, consider soaking to lower the sugar content. However, not all WSCs contribute to a blood glucose spike, because not all of it’s absorbed in to the blood stream from the small intestine. Example 3: Obese 1,000 pound horse with insulin resistance at maintenance fed 12 pounds daily One of my pet peeves is the term “low-carb” when it comes to horse feeds and diets. Ultimately, this is a positive trend in the area of equine nutrition but NSC value is only one consideration in choosing the best nutrition program for your individual horse. Horses need balanced diets of healthy ingredients like hay, alfalfa and oats. While some states have carbohydrate guidelines for use of terminology on feed labels these are rare and nationally it will be a long time before there is a generally accepted definition of what terms such as low-starch actually mean. She has been a loving pet, but I am too big to ride…. Born in England, she earned her undergraduate degree at Edinburgh University, in Scotland, and her master’s and doctorate in nutrition at the University of California, Davis. It’s a specific type of carbohydrate we are trying to limit in these horses, not all forms of carbohydrate. Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky, The Horse 2021 Calendar: Stretches & Exercises, Problem Solver Series: How to Control Nuisance Birds on Horse Properties. Key Benefits. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This easy-to-chew feed provides added fat, digestible fiber sources, and is a perfect recommendation for older horses and horses who present digestion challenges. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), which include sugars and starches, are useful nutrients because they can be broken down and absorbed in the small intestine and stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver. The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event. Small But Essential: Vitamins and Minerals. High NSC diets can contribute to hyper-excitability and also increase the likelihood of gastrointestinal upset, both of which contribute to decreased performance. It’s tempting to focus on the grain in the diet; however, don’t to forget about the forage in the ration. For the metabolically challenged horse, limited NSC intake is key to reduce risk of laminitis. While not all horses require an extremely low NSC feed, there has been a fundamental shift away from feeding traditional sweet feed to horses, which can be as high as 50 percent NSC. The mixture of high fat stabilized rice bran, coconut meal and flax will really help regulate your horse’s digestive system. Horses have a very sensitive digestive tract, and pressure-cooked feed provides the best in nutrition and digestion. Birth-Tissue-Derived Biologics for Equine Medicine, Don’t Forget Your Mask and Social Distancing at the Barn, Washington Horses Confirmed With Equine Influenza and EHV-1, Novel Therapy for Equine Osteoarthritis: pPRP-Lysate, Thoracolumbar Pain in Horses: It’s Complicated, Equine Anesthesia: Where We’ve Come From and Where We’re Going, Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners Symposium 2019, International Society for Equitation Science 2019, Equine Parasite Control: Deworming and Beyond. More recent work has found that horses can digest up to 20% of the total diet as fat; however, fat fed at this level has the potential to escape digestion in the small intestine and negatively impact fiber digestibility in the hindgut. 315 Lake Street East, Suite 300, Wayzata, MN 55391 • US: 800.451.9916 | International: 952.473.6330 These feeds are better thought of as having “controlled starch” rather than low-starch. This same feeding practice is also excellent for metabolic horses. May be beneficial for conditioning, weight gain, coat … Compare horse feeds and evaluate nutrients, protein, fiber, fat, minerals, vitamins, and more between the different horse feed manufacturers. One of the things FeedXL is great for is to help you sort out which feeds, forages and supplements are safe (low in starch and sugars; NSC) or not safe to feed horses with these conditions. For more information, please visit www.Ranch-Way.co m or call 1-800-333-7929 . Approximate indicators of starch levels may be as follows: high, NSC >35%; relatively low, NSC =35-20%; and low, NSC <20%. LAKIN-Lite (alfalfa/bermuda pellets in AZ) (Claire Cox 1-08) ESC 6.3, starch 1.3 NSC= 7.6%. If you continue to use the site, we'll assume you're okay with this. In addition to being a low calorie feed, ration balancers are also low in starch and sugar, which make them one of the best ways to control the NSC in a metabolic horse’s diet. Feeding a low NSC product without consideration of fortification of other essential nutrients will not support optimal health and performance of the normal horse and may not provide sufficient energy for recovery between exercise events. CoolStance. NSC) has a total dietary NSC level of 16.1%. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Low NSC for the Performance Horse. We must ask the question of what is the appropriate balance of “low” enough NSC to avoid potential negative impacts on health but still support optimal performance in the healthy horse. But how is a high fat diet beneficial for a horse exactly? Infographic | How Does a CT Scan Work on Horses? Further, diets high in NSC that are fed in large quantities may result in starch bypassing digestion in the small intestine. However; non-structural carbohydrates are an important source of energy in the non-metabolically challenged performance horse’s diet. Usually, to achieve low enough starch and sugar levels, these diets need to be grain free. This is equal to 1.0 lb of NSC per meal for a 1,000 lb horse. Horse feeds are often judged on their appropriateness for a given horse based on the percentage of NSC and while the percent of NSC in a pound of feed is valuable information, it must be taken in context with feed intake. All common feedstuffs, with the exception of refined fat ingredients, contain some quantity of NSC. When you test your hay or fresh grass today, you will not see this NSC listed any more due to … Stay up-to-date on the latest news about your horse's health with FREE newsletters from TheHorse.com. Glucose is required to replenish muscle glycogen to support muscle energy requirements during intense exercise. Low NSC concentrates may not provide enough glucose for glycogen repletion. If you have a horse that has been diagnosed with a genetic muscle disorder such as Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy (PSSM) or Recurrent Rhabdomyolysis (RER), you’ve likely heard about the benefits of switching to a high fat/low NSC horse feed. There is a wide range in digestible energy (DE) and NSC among common horse feeds. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The only low NSC, high energy, GMO free feed in the world. … The bulk of the calories, even in grasses and hays, is carbohydrate. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The pelleted feed with a low feeding rate that balances rations for broodmares, growing, performance, and maintenance horses. SafeChoice Special Care is specially designed for horses that are prone to metabolic issues related to starch intake. Highly digestible fiber will be found in the ingredients of a feed tag as beet pulp, soy hulls and dehydrated alfalfa. Laminitis safe. KER (Kentucky Equine Research and Flint River Mills) Cool Balance - NSC – 29% (from company rep) KING FEED (california) King Equine CarboRaider Complete - starch 4% or less, Sugar 10% or less. Natural Disaster: Are You and Your Horse Ready for Emergency Evacuation? © 2021. As a nutritionist she works with all equids, from WEG competitors to Miniature donkeys and everything in between. My horse was recently diagnosed with a metabolic condition and now must consume a low-starch, low-sugar diet. Insulin’s role is to direct glucose to peripheral tissues, notably muscle, to maintain blood glucose within normal levels. Percent is not a unit of intake. Included in the list of reasons for horse owners to want a low carbohydrate feed for their horse include the desire to influence or modify behavior, or sensitivity to so called carbohydrate diseases including Tying-up, Cushing’s Disease, Laminitis, Insulin Resistance (IR) and Obesity. Look for a performance feed that provides a balance of moderate NSC, high fat and highly digestible fiber while also supplying amino acids, minerals and vitamins in adequate quantities. Does Low-Starch Horse Feed Equine Low-Calorie? Starches, carbohydrates, sugars, non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), among others, are terms thrown around for equine diets, and all … With proven results in reducing ulcer incidence and tying up, it is a great choice for standardbred racehorses, eventers, and any trainers and riders looking for an ultra low starch ration for working athletes. I currently feed a regular performance feed, because he’s in moderate to hard work and not the easiest of keepers. Growing up, she competed in a wide array of disciplines and was an active member of the U.K. Pony Club. Frequently, when people ask about “low-carb” diets, they’re really asking about low non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) diets. You can lower the NSC value of your horse's hay by soaking it. Consequently, there has been an explosion of both discussion on reducing NSC in the diet and the availability of “low NSC” products. Some WSCs require microbial fermentation in the horse’s hindgut, so they don’t impact blood glucose in the same way. When inquiring what a feed’s NSC value, always ask how the value provided was calculated. I often hear owners say that they need a no-carb or low-carb diet for their horse. To make matters even more confusing, starch and ESC combined is sometimes erroneously referred to as NSC, when, as mentioned, NSC is starch plus WSC. High NSC diets can contribute to hyper-excitability and also increase the likelihood of gastro-intestinal upset, both of which contribute to decreased performance. Research conducted by Tribute Equine Nutrition in conjunction with Cooperative Research Farms has indicated that blood glucose and insulin spikes following a concentrate meal are minimized in the normal horse if NSC intake per meal is limited to 0.1 lb per 100 lb of body weight. CarbCare ® Senior Learn More. The foundation of the horse’s diet should be high quality forage and fiber provided through the concentrate (grain) should be in the form of highly digestible fiber. For horses with metabolic conditions, safe NSC percentages are generally 12% or lower, nutritionists say. Insulin resistance safe. Webcast | Horse Under Stress? 100% dried, cooked and ground coconut. These hearty horse pellets are low in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and fortified with biotin for strong, healthy hooves. Feeding the Energetic Horse. A. It’s generally recommended that horses with conditions such as insulin resistance (IR), equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), and polysaccharide storage myopathy (PSSM) consume diets low in starch and sugar. Our goal in creating WellSolve L/S Horse Feed was to thoroughly research the area of equine carbohydrate metabolism and provide the best possible diet we could offer for horses with special needs. While it sounds as though your horse needs extra calories, it’s important to remember that feeds in this category aren’t always low in calories. Consequently, there has been an explosion of both … Helps ensure a well-balanced diet for idle, breeding, growing and performance horses. Some argue that ESC combined with starch is what should be considered when feeding horses with metabolic conditions. Low controlled starch formula for horses with metabolic concerns and easy keepers. In some horses, normal levels of insulin are unable to maintain blood glucose, resulting in increased insulin secretion and insulin insensitivity. Starches and Sugars in Horse Feeds. Fat is often utilized as a calorie source along with fermentable fiber and these ingredients can provide significant calories. A nutrient-dense concentrated supplement is a low-calorie pellet method of supplying vital nutrients to every meal. What matters is the type of carbohydrate. View Product ProElite ® Growth Horse Feed The topic of carbohydrates for horses has gotten a lot of people asking questions and has created a certain amount of confusion, particularly when comparing carbohydrates in equine diets to human dietary recommendations. As fitness increases a greater proportion of fat can be utilized for energy, sparing muscle glycogen, which has the added benefit of decreasing lactic acid production. Your veterinarian may recommend that you feed a low starch and sugar diet to your horse. Fact Sheet | Bisphosphonate Use in Horses, At a Glance: MRI to Diagnose Equine Lameness. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. I have been looking for a different feed and have found a number with words like “low-starch,” “lite,” “low-carb,” and “safe” in their name. The results show that the NSC content varied from less than 12% to over 40%. Significant advancements have been made in our understanding of the role of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC; starch + sugar) in the diet, which benefits horses with a number of issues including insulin resistance, equine metabolic syndrome, hyperactivity, obesity, ulcers and developmental orthopedic disorders. Blue Seal Feeds has been a leader in this field, manufacturing 100% Pressure Cooked horse feeds for more than 20 years. Premium Coconut (Copra) Meal. An increase in blood glucose signals for the release of insulin from the pancreas. A low NSC ration balancer to be fed alone or used as a top dress with any other Tribute ® product to provide essential vitamins, trace minerals, and amino acids. Finding the NSC value of the feed may require a call to the feed manufacturer. A*A = All American brand horse feed. The NSC intake per meal should be evaluated and if it exceeds 1.0 lb per meal for the 1,000 lb horse the same quantity of concentrate can be split into a greater number of meals per day. Feed ingredients such as beet pulp and alfalfa meal are lower in NSC, while grain ingredients such as corn, oats, and barley are higher in NSC. Today, she serves as the district commissioner for the Salt River Pony Club. The source of fiber in a performance horse’s diet is key to ensuring sufficient energy is available to support performance.